Meghan Markle and Jimmy Fallon. It’s a combination that sounds like a PR dream. You’ve got the Duchess of Sussex, one of the most talked-about women on the planet, and Jimmy Fallon, the king of lighthearted late-night games.
But for years, the actual "appearance" has been a series of "almosts" and "not quites."
Honestly, the history between Meghan Markle and Jimmy Fallon is a wild ride of scheduling mishaps, royal mourning periods, and weirdly enough, a viral moment involving peanut butter pretzels. If you've been scrolling through social media trying to figure out if she actually sat on that couch or if it was all just a fever dream of the 24-hour news cycle, you aren't alone.
The Cancellation That Everyone Saw Coming (and Didn't)
Let’s go back. Way back.
Originally, Meghan was supposed to hit The Tonight Show stage in September 2022. It was all set. She was ready to talk about her podcast, Archetypes. Then, the world stopped. Queen Elizabeth II passed away, and out of respect, the appearance was scrapped. That makes total sense.
But then things got weird in November 2022.
NBC’s website suddenly dropped a bombshell: Meghan was scheduled for December 7. Fans went nuts. Twitter—now X—exploded. Even royal reporter Omid Scobie tweeted about it. Then, poof. It vanished.
NBC later called it an "inaccurate report." Basically, someone hit the "publish" button way too early, or a deal fell through at the eleventh hour. Either way, the couch remained Meghan-less for a long time.
Meghan Markle Jimmy Fallon and the Pretzel Controversy
Fast forward to early 2025.
Meghan finally launched her lifestyle show on Netflix, titled With Love, Meghan. It was supposed to be her big "Martha Stewart" moment. Instead, it became fodder for Jimmy Fallon’s monologue.
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There was this specific scene. Meghan is preparing a gift for her friend and makeup artist, Daniel Martin. She takes a bag of Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Pretzel Nuggets—the ones we all buy for five bucks—and carefully pours them into a different, more aesthetic plastic bag. Then she ties it with a string and labels it "Peanut Butter Pretzels."
Jimmy Fallon didn't hold back.
During a segment called "Trivia Night," his sidekick Steve Higgins asked: "What is the number one question that mystifies scientists?"
Fallon’s answer? "Why does Meghan Markle make her own pretzel bags?"
The audience lost it. Fallon joked about how she just moves them from one bag to another, which "confuses people." It wasn't mean-spirited, exactly, but it was a sharp jab at the "aesthetic curation" that defines Meghan's American Riviera Orchard brand. It’s that weird space where being relatable (buying store-bought snacks) clashes with being a Duchess (putting them in a custom-labeled bag).
Why the Tonight Show Connection Matters
People keep asking: why hasn't she just done the interview yet?
Prince Harry already did it. In late 2024, Harry showed up on The Tonight Show and did a "Haunted House" segment with Jimmy. It was hilarious. He looked relaxed. He was screaming in a strobe-lit hallway, and people loved it.
The contrast is pretty stark.
- Prince Harry: Lean into the "fun guy" image, get scared by actors in masks, gain instant likability points.
- Meghan Markle: Methodical, curated, and currently the subject of the host's jokes rather than his guest.
Industry experts, like Netflix boss Ted Sarandos, have jumped to her defense, though. Sarandos recently mentioned that Meghan is "underestimated" and that everything she does—even the shoes she wears or the Hermès blankets in her background—sells out instantly.
He’s not wrong. Even if Jimmy mocks the pretzels, people are still watching. With Love, Meghan hit the Top 10 globally, despite some fairly brutal reviews from critics who called it "exhausting."
What’s Next for Meghan and Late Night?
If you're waiting for a formal sit-down interview, don't hold your breath for this week.
Right now, the buzz is all about her new podcast on Lemonada Media, Confessions of a Female Founder, which is slated for an April 2026 release. Typically, that’s when the PR machine kicks into high gear. If she wants to win back the "relatability" factor, sitting across from Jimmy Fallon and laughing off the "Pretzel-gate" drama would be a masterstroke.
But for now, the relationship remains one of distance. Jimmy makes the jokes; Meghan provides the material.
Actionable Takeaways for Following the Story
If you want to keep up with the latest on this saga without getting lost in the tabloid noise, here is how to filter the news:
- Check the Source: If you see an announcement for a late-night appearance, verify it on the official NBC Tonight Show press site. As we saw in 2022, even "official" leaks can be mistakes.
- Watch the Netflix Metrics: The success of With Love, Meghan Season 2 will dictate her media strategy. If the numbers stay high, she might feel she doesn't need the late-night circuit.
- Look for the "Harry Effect": Since Harry’s 2024 appearance was a success, watch for Meghan to potentially follow the same "unscripted" format—think games or outdoor segments rather than a stiff couch interview.
The reality is that Meghan Markle and Jimmy Fallon are two titans of modern media. One needs content, and the other is the content. Eventually, those two paths are going to cross for real.
Expert Perspective: While the "pretzel" moment went viral for the wrong reasons, it highlights the difficulty of the "lifestyle" pivot. For Meghan to truly succeed in the Fallon-esque world of late-night, she'll likely need to lean into self-deprecation—something the public hasn't seen much of since her Ellen appearance years ago.