Conan O'Brien, Ryan Reynolds mock Meghan Markle's luxury jams, comparing it to his dad's job as food broker

Conan O’Brien and Ryan Reynolds poked fun at Meghan Markle’s recent foray into the jam industry this week, comparing her to Reynolds' father's work as a "food broker."

Reynolds was discussing his late father, James Reynolds,’ different careers, telling the comedian on his "Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend" podcast this week that his father left police work when the actor was a kid and became a food broker.

"He got out of copping and then became a food broker, which we’re like, ‘Come on, that’s CIA, right?’ And he's like ‘No, really, I’m a middleman for jars of jam and tiny yogurt,’" the "Deadpool" actor said of his father who died in 2015

"He works for Meghan Markle," O’Brien joked. "Really tiny jams, harvestable jams, made from the oils of Montecito." 

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Reynolds, who avoided talking about his legal entanglements with his wife Blake Lively and her ex-co-star Justin Baldoni in the hour-long podcast, said: "If Jimbo Reynolds wasn’t dead I would say he is Meghan Markle. Well, adjacent."

"Many people have likened the two," O’Brien laughingly agreed. 

A food broker is a sales professional who helps clients sell their products to customers, often negotiating product placement in stores, according to Indeed

The Duchess of Sussex launched her new lifestyle brand, As Ever, in April, selling a limited supply of artisanal jams, cookie mix, herbal tea, honey and other products, which quickly sold out. 

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"Where it all began – this signature As ever raspberry fruit spread is inspired by the recipe Meghan crafted in her home kitchen," Markle’s As Ever website says of the $14 sold-out jam. "This signature blend delicately mixes the sweetness of raspberries with a hint of lemon, and is crafted with a fluid texture so it can be drizzled, spread, poured and enjoyed for so much more than your morning toast. This delectable spread comes in elegant Keepsake Packaging, crafted to be cherished long after the last spoonful."

Markle suggests three ways of enjoying the jam: drizzling it over a puff pastry with brie cheese and a sprig of thyme, spooning it over freshly made crêpes and, when it’s finished: "Repurpose the Keepsake Packaging as a charming home for your favorite trinkets or small treasures." 

O'Brien and Reynolds' ribbing of Markle came just days after "Saturday Night Live" cast member Colin Jost joked on the "Weekend Update" segment that Britain’s only demand in its new trade deal with the U.S. is "that we keep these two," while showing a photo fo of Markle and husband, Prince Harry

Markle’s venture into the lifestyle industry has been criticized by some on social media as inauthentic

PR expert Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital previously that while lifestyle icons Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray adopted different marketing approaches while building their empires, there was an essential common component — one that Markle is currently missing.

"In marketing, there is aspirational marketing and relatability marketing. Martha Stewart was aspirational; Rachael Ray was relatable. Each personality came at it from a different direction, but managed to connect with their audiences (because they were authentic) and in so doing, climbed to the top of the lifestyle mountain, respectively," Eldrige said, speaking of her lifestyle brand and her Netflix lifestyle show "With Love, Meghan." 

He continued, "Connection comes in two forms, but regardless of the path or direction, it remains the critical first step in any creative or marketing endeavor."

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Markle films the show in Montecito, California, near where she and Harry currently live after they stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to the U.S. 

"Authenticity is like humidity — you can't see it, but you can walk in a room and feel it," Eldridge said. "It's also critical for what Markle is trying to accomplish. Authenticity fosters relatability, which in turn creates likability, all of which are needed for marketability."

Texas AG Ken Paxton sued over new rule to rein in 'rogue' DAs by allowing him access to their case records

Five Texas district attorneys are suing state Attorney General Ken Paxton, challenging new rules that would give his office broad authority to access their office’s case records, according to a new report. 

In the two lawsuits filed on Friday, the district attorneys said the rule, in effect since April, is an unconstitutional overreach that violates the separation of powers and would impose unnecessary burdens on county prosecutors, The Texas Tribune reported.

District attorneys in Dallas, Bexar and Harris counties filed one lawsuit while district attorneys in Travis and El Paso counties filed another. Both lawsuits seek to block Paxton from enforcing the rule, arguing that it violates the state constitution and federal law.

The rule created by Paxton's office applies to counties with at least 400,000 residents, impacting only 13 of Texas' 254 counties, The Texas Tribune reported. It requires district attorneys to provide all documents or communications produced or received by their offices, including confidential information.

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All documents, correspondence and handwritten notes relevant to a case can be subject to review, according to the outlet. Counties must also submit quarterly reports to the attorney general on twelve different subjects, including specific information on indictments of police officers and the number of times indictments were issued for election code violations. Information on internal policies and how funds obtained through civil forfeiture are spent would also need to be turned over under the new rule.

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot described the rules as a violation of the separation of powers between the executive branch and the judicial branch.

"To make matters worse, the rule’s extremely burdensome reporting requirements will cause district attorneys' offices to divert resources and staff away from core prosecutorial roles and responsibilities, which harms public safety and the administration of justice," Creuzot said in a statement. "And it will cost Dallas County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars or more to pay for the technology and resources needed to identify and produce all the responsive information under these unnecessary reporting requirements."

"AG Paxton should be working with all district and county attorneys in pursuit of justice, not picking fights with the Democrats in large cities," Creuzot added.

Paxton’s office has claimed the provision is a way to "rein in rogue district attorneys" allegedly refusing to uphold the law. District attorneys that do not comply with the reporting rule could be charged with official misconduct and removed from office.

"District and County Attorneys have a duty to protect the communities they serve by upholding the law and vigorously prosecuting dangerous criminals," Paxton said in March. "In many major counties, the people responsible for safeguarding millions of Texans have instead endangered lives by refusing to prosecute criminals and allowing violent offenders to terrorize law-abiding Texans. This rule will enable citizens to hold rogue DAs accountable."

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In response to the lawsuits, Paxton said Friday that it "is no surprise that rogue DAs who would rather turn violent criminals loose on the streets than do their jobs are afraid of transparency and accountability."

"My DA reporting rule is a simple, straightforward, common-sense measure that will shed light on local officials who are abdicating their responsibility to public safety. This lawsuit is meritless and merely a sad, desperate attempt to conceal information from the public they were sworn to protect," he continued.

The two lawsuits claim Paxton’s office does not have the sweeping jurisdiction the rule creates, and that providing the information requested would be expensive and illegal, according to The Texas Tribune. The lawsuits claim the rule seeks to achieve a political objective by burdening officials and creating strict consequences for noncompliance.

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