Meghan Markle’s candid hair dye confession during the pandemic has drawn a playful response from Cassandra Peterson, the actress best known for her gothic character, Elvira.
In a recent episode of her podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, the Duchess of Sussex shared a lighthearted story about how a DIY hair coloring attempt in 2020 went awry. Meghan recalled how repeated use of boxed dye left her hair “very inky, almost Elvira-esque black.”
Peterson, 73, responded on Instagram with good humor. “Hey princess, if you ever need beauty advice from a queen just let me know,” she wrote, tagging her post with a glamorous photo of herself as Elvira and a screenshot of the article quoting Meghan.
Meghan explained that the beauty mishap eventually led her to celebrity colorist Kadi Lee. She met Lee through stylist Serge Normant, who had done her hair for her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
“He and I became friends after he did my hair for my wedding,” Meghan said. “So my family had just moved to California. We were staying in a friend’s home, and because it was the pandemic, I kept ordering boxed hair dye. I thought, ‘I’m going to look just like the woman on the box.’”
But the result was far from expected. “It turned out very inky, almost Elvira-esque,” she said. Meghan contacted Normant, who then introduced her to Lee. “You came over, we were masked, and it was such an interesting time. I remember that day so well.”
Since then, Meghan and Lee have developed a close friendship. In November 2024, the Duchess attended the launch of Lee’s Highbrow Hippie Haircare and Wellness line in Venice, California. The pair have remained close, and Meghan has relied on Lee’s expertise for over four years.
Lee, a strong advocate for BIPOC-owned businesses, also counts Meghan as a lead investor in her brand.
Meghan’s podcast, produced in collaboration with Lemonada Media, premiered in April 2025. Confessions of a Female Founder features conversations with women who’ve built successful brands, including some of Meghan’s friends like Lee.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Meghan reflected on how speaking with other women founders has shaped her own business path.
“It’s been meaningful to talk about my journey with other female founders,” she said. “Whether they’re just starting or have already IPO’d, sold their company, or built impactful brands, we’ve all faced the same learning curves.”
“You start by learning to walk, then run, then fly — and all of that takes time. There’s something energizing about learning new things as we grow older. I’m lucky to have a circle of female founders I can turn to for advice.”
