Oops. Mindy Kaling pointed out a flaw in the jars of jam Meghan Markle sent to her and other celebs in 2024 during an episode of With Love, Meghan. While Kaling called it a “glamorous” gift to receive, the jam also had the actor-producer-writer scrolling through celebs’ social media.  

Kaling thought the numbered jam jars reflected how ‘special’ recipients were to Meghan Markle

In the second episode of With Love, Meghan, Kaling opened up about how she reacted to getting a jar of jam from Meghan in the spring of 2024. At the time, Meghan soft-launched her lifestyle brand, now named As Ever. She did so by sending celebrity friends some of her homemade jam. The labels included Meghan’s signature loopy script and were labeled with numbers one to 50. 

While it marked a “glamorous” moment for Kaling, 45, she quickly questioned the meaning behind the numbered jars. “When I received that in the mailbox of your preserves, it was probably one of the most glamorous moments of my life,” Kaling told Meghan (via Newsweek). 

“But then I looked at the label, and it said there were, like, 50,” she continued. “And then I, of course, as a very hierarchical person, was like, ‘Who are these other 50? Does having a lower number make me more special?’” 

Celebs who also received jam from Meghan included Chrissy Teigen, Kris Jenner, and Tracee Ellis Ross, among others. 

Meghan ‘did not think about’ the numbered jam jars being mistaken for a ‘ranking’

Meghan’s response? “Oh, my God. I did not think about it,” she told Kaling. “So it wasn’t ranked?” the Never Have I Ever creator asked. “It was not a ranking? Just a random?”

“It was not a ranking,” Meghan said, explaining her thought process had gone something like, “Just  let me share them.” Instead, “people started to take it very personally.”

“People like me,” Kaling told the former Suits star. “I straight up went on Instagram and went to look at who the other people are and what numbers they have.” 

So, who got the coveted no. 1 jar of jam from Meghan? Her mom, Doria Ragland. “I did save one of 50 for my mom,” she told Kaling. “[It] felt like the right thing to do.” 

“Then I just thought,” Meghan continued, “anyone who got one of those 50 jars that I was making on my stove in my actual kitchen in my house felt like, ‘Well, I want to share this with you.’” 

‘With Love, Meghan’ was a ‘fun maternity leave field trip’ for Mindy Kaling

Kaling opened up about appearing on the Netflix show in a Time interview ahead of With Love, Meghan’s premiere. “I was on maternity leave with my daughter in March and April,” she told the outlet. “And Meghan texted me that she was doing a show where she was going to cook for her friends. Would I want to come to Montecito and have her cook for me?” 

It was an easy yes for the Running Point co-creator, who “wanted to get taken care of in that moment” of her “life.” Calling it “a fun maternity leave field trip,” Kaling shared that she “left with a basket of fresh produce and homemade jam and hot sauce because” Meghan knew about her love of hot sauce. “She’s a very generous woman who knew I needed a break.” 

As for what she learned, Kaling got some entertaining tips from Meghan. “I don’t know anything about how you’re not supposed to use overhead lighting when people come over. You’re supposed to use little lamps,” she said. “But Meghan just knows how to do that stuff.” 

“She really is a down-to-earth person who knows a lot of fun tricks to make entertaining and cooking easier,” Kaling later added of Meghan. 

With Love, Meghan is streaming on Netflix.