Peanut, the social network for moms, has launched a new feature that allows users to mute keywords. So, unlike Facebook or Instagram, you can filter out terms you don’t want showing up in your feed — like politicians’ names, the word “coronavirus,” or anything else that’s causing you daily anxiety. But what does this have to do with Meghan Markle’s Peanut app reviews?
Well, to quote a Facebook status: It’s complicated.
What Is the Peanut App?
According to the company website, “Peanut is a smart mobile solution for mamas to connect and learn from like-minded women. Because let’s face it, the more women in your life, the better it becomes. We show you women in your neighborhood with similar-aged children and create matches based on shared interests. You can chat, arrange meetups and share experiences based on meaningful topics.”
The AppStore goes further, saying you can:
- MEET – Swipe and connect with like-minded women nearby.
- CHAT – Chat and create group conversations.
- JOIN – Join groups relating to specific interests or neighborhoods.
- SHARE – Ask questions, create polls and share advice across topics.
The Peanut app reviews are pretty good. With more than 3,000 reviews in the AppStore, it has a 4.2 out of 5, and of 2,000 reviews on Android it got a 4.0 out of 5. The women who use it and review it, basically like it.
But did Meghan Markle really review and approve of the Peanut app?
The Meghan Markle Connection
An identical article showed up on Yahoo, PureWow, and Sports.Yahoo.com (and perhaps other sites) with the headline, “This Meghan Markle-Approved App Lets You Filter Out Negative News.” This implies the former Duchess endorsed the product, but it’s a loose connection, to say the least.
According to reports, when journalist Tom Bradby interviewed Markle for ITV’s documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, a teary Markle told the reporter that “not many people have asked me” if she was emotionally “okay” post-pregnancy with baby Archie. (You can see the actual quote at approximately 1:25 into the clip below.)
ITV's @tombradby spoke to Meghan as he gained exclusive access to the royal couple as they toured Africa for 10 days with their son Archie.
The documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, airs on Sunday at 9pm on @ITV #HarryandMeghan https://t.co/Uy21iE6ozJ pic.twitter.com/XYlHVytiHF— ITV News (@itvnews) October 18, 2019
“Coming from someone as high profile as Meghan, we were moved, and frankly saddened, by her admission that ‘not many people have asked if [she’s] okay,'” Kennedy said in an interview with Parade. “We felt a responsibility to remind her that a community of mothers who are going through exactly what she is going through (even if some of it is on a different scale) is here to support her. It doesn’t matter who you are, motherhood is universal.”
Kennedy wrote an open letter to Markle (posted below), and, according to the PureWow/Yahoo article(s), Markle “personally called Kennedy on the phone. The duchess not only thanked her, but she also showed her support for the company’s mission statement.”
This appears to be true. Somewhat. While an actual recording of the conversation couldn’t be provided, Peanut’s publicist told Parentology that when Markle spoke with Kennedy on speakerphone in front of the Peanut team, she said, “I’m so grateful because it can feel like a really isolated experience of pregnancy and new mommyhood, so to know that I’m not alone in this and that you guys are out there, it just warms my heart.”
Appreciative, yes. “Approving” of the app or the company’s specific mission statement? That’s not been established by the above quote, and no one at Peanut or the publicity team replied to requests for clarification on this point.
Whether or not the negative keyword filter works well for Peanut users is unknown at this time. The product is too new and there aren’t any reviews listed for it yet. But be sure of this: If Meghan Markle did review it, she has not publicly endorsed it.
Meghan Markle Peanut App Reviews — Sources
Peanut
Meghan Markle Letter
Parade
PureWow – This Meghan Markle-Approved App Lets You Filter Out Negative News