“LIARS, LIARS, LIARS! ALL screenings SOLD OUT!” one X user wrote, while another said: “Why lie about something so easily debunked? The screenings were packed and SOLD OUT!”
Another supporter claimed the film received a rare “two-plus-minute standing ovation.”
“A big deal at Park City’s Eccles Theatre, where crowds usually sit back down in seconds, unlike the long ovations at Cannes or Venice,” the user added.
Critics respond with skepticism
Critics were just as vocal, with one X user commenting: “Cringe! They had to give away some $6000 seats to people on the waiting list for a lesser price. Don’t nobody want to pay all that money to see two untalented people.”
Another shared a screenshot of the balcony, writing: “You can clearly see from the video that the balcony area, especially to the left. There’s even a woman standing while walking in the top left of the balcony area where all the seats are empty. It’s not packed. There’s plenty of empty seats as they stated, but don’t let the truth get in your way.”
One user also noted that a sold-out ticket listing does not necessarily guarantee full attendance.
“All the tickets sold out, that’s a fact. If 100% of the ticket holders did not show up, it doesn’t change the fact that it sold out,” they said.
Meghan addresses the audience
Before the screening, Meghan spoke directly to the audience, an uncommon move for an executive producer at Sundance.
“My husband and I and Archewell Productions, we are so proud and privileged to be able to support and uplift ‘Cookie Queens’,” she said.
Prince Harry was later seen greeting and hugging attendees believed to be connected to the film before the lights went down.
Behind-the-scenes details
According to Tom Sykes’ The Royalist Substack, the Sussexes reportedly became involved in the project only after the documentary had already been completed.
Speaking to the press on the red carpet, Meghan explained how her own childhood influenced her support for the film and addressed whether Princess Lilibet might one day follow a similar path.
“It really embeds such great values from the get-go,” she told Deadline.
“I was a Girl Scout, my mom was a troop leader, and I think the value of friendship… and self-belief is an integral value that comes with being a Girl Scout.”