Not a good week for Harry and Meghan:
Inside Meghan and Harry’s Falling Out With Netflix — and Why the Royal Couple Is Struggling in Hollywood
After five and a half tumultuous years at Netflix, are the
Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the outs in the streaming kingdom?
That’s been a burning question around Hollywood, as the
couple’s company, Archewell
Productions, has struggled to release bingeable content. Launched in 2020,
the company was originally intended to produce scripted and unscripted films
and series for all ages. For the past 18 months, it has largely become a
vehicle for Meghan Markle’s
consumer products brand, As Ever.
Last week’s news that Netflix had divested from
the lifestyle venture, which the tech giant footed the bill to help build,
tossed gasoline on a bonfire of speculation about the health of the
relationship between the former royals and their creative home. Variety spoke
to six well-placed individuals with knowledge of Netflix and the Sussexes, who
say the union between Meghan, Harry and the streamer has been far from a fairy
tale. The Sussexes’ perceived pattern of selling repackaged versions of the
same story about their exit from royal life has exhausted Netflix. Their
partnership may continue to taper off, and with it will Meghan and Harry’s
remaining show business lifeline.
“The mood in the building is ‘We’re done,’” one Netflix
insider tells Variety of the vibe on Meghan and Harry. Their
bedside manner has ruffled feathers in meetings, and lackluster ratings for
shows like “With Love, Meghan” have led to doubts that e-commerce is the best
way for Netflix to stay in business with the couple (a Netflix insider says the
ratings for “With Love” are “on par with other lifestyle series”). That’s to
say nothing of Archewell’s history of what sources call “poor communication” in
their dealings with the company.
Three insiders say Netflix chief Ted Sarandos is fed up with
the pair — who, per two sources, have been known to text directly with the
Co-CEO about their projects, as do many A-listers who work with the streamer.
Similarly, chief content officer Bela Bajaria is said to have grown weary of
the Sussex pact. A Netflix spokesperson says it is “absolutely inaccurate” that
Sarandos and Bajaria have lost faith in the couple.
“Archewell has been a thoughtful and collaborative partner,
“ says Bajaria, “and we’ve really enjoyed working with Harry and Meghan.
They’re deeply engaged in the storytelling process and bring a unique, global
perspective that aligns with the kinds of impactful
Insiders at the streamer say Sarandos and his wife, Nicole
Avant, socialize frequently with Meghan and Harry and are neighbors in the star
haven of Montecito, California. However, two sources insist that Sarandos
recently said he would not sit for a call with the duchess unless a lawyer was
present on the line (the sources were unclear if Sarandos was serious or
joking). A Netflix spokesperson says it is “absolutely inaccurate” that
Sarandos made the comment.
“This is blatantly false. In fact, Meghan texts and speaks
with Mr. Sarandos regularly, and has been to his home, sans lawyers,” says
Sussex attorney Michael J. Kump in a letter to Variety regarding
this story.
Last August, a second set of episodes from “With Love,
Meghan” performed dismally compared with the first round. Netflix was sitting
on a surplus of As Ever products, including tea and baking mixes, totaling more
than $10 million in value (so much so that the company started giving inventory
to employees for free, putting the goods on card tables in various office
buildings. An Archewell spokesperson says giveaways from sample closets are
standard practice at studios). A different Netflix source says the plan was
always to spin As Ever back into Archewell’s control, and that the streamer
only intended to assist in its launch. “With Love,” which features Meghan’s
friends and the occasional synergistic cameo from talent with ties to Netflix,
like Mindy Kaling, was not renewed in full. A spokesperson for the Sussexes
says, “‘With Love, Meghan’ will continue as seasonal specials.”
Yet, according to many people familiar with the matter,
Netflix’s disenchantment is not a recent phenomenon.
At the onset of COVID and their move to the United States in
March 2020, the couple made it clear that they planned to build an
entertainment empire. They held discussions with every major media company in
town — including Disney, Apple, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal — as
they searched for an overall deal. Content slates and consumer brands were
always part of their vision, but the industry was clamoring for one asset in
particular: a docuseries featuring never-before-seen footage of Meghan and Harry’s
great British escape (including video of the two on the commercial jet that
delivered them to California).
David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, was especially
keen to land Meghan and Harry, a source familiar with the executive says of
that time (a rep for Zaslav did not return a request for comment). Sarandos,
fiercely competitive, swooped in and signed them to an exclusive arrangement
over a five-year term. Reported numbers for the deal vary from $30 million to
north of $100 million, but two sources peg the figure at roughly $60 million.
Netflix announced the partnership in September 2020 with fanfare and
immediately got to work setting the stage for the docuseries “Harry &
Meghan.”
What Netflix didn’t expect, according to numerous sources,
was the March 2021 blockbuster primetime interview the couple would participate
in with Oprah Winfrey. While nobody at Netflix has suggested that the Sussexes
violated any of the terms of their agreement, which allows the couple to engage
in projects in other arenas and participate in interviews for other
distribution outlets, many at the streamer were annoyed by the lack of
communication. Sources say that the company only discovered at the last minute
that the Sussexes would sit with Winfrey and share intimate, headline-grabbing
details of their lives. A Sussex spokesperson says it is “categorically false”
that Neflix was unaware of the Winfrey interview. Regarding their deal and its
exclusivity, the representative adds that “Netflix and Archewell had legal
counsel involved to oversee the evolution of the deal, as is common practice
for any deal changes in Hollywood.” Still in the honeymoon phase, Netflix
leadership ultimately did not interfere with the broadcast, which delivered a
massive 17.1 million linear viewers for CBS.
Following the Winfrey interview, chatter in the book world
was that an auction was heating up for a tell-all memoir from Prince Harry.
Still smarting from the Winfrey experience, Netflix approached the couple to
discuss how a potential book deal would impact the release of the docuseries.
Sources say Meghan downplayed the auction, telling Sarandos that any
publication would be far in the future, if it happened at all. A spokesperson
for Meghan calls this “categorically untrue — there was open communication with
Netflix months before release to coordinate timing between book and
series.”
In the spring of 2021, sources say the streamer felt
blindsided again with news that Penguin Random House was indeed publishing the
Harry memoir “Spare,” and planned to do so during Netflix’s rollout for “Harry
& Meghan.” While two sources say Sarandos was riled to hear about this
during a chance encounter with a Penguin executive, a Netflix insider says the
Co-CEO never met anyone at the publishing house regarding the book. Penguin
would formally announce the project in July 2021, setting a late-2022 release.
Penguin Random House had no comment on the matter.
Netflix acted immediately to have “Harry & Meghan” air
in its entirety before the book hit shelves, the sources say. Penguin shifted
its release to January 2023, when “Spare” would become the fastest-selling
nonfiction book of all time, according to Guinness World Records. Prince Harry
earned a reported $40 million from that deal. A Netflix insider says the plan
was always to air “Harry & Meghan” in December 2022, though two sources say
plans ultimately changed to get ahead of the memoir.
Concurrent to the book-release incident, production on
“Harry & Meghan” proved challenging. Lana Wilson (Taylor Swift’s “Miss
Americana”) was originally enlisted to direct the project, but no official deal
was reached. A rep for Wilson says she was never “formally” attached. Garrett
Bradley (“Naomi Osaka”) came on board briefly, reports say, before splitting
with the couple over creative differences. An Archewell source says Bradley was
never engaged as a director. Sarandos then personally appealed to Oscar nominee
Liz Garbus (“Ghosts of Abu Ghraib”) to shepherd the project. She agreed, and
the working relationship between Garbus and the couple remained smooth
throughout the process until postproduction.
During the editing of the docuseries, two sources say Meghan
appealed to Garbus to remove elements from the final cut, saying select
interviews and footage would be “upsetting” to the royal family — especially
given that Queen Elizabeth II had died two months prior to the series debut and
the couple was observing a period of mourning. Garbus declined to comment.
Internally at Netflix, sources say the feeling among some executives was that
the couple’s true intention with the request was to ensure Harry’s upcoming
memoir would contain exclusive news and insight that would satisfy his
publisher. A Netflix spokesperson calls this characterization “not accurate.”
Two other sources with knowledge of the process say Netflix leadership
encouraged Garbus to conduct one final interview with the couple, to ensure
that events discussed in Harry’s book would also be covered in the series.
Garbus and the couple were strongly advised to deliver “Harry & Meghan” in
a way that maximized the value of the show. They agreed, the sources add.
“Harry & Meghan” would go on to mark the highest documentary debut ever for
Netflix, with 81.55 million hours viewed in the first four days of
release.
During the editing of the docuseries, two sources say Meghan
appealed to Garbus to remove elements from the final cut, saying select
interviews and footage would be “upsetting” to the royal family — especially
given that Queen Elizabeth II had died two months prior to the series debut and
the couple was observing a period of mourning. Garbus declined to comment.
Internally at Netflix, sources say the feeling among some executives was that
the couple’s true intention with the request was to ensure Harry’s upcoming
memoir would contain exclusive news and insight that would satisfy his
publisher. A Netflix spokesperson calls this characterization “not accurate.”
Two other sources with knowledge of the process say Netflix leadership
encouraged Garbus to conduct one final interview with the couple, to ensure
that events discussed in Harry’s book would also be covered in the series.
Garbus and the couple were strongly advised to deliver “Harry & Meghan” in
a way that maximized the value of the show. They agreed, the sources add.
“Harry & Meghan” would go on to mark the highest documentary debut ever for
Netflix, with 81.55 million hours viewed in the first four days of release.
Outside Netflix, parts of the entertainment industry began
to sour on the couple. After making an exclusive podcasting deal with Spotify
the same year the Netflix contract was signed, the Sussexes parted ways with
the company, having delivered only one series (Meghan’s well-rated
“Archetypes”). On an episode of his own podcast in June 2023, Spotify’s head of
talk strategy, Bill Simmons, called the couple “fucking grifters.”
The year before, in a January 2022 episode, Simmons said,
“You live in fucking Montecito, and you just sell documentaries and podcasts,
and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the
royal family and you just complain about them.”
However, the ratings for “Harry & Meghan” brought
much-needed success for the couple and a return on Netflix’s investment. There
was a feeling of momentum in the Archewell offices. Despite the renewed
optimism, the couple struggled to connect with Hollywood’s creative
community.
A-list talent and directors were hesitant to work with the
pair, sources say. Perceptions were shifting in the industry and across the
U.S., thanks to comments like Simmons’ and similar remarks from then-United
Talent Agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer. “Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio
talent, or necessarily any kind of talent,” Zimmer said at a 2023 conference in
Cannes. “Just because you’re famous doesn’t make you great at something.”
Scripted projects — including the animated series “Pearl,”
about a time-traveling girl who meets famous women throughout history — were
often scrapped. Development turnaround is common in Hollywood. Yet the Sussexes
have not produced a single scripted project in their nearly six years at
Netflix.
Meghan signed with talent agency WME in April 2023, in hopes
of burnishing her profile in the business. Agency sources say, however, that
her primary focus was building As Ever.
Within three months of Meghan becoming a client, key members
of the team assembled to represent her dropped off the account (Endeavor CEO
Ari Emanuel and the Kardashian whisperer Brad Slater). The agency still
represents the duchess and Archewell Productions, and her team includes Jill
Smoller (an architect of the Serena Williams empire).
Netflix also stepped up to help define the post-“Harry &
Meghan” era at Archewell. When Ben Browning departed as production and creative
head at Archewell in late 2023, the streamer showed renewed vigor. At the 2024
Sundance Film Festival, for instance, the new creative team at Archewell hit
the ground with indications from Netflix that the company would prioritize
spending on acquisitions for Archewell — with the goal of building a
substantive pipeline of projects for Meghan and Harry.
But sales agents and filmmakers on the ground were not
interested in any Archewell involvement, four sources say. Archewell
specifically expressed interest in “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” and the
Christopher Reeve doc “Super/Man.” No deals materialized despite the Sussexes’
overtures. The Reeve doc ultimately went to Warner Bros.’ DC Films label for
$15 million, less than what Archewell would’ve paid, three sources say. Netflix
took “Skywalkers: A Love Story” for its main film library, and sources say the
dealmakers were not interested in having Archewell as a second partner. Jeff
Zimbalist, the writer-producer on “Skywalkers,” tells Variety that
“neither the couple nor Archewell was ever mentioned” to producers during the
bidding process. Regarding the Sussex rejection at Sundance, a Netflix
spokesperson calls this “categorically untrue.” A source familiar with
Netflix’s acquisitions protocol says Archewell would only be floated as a
partner if the streamer or a sales title’s producer felt the couple added value
to the project — and that was not the case for “Skywalkers” or “Super/Man.”
This year, the couple went to Sundance to premiere the Girl
Scouts documentary “Cookie Queens,” on which they served as executive
producers. That documentary struggled to land a sale before Roadside
Attractions bought it nearly two months after it debuted at Sundance. News of
the sale came as this story was going to press.
By March 2025, it was clear that Netflix and Archewell had
changed direction. With scripted projects failing to materialize, it was time
to reconsider the partnership. Prince Harry was not nearly as visible in
projects after the 2024 debut of “Polo,” a five-episode unscripted series about
his friend and athlete Nacho Figueras. It was time to test Meghan’s mettle as
an entrepreneur and a solo star.
“I think Meghan is underestimated in terms of her influence
on culture,” Sarandos told
Variety last March. “When we dropped the trailer for the ‘Harry &
Meghan’ doc series, everything on-screen was dissected in the press for days.
The shoes she was wearing sold out all over the world. The Hermès blanket that
was on the chair behind her sold out everywhere in the world.” Sarandos added
that Meghan and Harry were “overly dismissed.”
Sarandos also confirmed that Netflix was a passive partner
in the As Ever brand, which he called “a big discovery model for us.” “With
Love, Meghan” went into production, complementing her range of
products, and later debuted in the Netflix Top 10. Last August, the
Sussexes signed a new pact with Netflix, downgrading their exclusive agreement
to a first-look deal (sources say this is common, and happens with other talent
deals including the Obamas’). The announcement came with a quote of support from
Bajaria and name-checked As Ever. The brand investment was highly experimental
for Netflix, which had little experience in retail. The move into new
businesses meant more of Netflix’s corporate resources would be allocated to
Archewell, and the company’s vast staff would interface more often with the
couple. The Sussexes’ bedside manner was not well received by some inside the
streamer.
Insiders say that Meghan has long conveyed that Hollywood is
her domain. In virtual and in-person meetings with partners, she tends to talk
over or recast Prince Harry’s thoughts, sometimes while he is mid-sentence,
sources say (usually preceded by a touch to the arm or thigh). Meghan’s lawyer
Kump, in his letter to Variety, says this assertion “seems
calculated to play into the misogynistic characterization of her bossing her
husband around.” Prince Harry, meanwhile, attests that this is “categorically
false.”
Meghan also had odd methods of providing feedback, according
to three sources. She was known to “disappear” for long periods during Zoom
calls, the sources say. Later, Netflix teams like the marketing department
would be informed that her absence was due to her being offended by something
that was said.
Kump says that Meghan “works from home, is the mother of
young children aged 4 and 6, and often encounters (as many parents who work
from home do) children who enter the space unexpectedly during a meeting.
Independent of being a parent who works from home, Meghan is also conscious of
shielding her team from the distraction of children. Nearly all professionals
can attest to needing to turn off the audio or camera during a virtual meeting
at some point during many hours of virtual business calls.”
Consumer response to Meghan’s lifestyle series and the As
Ever products was mixed. Archewell reported selling out its inventory across
the board after launch, though Newsweek reported in January that a glitch on
the company’s website revealed a high volume of unsold products.
After the second batch of “With Love” episodes cratered,
sources say the writing was on the wall that Netflix was losing faith in the
former royals. While news of Netflix’s divestment in the brand only hit days
ago, two sources say it had been in the works since last fall. That’s when
Meghan hired independent brand consultant and creative director Devin
Pedzwater, who had worked with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, signaling to several
sources that Netflix had thrown in the towel on Meghan’s venture.
Archewell has two scripted features in the works at Netflix:
an adaptation of the novel “The Wedding Date,” which recruited “Girls Trip”
writer Tracy Oliver, and a movie based on Carley Fortune’s book “Meet Me at the
Lake.” A writer-director on the latter project will be announced in the coming
days, two sources said. With regard to As Ever, Meghan has hinted she’s
exploring ways to deliver more bite-size content, such as two-minute recipe
clips.
But after half a decade of inconsistent shows, strategic
shifts, false starts and a diminished hold on the popular imagination, are the
Sussexes really living the Hollywood dream they imagined? This is the article in its entirety.
