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A new report published on Tuesday, March 17, detailed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's supposedly tumultuous relationship with Netflix.
A representative for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex denied many of the article's claims.
The couple made a multi-million dollar deal with the streamer in 2020, though their updated agreement is reportedly a downgrade.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's plans to conquer the entertainment industry have been plagued by a number of issues, a new report claims. On Tuesday, Variety detailed the couple's supposed entrepreneurial pitfalls following news that Netflix would be divesting from Markle's home goods brand, As Ever.
The outlet claims that their company, Archewell Productions, "has struggled to release bingeable content." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched Archewell in 2020 before closing an exclusive five-year deal with Netflix that earned them millions. They've since produced a number of documentary projects, including Harry & Meghan, Polo, and Heart of Invictus.
Sources affiliated with Netflix, Prince Harry, and Markle had conflicting accounts of what caused their relationship with the studio to sour.
“The mood in the building is ‘We’re done,’” an insider close to the streamer told Variety of Netflix's current outlook on the couple. Declining viewership for the latest season of With Love, Meghan, apparently only made matters worse.
Netflix Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos and Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria were said to have "grown weary" of their partnership with the Sussexes, though a spokesperson for the studio called this “absolutely inaccurate."
“Archewell has been a thoughtful and collaborative partner, “ Bajaria told Variety. "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 projects our members respond to.”
With Love, Meghan was not renewed for another season, but a spokesperson for the Sussexes said that it "will continue as seasonal specials.”
Variety also reported that the duo ruffled feathers at Netflix due to a "lack of communication" regarding concurrent projects, including their CBS tell-all hosted by Oprah Winfrey, and the release of Harry's memoir, Spare.
A rep for the Duke and Duchess said it was “categorically false” that Netflix had no knowledge of the CBS special prior to its release.
While Harry and Markle are extending their partnership with Netflix, the couple's new first-look deal with the company is worth "far less," according to The New York Times. Variety estimated that they banked roughly $60 million for the 2020 agreement.
Archewell hasn't yet followed through on its intention to produce scripted projects with the streamer, but two are currently in the works. Both are adaptations of popular romance novels: Girls Trip writer Tracy Oliver is attached to a movie based on Jasmine Guillory's book The Wedding Date, and Carley Fortune's Meet Me at the Lake is also set to be turned into a film.
