It doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
Drama is, unfortunately, nothing new for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. But this time, it has nothing to do with their much-discussed fallout with the British Royal family — it revolves around podcasting. Since their Spotify deal was cut short on June 15th, reports have been swirling around why the Sussexes and the streaming giant parted ways.
At the time, it seemed innocuous enough: A joint statement from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s production company Archewell Audio and Spotify said that “Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”
But as the news spread, Spotify executive Bill Simmons had some choice words for the podcasting duo, calling them “grifters.” For the record, Simmons was never too keen on the idea of teaming up with the former royals. In January, he said he was “embarrassed to share” the streaming platform with Harry and Meghan. “You just sell documentaries and podcasts and no one cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family and you just complain about them,” he said of the former prince.
Since then, there have been some questions about whether the very public breakup with Spotify has hurt the couple’s brand. Rolling Stone even went so far as to declare that the ex-royals were in their “flop era” after the failed partnership.
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stayed mum on the fallout (at least officially, but more on that below). Here’s what we know about what went wrong with the Spotify partnership and what will happen to their production company.
How much did Spotify pay Harry and Meghan?
In December 2020, the couple inked a multiyear deal with Spotify for an estimated $20 million, though some reports suggest that the former royals won’t receive the full payout because they didn’t produce enough content. During this period, they released just two podcasts: a 33-minute holiday special and Archetypes hosted by Meghan, which ran for 12 episodes and addressed stereotypes against women.
Archetypes was an immediate hit upon its release in August 2022. Shortly after it dropped, the show became the number-one podcast in seven countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada on Spotify’s international charts. The podcast also boasted noteworthy guests like Serena Williams and Mariah Carey, though notably not Taylor Swift. (The Wall Street Journal reported in June that the beloved pop star rejected a personal invitation from Meghan to appear on the now-canceled podcast).
“I had never considered that in using my voice, that I would feel seen. But I do,” Meghan said during the final episode, which aired in November 2022. “And so much of the feedback throughout the season from women is that they feel seen as well.”
While the podcast went on to win a People’s Choice Award, Archewell faced a series of departures from top leadership almost from the get-go. The group’s president, Mandana Dayani, resigned in December 2022 followed by the head of communications, Toya Holness, in May. Then the head of audio, Rebecca Sananès, exited just two months later.
Why did Spotify part ways with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry?
It seems the ex-royals struggled to adapt to podcasting and Spotify executives got frustrated with their supposed lack of productivity. Some sources told Page Six that the couple was “lazy” compared to other powerhouse duos that had teamed up with Spotify, such as former President Obama and Michelle Obama.
At one point, Simmons revealed that he had to help Harry come up with ideas for shows. “I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories … F**k them,” Simmons said on his self-titled podcast.
Even when Harry came up with concepts for shows, they apparently seemed questionable — if not a little unrealistic. For instance, he pitched one that would’ve centered on childhood trauma, and included interviews with Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Another one reportedly was about religion, with Pope Francis on as a guest. (It’s hard to imagine any of these guests appearing on the podcast, let alone entertaining the idea.)
Meanwhile, Meghan has been facing her own accusations of unprofessionalism. Podnews reported that the former actress didn’t actually do her interviews for her podcast Archetypes, and that they were instead done by her staffers, who later edited her questions into the show.
But those who worked on the show pushed back against these claims — Gimlet editor Andrea B. Scott acknowledged that producers occasionally did interviews, but “never the main ones.”
While the pair hasn’t publicly commented on the end of their Spotify agreement, an unnamed source told The Daily Mail they believe they’ve just been “repeatedly unlucky” with their various business ventures. They’ve also reportedly blamed “Covid, economic woes, the death of the Queen and the decline in Price Philip’s health” for their latest misfortunes.
What are Meghan and Harry doing now?
We’ll have to wait and see what’s next for the Sussexes. An Archewell Productions spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that “Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform.” So far, Archetypes is still looking for another home.
While their podcast ambitions remain up in the air, Meghan and Prince Harry still have their Netflix deal, though even that could be at risk. According to The Sun, the ex-royals have received half of their $81 million contract with the streaming platform, and to receive the rest, they must come up with another hit — but there’s little doubt they can do it again. Their first show, Harry & Meghan, which debuted last year, became the most-watched documentary on the streaming platform.
“Netflix was pleased to sign Harry and Meghan and is looking for some great ideas going forward,” an unnamed insider told The Sun.
