Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Reaction to Spotify Deal Backlash
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are ready to move forward after their Spotify deal fell through — but they aren’t too pleased with how news broke of their exit from the platform. “Spotify was supposed to release a statement saying how great it was to work with Meghan, but they didn’t,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly, adding that the team behind the scenes “had been pushing Harry and Meghan for more content over the last year.” According to the insider, the royal couple “weren’t delivering” on what Spotify needed before the deal came to an end earlier this month.
The Suits alum, 41, got word “a while ago” that her “Archetypes” podcast was being scrapped, a second source tells Us. (Spotify exec Bill Simmons later called out Meghan and Harry, 38, for being “f–king grifters” as the deal fell apart.) “It seems to be one assault after another these days, with people lining up to take cheap shots at them,” the insider says. “Quite frankly, both she and Harry are sick and tired of it.” Despite their deal ending in disappointment, the duo already have their sights set on a new chapter with “a ton of exciting things in the pipeline,” the second source adds. “[They’re] ready to come back stronger.”
The Sussexes inked a $20 million agreement with Spotify in late 2020 after leaving their senior roles within the royal family. Their exclusive partnership promised to “produce programming that uplifts and entertains audiences around the world” and “spotlight diverse perspectives and voices,” per the Archewell Audio website. Two years later, Meghan officially launched “Archetypes,” during which she conducted interviews with a variety of guests — from Mariah Carey and Paris Hilton to Mindy Kaling and Issa Rae. The series aired 12 episodes from August 2022 to November 2022.
News broke earlier this month that Meghan’s podcast was not renewed for a second season at Spotify. “The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify. Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform,” read a statement from WME, the agency with which Meghan signed this year. The development quickly sparked chatter online. Rumors continued to swirl about the couple’s work ethic, including reports that the Bench author wasn’t even present for the interview tapings on her own show.
Andy Cohen, who appeared on the final “Archetypes” episode last year, defended the duchess during an exclusive interview with Us amid the drama. “That’s an insane rumor,” he said, asserting that he “of course” spoke with Meghan for their recording. “Her podcast is conversations with people. How would she not have?”
Along with Spotify, Meghan and Harry signed a Netflix deal in the wake of their royal exit. The streaming giant firmly stood by the partnership earlier this month, noting in a statement, “We’ll continue to work together on a number of projects, including the upcoming documentary series Heart of Invictus.”
