Man, it’s so suspicious that there’s been a massive uptick in attacks on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – mainly Meghan – since King Charles’s brother was arrested on February 19th. It’s almost as if a massive, international campaign has been authorized and unleashed specifically to divert attention away from the larger questions about what King Charles and Prince William knew about Prince Andrew and when and who gave Andrew the money to pay off Virginia Giuffre. Weird! I guess we’ll never know. Speaking of, Variety had an absolute humdinger of an attack piece on Prince Harry, Meghan and their Netflix contract. I hate when this kind of sh-t gets into the trade papers. The only silver lining here is that all of the smears from “unnamed sources” are soundly debunked within the Variety piece:
Netflix is done with the Sussexes: “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.
Ted Sarandos is done, except he’s not: 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 projects our members respond to.”
Sarandos will only speak to Meghan with a lawyer present, except not: 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.
The “As Ever products are being given away to Netflix employees” story again: 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).
In 2020, the Sussexes took meetings with Disney, Apple, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal: 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.”
Netflix was shocked by the 2022 Oprah interview! 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.
Meghan’s representation at WME: 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 people hate doing Zoom calls with the Sussexes: 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 sometimes disappears during video conferences: 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.”
I’ve joked for years about the British media’s “Netflix sources,” arguing that it’s always a neighbor’s cousin’s hairstylist’s mother-in-law who “works at Netflix” and “swears that everyone there hates Meghan.” Here’s the thing though – while I absolutely believe that the Sussexes still have a lot of support from Ted Sarandos and Bela Bajaria, it’s increasingly clear that some people within the Netflix campus have their knives out for Harry and Meghan (mostly Meghan). Some of this stuff appearing in a trade paper says to me that there ARE Netflix employees who regularly leak lies and ridiculous rumors to the tabloids and trade papers. And that’s a legit problem, and I’m glad Meghan and Harry’s team are dealing with it the best they can. The stuff about Meghan leaving video conferences and all of the bullsh-t about Meghan’s manner in meetings… that’s coming from inside the Netflix house. I’m also super-curious about what’s really happening at WME re: Meghan’s representation.
As for the rest of it… what a crazy hit job. And for what? What does it really matter at this point? “Netflix is mad about As Ever!” Okay, and? Meghan’s in firm control of her brand now, so either it will succeed or it won’t. Why all the hand-wringing from Netflix insiders? “Netflix gave millions of dollars to Harry and Meghan for an exclusive docuseries!” Yeah, and the Sussexes delivered and it was one of the most-watched docuseries in Netflix’s history. BUT THERE WAS DRAMA BEHIND THE SCENES! Again, why are you re-litigating a success from three years ago?
Photos courtesy of Netflix.
