ROYALSMeghan Markle and Prince Harry Given Ultimatum by Netflix to Produce Better Content for $50 Million: Report
June 26 2023, Published 10:30 a.m. ET
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have allegedly been given an ultimatum by Netflix, it's been reported.
According to The Sun, the streaming giant reportedly told the duo, who moved to California in 2020, that if they want to be paid £40m ($51 million) for their outstanding fees, then they have to make better content. So far, the pair has allegedly only been paid half of their £81m ($103 million) contract.
“They will get the rest only if they produce content of real interest, an industry source has revealed,” the outlet reported.
“There’s no question of a headline-grabbing, public parting of the way," an industry source added. “Netflix was pleased to sign Harry and Meghan and is looking for some great ideas going forward. But the remainder of the deal relies on them producing those good ideas. The deal’s continually under review which is normal for ones of this magnitude.”
The former actress "lives in her own bubble" and does not seem to have “grasped the economic reality" of the situation, a source claimed.
“There is a less friendly attitude from some at the top. The feeling is that the lemon has been fully squeezed. The big bucks Harry and Meghan signed on for do not exist today," the source added.
The Netflix scenario comes after Meghan and Harry were dumped by Spotify due to the former's podcast not performing well.
"We have made the difficult but necessary decision to make a strategic realignment of our group and reduce our global podcast vertical and other functions by approximately 200 people, or 2% of Spotify’s workforce," the company's head of podcast business Sahar Elhabashi said in a statement.
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After the news broke, Spotify executive Bill Simmons blasted the duo.
"I wish I was involved in the Meghan and Harry [leaving] Spotify negotiation. 'The f****** grifters.' That’s the podcast we should of launched with them," Simmons said during the Friday, June 16, episode of his own podcast. "I gotta 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."
