DIY VIRAL
It's been five years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal family and moved to North America.
After a brief stay in Canada, the couple settled in California, where they took up permanent residence for themselves and their two children in the upscale Santa Barbara neighborhood of Montecito.
But even though the Sussexes' lives may seem perfect from the outside, their attempt to rebrand themselves as America's media moguls has encountered one setback after another.
Half a decade as Duke and Duchess of California
In fact, in recent months the situation has deteriorated to the point where fans and critics have begun to speculate about Harry and Meghan's return to the UK.
It appears there are no immediate plans to raise the stakes.
But at this point, even the couple's staunchest defenders admit they encountered serious obstacles on their path to becoming media moguls.
As we approach the milestone one-year anniversary of the couple's time in America, Vanity Fair took an in-depth look at Harry and Meghan's half-decade in SoCal. And it’s safe to say that things didn’t go as planned.
The outlet did not speak with Harry and Meghan for the article it published today. But he interviewed numerous sources who worked with the couple on media projects during their years in the United States.
The flop of podcasts
One of the Sussexes' biggest failures was the cancellation of Meghan's podcast after just one season.
Insiders give the impression that the project was doomed from the start.
“They came up with this idea to do a podcast because they knew celebrities were doing it,” a source identified as a Spotify alum told the outlet, adding that Harry and Meghan “didn’t do what celebrities do on podcasts, i.e. turn on the mic.” and talk. They wanted a big theme that would explain the world, but they had no idea.
Harry came up with the idea of interviewing “sociopaths” like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Mark Zuckerberg. (Zuck is probably not happy to be lumped into this group!)
“I experienced very serious trauma during my childhood. Obviously. My mother was basically murdered. What was it about me that didn't make me one of those bad guys? » Harry would have asked.
It was a provocative idea that didn't come to fruition for obvious logistical reasons.
And it seems like after that premise fell flat, Harry sort of left the podcast process.
“I just felt like he didn’t want to be there doing that at that time…. My expectation was “a lovely receiving line”. And it was clear that he was not that person. At least that day,” says a source.
“Didn’t Spotify pay you a lot of money to do this?” » asked another insider.
“He seems like the kind of guy who, frankly, would happily work for charity for the rest of his life and would be very happy if Meghan made all the money and he didn't need it.”
Keeping up appearances
The most popular modern podcasts feature hosts who leave no doubt as to whether they are presenting themselves authentically.
They mix in bold humor and raunchy takes, and the listener feels more like hanging out with a marijuana-stirring friend than listening to a polished media project. But apparently Meghan isn't a fan of this level of frankness.
A source said she was planned to say “slut” in an episode that focused on the use of the word.
“You hear it all the time,” the source recalls telling Meghan.
In the end, however, the Duchess played it safe by only calling it “the B word.”
Another episode was to be titled “Slut” and would focus on a discussion of how “trans women's sexuality is used against them.”
Meghan decided to rename the episode “Human, Being” and it was “completely reinvented late in production,” the source claims.
“Each episode has become more and more watered down and removed from the actual conversation,” the insider said.
“I think the whole world was waiting for her to be this person, and then she never jumped,” says another source. “Diana was walking among landmines. Meghan couldn't even say the word slut.
Perhaps this is why some Spotify employees ended up feeling like they weren't getting value for money.
Sports media personality and Spotify executive Bill Simmons was particularly harsh in his comments on the situation.
“The fucking crooks. “This is the podcast we should have started with them,” Simmons said on his own podcast.
“I have to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try to help him with a podcast idea. This is one of my best stories.… F-ck them. The scammers.
Needless to say, it looks like Meghan and Harry won't be striking a new deal with Spotify anytime soon.
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DIY VIRAL
