On Friday, Vanity Fair dropped their new cover and cover story, all about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The broader concept of the piece is about marking the five-year anniversary of the Sussexit and assessing how Prince Harry and Meghan are doing professionally. But it hits on and feeds into all of the worst of the tabloid narratives: “Meghan the bully” and “Harry is dumb” and “their marriage is trouble.” A lot of people have been really invested in that last one for a while now. In recent months, the “marriage trouble” storyline has been built on the reality that Harry and Meghan are pursuing separate projects – Meghan has her lifestyle show and brand, and Harry has all of his charity work and Invictus. Separate careers aren’t usually an indicator of divorce, but that didn’t stop Vanity Fair from pushing this very bizarre story about how Meghan was pitching a post-divorce memoir:
A few years ago a rumor began circulating around the book world about another prospective project for Meghan. This story, which a person with knowledge confirms the broad details of, was that Meghan’s team had a conversation with a publishing house to gauge interest in the idea for a potential book. The concept, for which there was no written or formal proposal, was post-divorce. Not a general book on life after marital dissolution, or one about Meghan’s past experience. (She was married to producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2014.) This book—this notion of a book, really—might center on a post-Harry divorce. Not that there was actually one in the works! Just…if this a priori divorce ever came to be, would this publisher theoretically be interested in a book that took place in its aftermath? Another source with knowledge says, “If that’s true to any degree, she would have been approached and not vice versa.” No offer was ever made, and no manuscript was produced. After all: There was no divorce.
None of this sounds true at any level. First off, Harry & Meghan are fine and by all accounts, they’re deeply in love and committed to one another, their young children and their life together in California. Secondly, why would Meghan – who is notorious for keeping her business on lockdown – go to anyone in the publishing world with this kind of juicy gossip scoop when everyone knows that the information would get out. Thirdly, it doesn’t make any sense at a business or gossip level – say that Meghan considered divorcing Harry and she was thinking about writing a book about it. Meghan knows, as does everyone in the publishing world, that her memoir would be huge (it would be huge even without a divorce). She wouldn’t have to “pitch” it to any publisher. Multiple publishers would be throwing eight-figure deals at her.
The Daily Mail obviously pulled this story out of the VF piece too, and they ran it as an exclusive, with “Meghan’s friends” shutting down VF’s claims, saying: “If that’s true to any degree, she would have been approached and not vice versa.” My guess is that someone in the publishing world – probably someone at the News Corp-owned Harper Collins, IYKYK – started this rumor as wishful thinking and it has no basis in reality.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, cover courtesy of VF.
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- Royal Salute Polo Challenge, to benefit Sentebale, at the USPA National Polo Center. Featuring: Nacho Figueras, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Where: Wellington, Florida, United States When: 12 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duchess of Sussex presents the trophy to her husband, the Duke of Sussex after his team the Royal Salute Sentebale Team defeated the Grand Champions Team, in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, to benefit Sentebale, at The USPA National Polo Center Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke Of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex Where: Wellington, Florida, United States When: 12 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duchess of Sussex presents the trophy to her husband, the Duke of Sussex after his team the Royal Salute Sentebale Team defeated the Grand Champions Team, in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, to benefit Sentebale, at The USPA National Polo Center Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke Of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex Where: Wellington, Florida, United States When: 12 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex after his team the Royal Salute Sentebale Team defeated the Grand Champions Team, in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, to benefit Sentebale, at The USPA National Polo Center Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke Of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex Where: Wellington, Florida, United States When: 12 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex after his team the Royal Salute Sentebale Team defeated the Grand Champions Team, in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, to benefit Sentebale, at The USPA National Polo Center Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke Of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex Where: Wellington, Florida, United States When: 12 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex after arrive at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, to benefit Sentebale, at The USPA National Polo Center. Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: Wellington, Florida, United States When: 12 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex after arrive at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, to benefit Sentebale, at The USPA National Polo Center. Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: Wellington, Florida, United States When: 12 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
I couldn’t believe ANY of the Vanity Fair article but this is just unmitigated crap. Meg and Harry are rock solid. This nasty made up rubbish is to further their narrative that Harry is a sucker and Meg a gold digger. Complete BS!
The tabs make up so much stupid sh*t about H+M, but they lack the creativity of VF.
To further add to all the reasons this particular rumor is unmitigated crap, as you correctly highlight:
1) As Kaiser points out, no way Meghan would have shopped this kind of juicy gossip around because it would for sure have gotten out…which means it WOULD have gotten out at the time, years ago, if there were any shred of truth to this actually having happened – this wouldn’t be the first anyone’s hearing of it; and
2) If you want the security of a tell-all divorce memoir, presumably as a post-divorce source of income, getting a contract (or even getting started on it) while still married would make the book deal part of the community assets, right? Not to mention the fact of preemptively shopping a book deal about a divorce around prior to the divorce even being raised with one’s spouse seems like it would just not play well in any divorce proceedings and negotiations. (I’m not at all a lawyer so maybe I’m wrong, feel free to chime in with other takes on this!) But it just seems there is no way, from a practical standpoint, that this is a move anyone would take prior to actually initiating a divorce, and expect to come out with any kind of upper hand in any divorce discussions. And since M has been divorced before, she presumably would understand how foolish this would be. So again, even if (for the sake of the argument, I don’t actually buy even this premise) we imagine they were in a rough patch at some point, there’s no way this would have happened.
I totally believe it!!
You totally believe what exactly? And why?
They must be really worried about Harry’s lawsuit. The timing of this article is no coincidence.
Excellent point ☝️!
Yup. Katie Nicholl is named in Harry’s phone hacking lawsuit and she is the royal reporter for Vanity Fair. It’s no wonder H&M didn’t want to be interviewed for their story.
This “cover story”, CT lie of an article, and subsequent articles attacking Meghan are because she’s been volunteering in California and her show that is coming in March. Also it’s because of one of Harry’s trials that starts tomorrow
Seems weird they would have this when literally in the same article, you have numerous people attesting to how hot for each other they are.
Witness intimidation. NGN in court on Tuesday re: UIG. Anna Peele has WaPo links – hello Will Lewis. Murdoch tentacles everywhere.
https://x.com/i/status/1880445843091927478
Harper Collins belongs to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Mmmh…
The “timing” was set to coincide with Harry’s lawsuit AND Meg’s show. A “two-fer” as the saying goes. The Universe is looking out for H&M. This whole “believe what I’M telling you, NOT what you see with YOUR OWN EYES” narrative is so in tune with these fascist/racist oligarchs. There isn’t a speck of subtlety to it at all.
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Oh, yes!
Exactly that.. this is nothing but a hit piece targeting the Sussex’s, especially Meghan. BRF sanctioned for their tabloid conspirators.
How far Vanity Fair has fallen …
Great point! This story is so ridiculous.
Vanity Fair used to be a credible publication – what happened?
Does anybody know anything about the “writer” of this nasty and trashy piece?
Never heard of her until now but bio says “Her culture writing looks seriously at subjects that are sometimes considered frivolous.” Checks out.
I mean we’re here on a gossip site so I don’t mind writing that focuses on things others might consider frivolous. But I do mind an all-over the place meandering article that isn’t even written that well and relies on tabloid narratives from a smear campaign that’s been going on for years and years. There was nothing fresh or unique.
I had a subscription, but the quality has taken a serious nosedive since Graydon Carter left so I cancelled it. It’s crap now in glossy paper.
Although Grayson Carter wrote a puff piece on Epstein after being threatened by him.
I just emailed a complaint to VF
I’m not sure when. Their story in Andrew a decade or so ago was super impressive and the beginning of his downfall IMO and I’ve always credited them for bringing it to my attention (this was before I become a CBer). This then is very disappointing.
It was taken over.
The VF article is so poorly written. Total garage.
Kaiser I think you’re on to something with that theory about Harper Collins. This story is just weird.
I get VF through my Apple News subscription and read this yesterday. First of all, this is one of the most disjointed articles I’ve read anywhere. It is literally all over the place. Clearly, this was a ‘fill in the template’ sort of hit job. Never heard of the writer. I think someone cashed in a favor with VF. There is clearly an agenda with this piece as it does not focus on one thing but too many. This is typical of British tabloid writing. Seeing it with the Hollywood Reporter now that it’s run by Brits. WaPo same. We’re being invaded!! I agree with someone else’s comment that VF isn’t the same since Graydon Carter left. I subscribe to his Air Mail publication and they are also snotty towards Meghan & Harry. So, it’s possible they will do a similar hit piece. I just can’t wrap my head around all the hate for these two. It’s messed up in so many ways. Sad times we live in.
@AG, Airmail already did. I haven’t read it, but i saw it in an email; it was titled “The Trad Housewife of Montecito” (or something like that)
Some RR created a fake email account and send a mail to several publishing houses pretending to be part of Meghans Team to create this story…..
I could definitely see this happening.
And of course they wouldn’t be too careful about checking the source.
What is Anna Peele’s accountability and integrity as a writer. Can she just print any tall tale, any gossip that beggars belief with no consequence at all. Is this Vanity Fair or Closer magazine.
“A person with knowledge of”. Well that gives it away right there because there was no person with knowledge just someone who wants to write negative crap about the Sussexes so they come out with this garbage article. Vanity Fair has gone into the crap.
The whole article was like that, too! The only named sources were just commentators, like Lainey Lui of LaineyGossip, who don’t know the couple personally/well.
All the sources who actually interacted with them were “the person with knowledge of the production,” “the person who knew Harry,” etc., all using they/them pronouns (to hide the gender of the sources, not because the sources actually use they/them pronouns) – it was so vague and imprecise it made following the article difficult, because Peele would refer to someone she introduced many paragraphs ago as “the person who worked with Meghan” or something inane like that and you’d have to try to recall, is this how she refers to the person who worked with M on a podcast, or the one who interviewed for a job with M but didn’t get it, or the person who brainstormed some ideas with them or… and so on.
Like, tell me you made most of this article up without telling me you made most of this article up!
Thank you for saying this. It was so so hard to follow because of the vague mentions of sources.
Tom of “Tom and Lorenzo” was quoted, too, but he’s always snarky about Meghan, so I’m not surprised he was happy to talk to VF about her. But you’re right, the rest was all “anonymous sources” which does not lend much credibility.
I have said it here before but it does not seem that anyone paid attention. Lainey is quoted because Lainey got “turned” so to speak. She had an article on her website which I read a while ago that the British media was on her case because they accused her of not being partial about Kate and William.
She mentioned that it was because there was a picture (the picture was posted on her website), she was in it, Meghan and Jessica Mulroney. So the British tabloids took this that she was friendly with Meghan. Her tone at the time was of someone who was disciplined or chastised as a result of the picture with Meghan. She vehemently denied knowing Meghan but take it for what it is.
Susan Collins, I read that to mean that the person had knowledge of the RUMOR.
I read the article in its entirety and thought it was a plate of steaming, hot garbage. However, the writer begrudgingly told two truths: Harry & Meghan’s love is real, and they really do want to make a positive impact in the world. Beyond that though, total trash.
@Jazz Hands, same. I was actually surprised because I went into it thinking it would be much worse! A lot of it was absolute trash, but I was shocked that there were actually some positive parts in it.
This same article says how “hot” they are for each other. So which is it? This article was really poorly written.
H&M divorcing, and M shopping a Divorce Memoir is bad fanfic.
Do these hack writers at Banality Fail and elsewhere really think people would believe that? Other than DF and BF readers, I mean.
“Harry is dumb”
We’ve all heard him talk recently. A lot, and, at e.g. the Times talk, without notes. They tried to be real subtle in amplifying Harry to be someone who lacks concentration and vision — which is interesting because you can’t spearhead successful endeavors like Sentebale, Invictus Games, or Travalyst, being the way they categorized him as — dumb.
I think the Harry is dumb and lacks concentration, is less about him being manipulated by Meghan which I’m sure it’s just an added benefit, but these lawsuits. A lot of these lawsuits argument seems to be that Harry had to be aware of what was going on, or that there was some sort of understanding in place. If they make it seem like he just forgot, was part of a meeting and wasn’t paying attention, or that he was aware of something but lost interest and people operating on his behalf took care of it, they can boost their claims.
They’ve spent years trying to push he’s stupid so framing him like some well meaning but airhead dilettante works to their favor.
I don’t see how people still buy that Harry is the dumb one when William is the one who can’t bother to show up for work unless it’s to drink and/or watch sports, and has never created anything of substance on his own. Just because Harry is more fun and personable doesn’t mean he’s not just as smart if not smarter.
It’s not completely if you consider that they swap characters all the time i.e. was it Carole that shopped the divorce memoir which got William to finally behave.
I feel like the Rota spill secrets and tell on themselves all the time.
“…was it Carole that shopped the divorce memoir…”
Ooooooooooooh…
Great point about BM switcheroos.
The article is pure garbage and I’m saying that just from the excerpts, absolutely not giving them an extra click.
But I admit I freaking love the cover shot- they look gorgeous, rich and unbothered!
This just isn’t believable. Which makes the rest of it seem unbelievable too. What a mess.
Exactly. There is no way the Uk tabloids would have sat on this and it is surprising that this was kept in the article at all.
Is this more projection? Has maybe Pimp Mama Carole been shopping a deal for Kate?
Interesting point. They do accuse Harry and Meghan of things they’re trying to hide about the Wales.
Harry is dumb? Has the writer ever heard him talk about various world issues?
@Janice, the “Harry is dumb” narrative annoys me so much. Apparently it wasn’t discovered until he was almost a teenager (I think?) that he had dyslexia, so he wasn’t a great student, but that absolutely does not mean he’s stupid. As you said, anyone who’s heard him speak can tell how intelligent he is.
I think he’s MUCH smarter than William. There have been rumors forever that William passed a lot of his classes because of who he is; teachers and professors were scared to give a poor grade to the future king. And from the little I know about Harry’s time in the military, I remember reading that flying Apache helicopters is incredibly difficult and requires a lot of skill.
William is decidedly imo not smart. He found art history difficult. He also says clueless things a,lot like when he joked about covid.
I was just going to suggest dyslexia, I hadn’t heard that he was dyslexic but one of the York girls is and it is an inherited condition, it is difficult to pass exams if you struggle to write. Said she who failed O level English. Computers are marvellous things. Marvellous in British English and marvelous in American English.
Nothing about the behavior of Charles and William and their getting taxpayer money subsidizing idlers.
More distraction from Harry’s lawsuit.
I think the plan is to get Meghan fed up with the negative press and blame it on her marriage to Harry and leave him. But Meghan and Harry both know that even if they got a divorce the press would continue to hound her. Also, with their relentless attacks the RF and the British press have created an us against the world mindset so no divorce on the horizon
The wish is by some in the media had to have harry return alone and apologize and be close to the keens and they can find the English rose or harry will go back to be third wheel. I don’t believe they will divorce. The keens could imo
They must have missed the fact that Harry recently addressed this “rumor” and stated he feels sorry for the trolls that believe it. And he used that word “trolls”. lol.
That’s the thing. The article is already dated. The fact they couldn’t include one quote from that DealBook interview , which was back in early December on this divorce rumor or the lawsuits shows this article was already locked and loaded and not updated or amended. Now what are they gonna publish for March when the actual show debuts?
Wow some powerful people really want to bring these two down. They’ve shaken the foundations of a few institutions.
There’s obviously so very much money to be made from H&M content my god for this drivel to be published is astonishing
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This is so weird. Can you imagine what a divorce attorney would do with something like this? I remember when the Sussexes first left, the late author Hilary Mantle ( who said Kate was a disjointed doll) observed that them leaving the Firm, was to ensure the survival of their marriage. There is no way these two , who believe so much in mental health, haven’t had their marriage, a very publicly scrutinized marriage, as part of their counseling. This whole concept is just crazy.
Since they used someone’s knowledge of the rumor to write this, I think we should start some rumors and email VF because we have knowledge of it. Good grief.
Can’t believe some are calling this a balanced read. In same article it claims they are hot for each other but also claims some rumour (which had never been reported anywhere else even with the separation rumours of 2023 or professional separation stories of 2024) went around about Meghan shopping a post divorce book? Which it then dispels. But clearly the point of discussing this completely made up rumour in this piece is to portray Meghan as a schemer setting up poor hapless Prince Harry
“I’m not saying she pitched a post-divorce book, I’m just saying someone I sort of know said maybe she did or maybe she didn’t.”
This used to be a somewhat reputable publication with interesting articles and now it’s nasty tabloid trash.
Someone said the Brits are invading American journalism and honestly? It’s true. I have nothing against British writers wanting to come here and work, stay and become citizens if they want to. My sister’s husband is in that category. But this is on a different level and feels insidious. It’s been happening for a while. And honestly, most (not all) of them don’t really understand American culture and don’t make much of an effort to learn about the country and it’s history in depth.
Why should I read something written by a person who has a far more shallow understanding of the subject than I do? I’m just so turned off of both print and TV journalism right now. Again, not all of it, but a lot of it.
The BRF have destroyed their reputation with anyone below the age of 35.
They are literally assisting in their whole demise because their only work these days is destroying H&M.
At some point even the ‘senior Royals’ will realise that they’re done for if the UK media continue to generate this much malice to family members.
Why would she pitch a memoir about a divorce that doesn’t exist when she could tell the story of how she was (and still is being) bullied by the British royal family AND some members of her own family ? Did the Windsors pay to have Vanity Fair write that cr*p ?
Did we forget about Cowmilla’s pal Tina Brown??
Former editor of VF and the fashion publishing world is small.
So H&M can thanks Harry’s father and stepmother for this one, I think.
What are they so afraid of coming out in the upcoming trial??
If this and if that then maybe this would happen according to a source. Why doesn’t she just spin her readers constantly on a merry-go-round. They would come out less confused.
This was the dumbest piece of made-up crap in an article packed with dumb made-up crap.
Right now we’re being given a front row seat on how to destroy Blake Lively, Meghan’s treatment, among others, is a how-to instruction package in negative PR. This rumor is beyond crazy: Meghan is itching a potential book about her future divorce?!?! This clearly never happened. However, it’s character assassinating and image damaging, so clearly spreading this rumor benefits someone. And VF decided to print it and mention that some source denied this rumor, which gives it some weird legitimacy and new life.
I am amazed at how they keep coming up with the stupidest stories about them, but especially Meghan. They’ve always written about their potential divorce, even before their wedding, so their increase in divorce speculations last year weren’t new or unexpected. Their insistence to the point of some traveling all the way to Montecito based on rumors and speculation was somewhat new but still tired and sad. So to suddenly through this out there now, conveniently just before Harry’s trial, as something that’s been circulating for a while without any mention of it anytime last year when their claims were at their peak about a divorce, it’s stupidly desperate. Meghan and anyone who follows anything about her, knows that if she were to ever consider writing a memoir, she wouldn’t need to pitch any memoir about herself. Even more stupid than her needing to pitch any memoir to anyone, is the idea that she would pitch one about a divorce that hasn’t happened. First of all that’s stupid because why would she pitch something that hasn’t happened and would only lead to the potential of leaks about something her haters are desperate to have happen. Secondly, what is there to pitch in a memoir about a divorce that hasn’t happened yet? You have to go through something first in order to write about it in a memoir and Meghan’s life story is already interesting enough without having to add anything else. The amount of people who want a memoir from her is as much as, if not more than those who wanted one from Harry and that has always been the case with their relationship. She doesn’t have to pitch anything to anyone, they would go to her for any memoir.