(Note: THR published this piece days before Meghan and Netflix delayed the release of With Love, Meghan.)
The Hollywood Reporter has had their knives out for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for a while. I still don’t know why they have such a hate-on for Harry & Meghan, but THR’s writers have been sniping about them for the past two years. The Sussexes were included in THR’s winners & losers list in 2023 (they were declared “losers” for having a successful show & podcast in 2022, bizarrely). Then came the really odd drama last September, when out of nowhere, THR claimed that Meghan was terrorizing her Archewell staffers and reducing grown men to tears. That piece prompted a rare reaction from Meghan and her people – Us Weekly got Archewell staffers on the record about what she’s really like as a boss (apparently, she’s lovely). Well, months later, THR still has an ax to grind. Their latest story: “Is Meghan Markle’s New Cooking Show Her Last Chance at Netflix?”
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, never in the history of streaming has so much been paid to so few for so little. But on Jan. 15, with the debut of the much anticipated With Love, Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will have perhaps one last chance to prove they’re really worth the $100 million Netflix ponied up in that 2020 five-year deal to produce and appear in shows and movies.
So far, the couple’s output has been less than majestic. Yes, their initial 2022 domestic life docuseries, Harry & Meghan, was a hit, even if critics roasted it back at home (“So sickening I almost brought up my breakfast,” The Guardian sneered). But everything the Duke and Duchess have churned out since — their social justice series, Live to Lead; Harry’s pet project on the wounded-warrior games, Heart of Invictus, and his other pet project, Polo, about the aristocracy’s pickleball — were royal flops. One of Meghan’s projects, the children’s series Pearl, was canceled before production began.
Still, sources inside the streamer insist there’s optimism over Meghan’s new show, a Sue Ann Nivens-like series in which the happy homemaker putters around the house doling out cooking and gardening tips. For Harry and Meghan, the stakes couldn’t be higher; their Netflix contract is almost up, and it’s hard to imagine a renewal if With Love, Meghan doesn’t deliver. At least one enthusiastic Netflix insider, though, continues to curtsy for the couple. “There will be future opportunities,” she insists. “This isn’t the end. This is just the beginning.” — Emily Smith
While I know this is not the worst part, I cannot let this lie stand: “never in the history of streaming has so much been paid to so few for so little.” False. Phoebe Waller Bridge’s Amazon deal is practically the stuff of urban legend in Hollywood – Amazon locked Waller Bridge into a three year deal for $60 million and she produced nothing, nada, zilch for them. Then Amazon renewed her deal!! So don’t come at me with “but what have the Sussexes dooooone??” Their 2022 docuseries was one of Netflix’s most-watched series of that year. Heart of Invictus and Polo were good docuseries and more people would have watched them if the Sussexes actually promoted their projects – that’s their mistake, more than anything else, their failure to promote. And if With Love, Meghan gets even solid numbers, I’m sure Netflix will be pleased. Obviously, it appears like Netflix is quite invested in Meghan and people have been really looking forward to this show.
Photos courtesy of Netflix.
Who cares what the racist THR thinks?
Precisely. I will certainly be watching Meghan’s efforts multiple times. Agree, who cares what gutter rats think? Most have zero clue re their Netflix deal which allows for the speculation.
Penske is a right winger and Republican
They have given Adam Sandler $250M for four movies – three times! He has almost made a billion dollars just at Netflix. They can spend their money for the content they want, clearly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they renewed their deal whenever their contract is up.
I think the guy from Radar is the editor of this rag, so no surprise there.
Netflix donated 10 million to help the the fire victims.
Even if this show is a hit the critics including THR will give it bad reviews. I really think that this show is just the a stepping stone for Meghan’s career as a lifestyle brand. I have no doubt that after the show Meghan’s going to bring out a cookbook.
I agree. But I think she should start suing some of these people in the U.S that would shut them up. Unfortunately she wouldn’t get that same justice in the U.K that system seems corrupt.
@Roblynn, You can’t sue critics for not liking your work.
I know you can’t sue critics. But what is happening to Meghan is a smear campaign. She should be able to find some justice here.
I hope she does that cookbook.. I would love for Meghan to be able to complete and air a project just once before all the critics start foaming at the mouth like a pack of rabid dogs. I have enjoyed all of their projects and they have all been successful even with the constant lies and undermining. The racism is so clear it is hard not to see.. only Meghan is trashed first and always by those who haven’t seen anything yet, only Meghan is pressured to delay projects because of a disaster she did not cause, seriously this project is completed it should have be aired, but of course only Meghan is vilified for being “boots on the ground” for her hometown working for a charity they have helped fund since before the pandemic.
If the show is highly watched I would imagine she will get a 2nd season. Especially if it’s true Netflix will be handling the distribution of her products from the show.
I would love for there to be a lifestyle book/cookbook – one with tips about setting a table for guests (I have Southern Living and BHG but those feel a little outdated lol), with tips for flower arrangements etc. Real tips, not Pippa tips. I think it would be a bestseller like everything else they put out.
My jaw dropped at the Sue Ann Nivens comment—Sue Ann Nivens was the newsroom sl*t on the Mary Tyler Moore show. She did homemaker features at the station.
This is an outrageous slap by THR.
That really came out of nowhere. Meghan is in no way Sue Ann Nivens-like. SMH.
Using a cultural reference from FIFTY YEARS AGO says loads about the writer, the publication, and its apparent target readership of those old enough to even get the reference.
I don’t have to look at a fifty year old cultural reference to get a bead on the writer. All I had to do was read “CURTSY” in the excerpt to figure out exactly where this mess is coming from. Then if you click the source link, you understand it was written by a contract hack or intern who couldn’t even get a byline since it’s attributed to 2 editors.
Let’s all say it together: “British media job’s is profit from the lies they create to convince the populace of the usefulness of a taxpayer funded royal family.
Racism makes their job easier” (Xitter poster @byetwit). And since ‘profit’ doesn’t come without clicks, and Meghan gets the clicks, guess how she will always be portrayed to prop up BRFCo & Assoc…
I don’t really even have the patience for this. Snark and spite and for what? Anyways, someone mentioned yesterday the uk vogue article as a palate cleanser so I’ll leave the link here. It’s really good.
https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/with-love-meghan-reaction-netflix
Here’s another palpate cleanser from Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sophianelson/2025/01/04/meghan-markle-offers-life-lessons-in-success-resilience–grace/
Yes, those are really good articles.
Thank you for sharing those…
@Jais – I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: You always bring such relevant and thoughtful commentary to this forum. I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts. Thank you!
🥰
I don’t think these people can even comprehend what kind of gold Netflix got with H&M’s documentary. That production has a historical value. It will be priceless with time. Imagine all the interviews Diana did. They are still quoted and analyzed after her death. This will be the same while talking about what King Will did to his own brother and his biracial SIL. That is why, I imagine, Netflix is very happy with what they got with their deal. In the same context, Spotify was very angry they didn’t get the same inside report from them, even though Meghan’s podcast was number 1 in lots of countries.
I also don’t think it was expensive to make. Large chunks of it were shot on camera phone.
The reasons you gave is exactly why the Windsor’s protectors are angry 😡
“I don’t think these people can even comprehend what kind of gold Netflix got with H&M’s documentary.”
Not only “Harry & Meghan”, the incredible streaming hours for “Suits” also made N3tflex a ton of money. The CEO is happy with H&M. Tabloid Emily Sm!th’s opinion doesn’t count.
It’s click bait. These papers have learned in order to get clicks and traffic they have to resort to publishing negative stories.
I agree, I think it is as simple as that as well. Being nasty to Meghan pays well.
Their failure to promote the shows drives me crazy! They need let go of some of the Royal protocol and act more like Hollywood celebrities. Meg should be giving magazine interviews, going on the late night chat show, and posting on her instagram. There was a rumor she was invited on Hot Ones – that would have gotten so many views!!! Maybe people who don’t like her just need to get to know her and hear her voice more.
But she posted on Instagram. We don’t know what her promotion was going to do before the fires broke out in LA. Now that the show is going to be in March it’s likely she will do more promotion before the show comes out. The people who don’t like her are not going to change even if she does more. They’ll say she’s attention seeking.
I wonder if they don’t do publicity because they don’t want to talk about the Windsors, and that’s all anyone is really going to want them to talk about, forevermore.
According to Wiki, in an entry that hasn’t recently been updated:
“Emily Smith is a British editor and journalist for the New York Post, where she is currently the editorial director of the Page six gossip section.”
Even if she’s since quit working at P6 for a job at THR, it explains her hateful post perfectly. Another Murdoch stooge.
Even readers here are falling into the haters’ trap by conceding that the Sussexes’ work at NF is not successful. I think the company is getting exactly what is expected. All of these projects are in the NF library and are still being watched. There is no initial “box office” metric that really counts. Rather have they contributed to the value of the library? The answer certainly is yes, particularly in the world of docs.
Again, NF is not selling views to any single production. They are not pay per view.
I don’t know about “the stakes couldn’t be higher.” The stakes were pretty high when H&M left the RF, and when they fled from country to country, and when they had no place to live, and when they had to figure out how to support themselves. And the stakes are pretty high for the victims of the LA fires and for the people Archewell is trying to help.
The language around Meghan and Harry is really weird. All celebrities have projects that aren’t successful but it isn’t discussed as a ccatastrophe like it is with H&M. I feel they have been through the worst (leaving the RF , having their security cut and being homeless during a pandemic) and they survived. They will be fine. I also think the show will do well.
Good point. The stakes actually have been higher. It’s almost funny the lack of perspective and pearl-clutching.
The THR do not have an ax to grind. Their view ship is probably down the drain and the fastest method to get visibility is to trash the Sussexes. It work since lovers like haters of the Sussexes talk about this toxic media.
Maer Roshon, the co-editor of THR has a long history with Tina Brown. He became co-editor in 2023 which coincides with THR’s deranger like reporting on the Sussexes. There are a lot of people in American media with ties to brits who express the royalist/tabloid/deranger points of view. Also I think there are many in Hollywood media who the Sussexes because they haven’t made themselves available. Hollywood media can be as toxic as Uk media especially when it comes to not being given the access they think they should have.
Catherine – thanks for the info on Roshon / Brown. Pretty obvious whenever Brown has managed to get on anybody’s radar the last few years she’s all knives out for the American Woman who probly iced her.
To be precise, Harry and Meghan is Netflix’s most watched documentary…Ever! And the numbers in the UK are the highest Netflix had seen.
Especially with all the free publicity from papers like the Daily Wail and their readers. The detractors are certainly keeping them in the news.
I don’t understand the faux complaints regarding H & M’s Netflix output; in 5 years they will have had 5 series broadcast and time spent on pre production of “Pearl” (which was only dropped because Netflix made a strategic decision about pulling back on animation). Netflix’s return on the deal with H & M was made as soon as “Harry and Meghan” aired.
As to their work ethics: aside from Netflix, Meghan released “Archetypes”, Harry did his book, then there’s The Invictus Games, Harry’s patronages in the UK and the creation of a production company and a charitable foundation and all the numerous travel associated with the various endeavours – let alone the time spent on all the legal cases and the loss of one child and the arrival of another. All in the past 5 years.
Frankly, I’m amazed at their achievements, especially given the malicious smear campaign from the media and their own families. Lesser individuals would never step foot outside the door.
Don’t forget the bump in viewership of Suits. People were interested in Meghan, watched the documentary, then also watched Suits, the entire series. That right there was well worth the $100 million Netflix paid the Sussexes. Even if it was indirect, it proved that involvement with the Sussexes is well worth their money. So much so that Suits has spawned a whole new spinoff…. That is definitely successful engagement. These tabloid writers don’t look at the big picture.
What a weird article. No matter what, they supposedly got $100 million from Netflix. The whole flop thing is so odd to me since their docuseries and Heart of Invictus did really really well. The only one anyone is screaming about is Polo and people (well derangers) were screaming it was a grift because they weren’t in it enough. The only place complaining about promotion has been few and very far between.
FWIW I thought Heart of Invictus was fantastic. I wish there had been more promotion on it too, but I think that’s partly Netflix’s fault. It wasn’t easy to find on Netflix when it first came out; I wouldn’t have come across it if I hadn’t searched for it.
I think WLM will do great with the right promotion. People are going to be suffering under the Trump regime and are going to be looking for solace and escapism. Perfect timing for a light, bright, pretty show about food and gardens presented by a fresh talent.
Another snarky article from someone who I guarantee doesn’t have a fraction of Meghan’s success or networth.
Archewell’s spokesperson goes on the record and doesn’t do unnamed sources. So pretty much the media platformed Justine Bateman and then provided a response to her comments. Once again creating the news instead of reporting it.
Meghan commands global attention. Her fate does not lie wth a single netflix cooking and lifestyle show. If it succeed good for her and netflix. If not she will move on to other opportunities.
THR is political. I’ll bet if we could get a list of employees or writers on staff we would find more than a few royalist on the payroll. Furthermore at the risk of seeming paranoid I’m sure the Murdochs have a finger in that pie. Same way, whenever Harry and Meghan receive positive press, you can bet, good money, several negative pieces are coming that can be traced back to the UK. The RF , the UK tabloids and courtiers have a vested interest in making sure Harry and Meghan do not succeed. If they do, it will prove two things 1) the RF doesn’t need billions to “do good work”. And 2) if you’re being mistreated in the family and press, you can leave, survive and thrive with a little hard work. Everytime Harry and Meghan are successful and relatable it makes the left behind royals seem out of touch, unreachable, dull, boring. Harry and Meghan are vibrant, colorful, alive. The RF are buttons, stale, dull, stuck in colonial times.
How many times has someone somewhere written that H&M are failing at Netflix? They really do believe that if they say it enough times everyone will believe it. Idiots.
Has it not been established that THR is now owned by some right-wing publishing entity? Does not the allusion to Churchill establish that the writer is British and probably a royalist? Does not the tone reveal exactly that of the British tabloids who create and exist in its own echo chamber? Does Harry’s upcoming law suit leave any doubt in anyone’s mind about the timing of this piece of trash smear?
All these papers like THR and Pagesix are fighting for clicks from the MAGA crowd and royal rotas while others are doing Murdoch’s dirty work of smearing H & M.
Like someone said above, mentioning Meghan’s name negatively, pays better than praising her. So publications that wanna get read and paid well, resort to making up stories about Harry and Meghan.
I read a comment about Blake Lively that said people love to hate on women because then they can all feel superior to her. It’s team fun like hockey and football players; they pile on to show their membership to the team.” I wanna play too, I wanna show I belong”. The tabloids lit the match and watched the fire of hating spread. Meghan has been their victim for far too long but as long as people make money and get their kicks from abusing her, it won’t stop.
The mental maturity of this article and all is worn thin. It was, years ago. If anything it is material for a study in misogyny and racism in the 2017 ~ 2020’s mindset of British news media, and like minded folk in the US.
Every. Single. Project. Every single one of them is described as “their last chance” before it’s even released. That’s a lot of “last chances” lol
When you have the most streamed documentary on s platform, they’ll keep you around for a while. The other docs are doing decent numbers and they were good. I hope they put more into promoting these projects going forward. It’s obvious from the interest in WithLove is because people want to see the Sussexes, especially Meghan, themselves. This is their 5th production in 5 years. That seems very solid. I don’t read THR, there is so much going on with the fires so who knows about the relevance of this article now. Netflix fully supported her decision to postpone it. They know more than we do. Also, if the Netflix deal ended, another streamer will probably want to step in.
This THR article is pure trash.