Once upon a time, in a land of sunshine, designer lattes, and star-studded galas, a royal couple set out to conquer Hollywood. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, fresh off their dramatic royal exit, seemed poised to take the entertainment world by storm. Armed with multimillion-dollar deals and an arsenal of royal revelations, they had everything they needed for a successful rebrand.
Fast forward to 2025, and that Hollywood dream looks more like a box office flop. The buzz has faded, the projects haven’t quite landed, and America appears to have collectively hit the snooze button on the Sussexes. So, what exactly went wrong in the land of glitz and glamour?
A Grand Hollywood Entrance
When Harry and Meghan packed their bags for California in 2020, Hollywood rolled out the red carpet. Streaming giants saw them as the ultimate power couple—royalty meets celebrity, with just the right amount of scandal.
Netflix handed them a reported $100 million deal, and Spotify threw in $20 million for exclusive content. The Sussex brand was hot, the media was listening, and the possibilities seemed endless. But as Hollywood loves to remind us, a strong start doesn’t guarantee a happy ending.
Static on the Airwaves
Their first major stumble? Spotify.
The couple’s production company, Archewell Audio, was supposed to create a slate of must-listen podcasts. Instead, after two and a half years, the grand total stood at:
- One 33-minute holiday special
- One 12-episode podcast, Archetypes
That’s it.
And for $20 million, Spotify wasn’t impressed. The deal was quietly scrapped in 2023, with insiders claiming the Sussexes weren’t producing enough content. One of Spotify’s top executives, Bill Simmons, even called them “grifters” on his own podcast. Ouch.
It wasn’t just a business failure—it was a credibility hit. Hollywood thrives on follow-through, and the Sussexes had just fumbled their first major opportunity.
