Spotify to blame for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s podcast debacle: insider

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been portrayed as the bad guys after their Spotify podcasting deal fell apart in June.

The ex-royals signed a roughly $20 million deal with the streaming company in 2020 but the two entities parted ways earlier this summer after Markle and Harry produced just one project for Spotify, the 12-episode podcast “Archetypes.”

In the wake of the breakup, Bill Simmons, Spotify’s head of global sports strategy, called the ex-royals “f – – king grifters” and “lazy.”

Another insider said the couple had come off as “difficult.”

There were even reports that Markle didn’t conduct her own interviews for her “Archetypes” pod.

But, in a new People cover story, some industry insiders are defending Markle and Harry.

“They were given no formal lay of the land to kick things off, so they were already on unsteady footing even before the ink was dry,” an anonymous source close to the “Archetypes” production told the outlet.

The source went on to allege that the Sussexes “have a lot of ideas and did pitch them,” but there was a lot of red tape to contend with. “Things moved very slowly on both ends.”

Another anonymous source inferred they’ve been judged unfairly for producing a limited amount of content.

“Very few other production companies are measured by what’s actually hit the airwaves,” the source said.

Various reports suggest that the entertainment industry has turned its back on the ex-royals after the collapse of their Spotify deal. Their $100 million deal with Netflix remains but is said to be “teetering.”

Their Netflix docuseries “Live To Lead” was met with indifference following the success of “Harry and Meghan.”

Due to budget cuts, Netflix made the move to cancel their animated project “Pearl” while it was still in development.

“Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent,” UTA agent Jeremy Zimmer said.

But, the power couple continues to move forward, and a source tells People not to discount them.

They’re focused on their Archewell foundation, which is dedicated to providing resources for youth mental health. William Morris Endeavor plans to “re-invent” their newly signed client, Meghan. Harry continues to work with Netflix on his series “Heart of Invictus,” which follows athletes on their journey to competing in his Invictus Games.

“Has their final chapter been written? Absolutely not,” an industry executive said. “Hollywood loves a comeback.”