A written rebuke from Taylor Swift can be a bitter pill with grave consequences to one’s reputation – just ask her famous ex-boyfriends John Mayer, Joe Jonas and Harry Styles.
But in the case of Meghan Markle, it’s somewhat ironic that it’s the lack of a note from the undisputed Queen of American entertainment that was enough to represent the end of the Queen of Victimhood’s Hollywood dream.
It has emerged, via an excoriating exposé into the Sussexes failed business career in the Wall Street Journal, that Meghan had penned a ‘personal letter’, no doubt in calligraphy, asking Taylor to appear on her soon-to-flop podcast Archetypes.
The pop megastar declined, but, significantly, not via a personal note back to the desperate Duchess.
Nope, the rejection came from a representative, as if Taylor was turning down just another interview with one of the countless TV shows, podcasts or tabloid newspapers who make bids on a regular basis.
Since Spotify’s $20 million deal with Harry and Meghan came to an end last week, we have learned just how ill-equipped the couple were for a real job that required hard graft, imagination and strong working relationships.
DAN WOOTTON: In the case of Meghan Markle, it’s somewhat ironic that it’s the lack of a note from the undisputed Queen of American entertainment that was enough to represent the end of the Queen of Victimhood’s Hollywood dream
DAN WOOTTON: A written rebuke from Taylor Swift can be a bitter pill with grave consequences to one’s reputation – just ask her famous ex-boyfriends John Mayer, Joe Jonas and Harry Styles
But it’s also become obvious how the pair’s little black book of contacts they were convinced would pull through for them in their moment of financial need is far thinner than they ever wanted to believe.
Hollywood celebrities and American A-listers loved Harry and Meghan when they were members of the British Royal Family.
As bitter and twisted grenade throwers on a kamikaze mission to bring down the monarchy, even as the highly respected late Queen and Prince Philip were close to death, not so much.
Being publicly associated with Harry and Meghan on a work project is not worth the potential brand damage for any bona fide star, especially one like Swift who has spent years building up a working relationship with Prince William, who represents the future of the royals.
DAN WOOTTON: I’m convinced Netflix is now desperate to follow Spotify out the door and sever their formal $100million deal with the Sussexes when it expires in 2025
Not to mention former allies like the Obamas who still hold genuine political clout in the liberal US circles Meghan, who still has the unshakeable confidence to believe she could one day end up in the Oval Office herself, covets.
That’s part of the reason why I’m convinced Netflix is now desperate to follow Spotify out the door and sever their formal $100million deal with the Sussexes when it expires in 2025.
A senior Hollywood source told me: ‘Netflix wants out, too. They are envious the Spotify exit could come so quickly. The contract with Harry and Meghan hasn’t delivered; it’s been a nightmare to navigate from start to finish.’
Such a ruthless end to the couple’s desire to launch an entertainment empire might seem savage, but they only have themselves to blame.
In the early overtures between both companies and the Sussexes, executives were led to believe they had Britain’s answers to the Kardashians on their hands, albeit with more of a left-wing political motivation, which suited their woke new employers just fine.
The couple were prepared to get their hands dirty, put themselves personally at the heart of the various projects and appear regularly on screen.
But Netflix and Spotify were sold a dud.
The reality is that, even now as huge stars, the Kardashians work really bloody hard; they have grafted for their big new Disney contract and understand the expectations of what’s required in terms of access to their lives in exchange for such a monumental deal.
In stark contrast, Spotify and Netflix got dippy Harry and difficult Meg; the masters of big ideas and even bigger promises, which almost certainly never come to fruition.
As the Wall Street Journal reported: ‘Archewell employees and associates say the company often lacks direction, and that its founders at times seem surprised by the work required to finish entertainment projects.’
In Harry’s case, his search for a podcast to host became farcical.
DAN WOOTTON: It has emerged, via an excoriating exposé into the Sussexes failed business career in the Wall Street Journal, that Meghan had penned a ‘personal letter’, no doubt in calligraphy, asking Taylor to appear on her soon-to-flop podcast Archetypes
His completely impractical and impossible to deliver ideas included interviewing Vladimir Putin, Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump about childhood trauma, and Pope Francis about religion, according to Bloomberg.
He reportedly even considered co-hosting a show with the leftie comedian Hassan Minhaj, who emerged on the satirical Daily Show, but that never eventuated, either.
It’s not as if Spotify didn’t try to get things going – they even helped build a studio in the couple’s enormous Montecito mansion, of which their contract helped secure their mega mortgage.
In exchange, they had Meghan hounding the company’s top executives with requests for last minute changes to her own podcast.
In other words, she was every broadcaster’s worst nightmare.
As the United Talent Agency chief executive Jeremy Zimmer – one of Hollywood’s biggest power players – told Semafor in Cannes over the weekend: ‘Turns out Megan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent. And, you know, just because you’re famous doesn’t make you great at something.’
At one point Harry and Meghan are said to have even pitched a vague TV project tackling misinformation. How deliciously ironic.
The only misinformation that ended up emanating from this deal was the Sussexes claim they’d be creative masterminds deserving of being handed tens of millions of dollars by producing stellar and compelling entertainment shows and podcasts.
Just like the Royal Family discovered, working with these two provides no end of headaches and very little in terms of benefits.
Meanwhile, Prince William today has launched one of the most audacious social projects ever tackled by a royal, with the goal of ending homelessness in five years.
It’s risky, daring and high stakes.
Exactly the sort of public service mission you would have thought Harry and Meghan could have championed through the unprecedented reach provided to them by the biggest streaming platforms in the world.
But as Taylor Swift once opined, with Netflix preparing to join Spotify in pulling the plug, that option is ‘gonna go down in flames’.
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