Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are dealing with the rumor mill after Variety reported that Netflix was distancing itself from them. This comes after news that Netflix was exiting from Meghan’s As Ever brand.
However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, a Netflix exec has clarified Netflix’s true involvement with the former working royals. And it appears that other projects with the couple are still in the works.
Netflix is Still Working with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
GettyPer THR, Netflix’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, refuted any claims that Netflix is shying away from working with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
Bajaria addressed those reports while at the Next on Netflix presentation about the platform’s upcoming programming.
“I would say don’t believe whatever you read,” she said about a report from Variety that shared Netflix’s “falling out” with Meghan and Harry.
That report came shortly after the Duchess of Sussex’s As Ever lifestyle brand announced it would no longer be in business with Netflix.
“As Ever is grateful for Netflix’s partnership through launch and our first year,” a company spokesperson said (via PEOPLE). “We have experienced meaningful and rapid growth, and As Ever is now ready to stand on its own.”
Netflix confirmed that the two brands had amicably split ways. Netflix had also canceled Meghan’s series, “With Love, Meghan,” on the streaming platform after two seasons.
Bajaria also alluded to the fact that the news of the canceled deal with As Ever became a huge headline simply because of Meghan and Harry’s notoriety.
“Deals come and go all the time,” she added. “We don’t renew so many deals, and those don’t get as much press for obvious reasons, I guess. So there’s no juicy story there.”
Netflix Teased New Projects with the Couple
Variety’s report had alluded to the fact that Netflix was done with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry altogether. However, Netflix’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, shared that more projects with the couple were actually in the works.
The exec shared, “Maybe we should all do a little fact-checking. But here’s the thing: We still have a relationship with them.”
She added, “We have movies in development with them. We have an amazing doc with them. They have things in development on the TV and film side.”
Meghan and Harry had also denied claims from the Variety report that Netflix wasn’t aware of their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey or Harry’s memoir, “Spare” (per PEOPLE).
Variety reported that Netflix was “blindsided” by the Oprah interview and Harry’s book. According to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the couple called the report “categorically false.”
Waste of money on their part. I understood the cancellation was due to poor viewership