The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 8: April - August 2023

[wbenson]

I think you are being generous. She got acting jobs because she was young and pretty, I dont think she had any real talent.

I think that's selling her a little short. Everyone who shows up in Hollywood looking for an acting career is young and pretty, and most of them never even get cast in a soap commercial.

 

[Denville]

It still does not give her talent. There are loads of actresses who make a career out of being pretty or beautiful but who are not at all good at the job itself.

 

[Magnolia471]

The Duchess of Sussex was photographed in Santa Barbara yesterday, June 16:


** dm article: Downcast duchess: Make-up free Meghan Markle looks glum as she is spotted in public ..**

Yeah, she is "casually" spotted by BACKGRID another time before a major royal event. What a coincidence! She is getting predictable.
She better focus on producing something for Spotify instead of playing this childish games.

 

[Granada]

Magnollia471, nailed it.
But she can't focus on "producing something for Spotify". They cut the Sussex's. Fired them.

If Spotify thought The Sussex's were a good bet and money maker, they would have kept them. Regardless if they didn't meet production goals. But the Executives, Analysts and Accountants there ran the numbers, and saw the mediocre Podcasts were not worthy of investing in.

In my opinion, a big blow to their "Brand" too. Their reputations are taking these hits and I honestly wonder if they can turn it around ? Being called out as "F...ing Grifters" by Bob Simmons ? Stateside, yep here, that's going to leave a mark.

They are notorious now. With a failed business venture with Spotify now public knowledge.

You can bet Netflix is watching this and reevaluating their Contract with them too.

What a cautionary tale The Sussex's are. Was Harry's life and role ( pre Meghan ) so very despairing to him ?

To me, he had a purpose, THEN. And meaning, and respect. The UK adored him, as did The US.

Now ? I wonder what he makes of all this..... Especially on Trooping The Colour Day.

 

[Erin9]

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 8: Apr. 2023 -

Ouch is an understatement. This is stinging truth — take away their titles and you have a spare and a second-rate actress. Truth!

Agreed. It was brutal….but true.

I’ve long thought Meghan’s ambition was far greater than her talent.

It’s increasing obvious they had no real plans for “financial independence”. And it shows. They’ve been “successful” at selling the family connection. That’s it.

Getting called out as “grifters” by a major player here will be duly noted imo.

 

[Kenya]

In my opinion, a big blow to their "Brand" too. Their reputations are taking these hits and I honestly wonder if they can turn it around ? Being called out as "F...ing Grifters" by Bob Simmons ? Stateside, yep here, that's going to leave a mark.

A big one. Bill Simmons is widely respected in the industry for turning his career as a popular sports columnist into a media and entertainment empire. Back before John Favreau, Tommy Vietor, and Jon Lovett (former members of President Obama's staff) founded Crooked Media, their wildly successful "Keeping It 1600" podcast was part of Bill Simmons' Ringer network. He has solid liberal credentials, which I mention only because he's not the kind of right-leaning guy you might expect to hear these kind of comments from. They can't be easily hand waved away as coming from someone who'd naturally be opposed to the Sussexes. And the fact that he's speaking from personal experience with them says a lot. His opinion is going to have credibility with the kind of industry people and companies with whom Harry and Meghan are probably hoping to do business. Yikes.

 

[Hallo girl]

Erm, how many pages are we up to in this forum talking about Harry and Meghan? And this couple still make media headlines whenever they appear.

As for this bloke’s remarks (sorry, never heard of him) How does he know that Harry ‘wasn’t even the favourite son’? Has he spoken to King Charles personally? Because he may get an answer that might surprise him if he did.

It sounds like a lot of sour grapes to me from a man who may not care for royals or British people anyway and is only too glad to pile on now. Wonder what Harry would have to say about HIM? Didn’t like his ideas obviously!

It’s a wonder actually that Harry and Meghan aren’t getting the blame for Spotify’s downturn over the last year and their wholesale shedding of employees!

Oh and according to very recent reports Netflix’s ‘Heart of Invictus’ is still scheduled for release over the summer.

Harry himself claims to have been treated as second best by his family, the spare for William. Also we are not in the States so there will be players in the media that we have not heard of it doesn’t make them nobodies. I am sure there are famous Australians that are not really known outside their own country.
Not everybody courts the press or arranges surprise photograph opportunities.
As for getting the blame for Spotify’s downturn, I would not blame them but I would blame Spotify for offering obscene payments for very little return. Poor business acumen. The couple or their team obviously spoke a good game but failed to deliver.

 

[Asteria12]

A big one. Bill Simmons is widely respected in the industry for turning his career as a popular sports columnist into a media and entertainment empire. Back before John Favreau, Tommy Vietor, and Jon Lovett (former members of President Obama's staff) founded Crooked Media, their wildly successful "Keeping It 1600" podcast was part of Bill Simmons' Ringer network. He has solid liberal credentials, which I mention only because he's not the kind of right-leaning guy you might expect to hear these kind of comments from. They can't be easily hand waved away as coming from someone who'd naturally be opposed to the Sussexes. And the fact that he's speaking from personal experience with them says a lot. His opinion is going to have credibility with the kind of industry people and companies with whom Harry and Meghan are probably hoping to do business. Yikes.

A good point. Comments of this nature from someone respected in the industry the Sussex's are trying to do business with will carry a lot of weight. It does show quite a downturn in the Sussex popularity in the USA. I hope they take note and rethink their business plan, and that includes cutting out the "candid" photoshoots whenever something is happening across the pond. Very unfortunate.

 

[HenRach Dominion]

Yeah, she is "casually" spotted by BACKGRID another time before a major royal event. What a coincidence! She is getting predictable.
She better focus on producing something for Spotify instead of playing this childish games.

Even if it's true that HRH The Duchess of Sussex called the paps to coincide with the Trooping the Colour, stunts like that wouldn't work unless there was enough vested interest in her to benefit the papers. Why is the Daily Mail writing a whole article about her walking down her drive, speculating about what her conversation is? Why would they buy pictures about her at all if her fifteen minutes of fame is over?

Frankly, I always felt like it was the reverse. The current BRF are quiet, hard-working people who are drama free. Drama free doesn't sell papers. Writing about an event that happens every year with minimal difference doesn't sell papers. Egging on the simmering resentment that many Brits have against TRH The Sussexes does.

 

[Leopoldine]

As many of you know, I've been critical of the Sussexes. I find them a bit off-putting.

But, the vitriol about them in the popular press is so horrible. Extremely insulting and cruel just because a business relationship dissolved. It seems like certain critics of theirs won't be happy unless they experience terrible misfortune. This is wrong.

 

[Asteria12]

Celebrity bashing certainly isn't pleasant, that's for sure, and something many people in the public eye have had to endure (especially female celebrities). Despite it being an very old tactic to sell newspapers, I personally think the development of social media is what has made it balloon into such a vicious modern phenomenon.

 

[UglyAmerican]

Simmons certainly wasn't kind to them, and I too would love to hear about that Zoom call. But just the fact that he had a Zoom call with Harry (apparently without Meghan) is interesting. If he wanted to talk to Harry about podcast ideas, that suggests Spotify expected Harry to be involved in making/hosting/producing these podcasts. But as far as I know (I haven't listened to all of them), Harry's been completely uninvolved.

So what changed? It seems Harry didn't really want to make podcasts after all. That's consistent with his supposed dislike of media attention and cameras (though very little else he's done since 2020 is). My first thought was that this was a deal they (or at least Harry) only reluctantly signed because they had no other immediate prospects for making money, then abandoned once they got whatever amount they got from Harry's book and the Netflix series. But that doesn't explain why it took them until 2022 to produce any real content. The book and Netflix series hadn't happened yet, so if Spotify was their only source of income at that time, you'd think they'd be a little less lackadaisical about it.

Whatever the reason, it seems like Harry's participation was part of Spotify's initial interest in the couple. I don't think it's a coincidence that he was uninvolved and their contract was terminated.

 

[Hallo girl]

Even if it's true that HRH The Duchess of Sussex called the paps to coincide with the Trooping the Colour, stunts like that wouldn't work unless there was enough vested interest in her to benefit the papers. Why is the Daily Mail writing a whole article about her walking down her drive, speculating about what her conversation is? Why would they buy pictures about her at all if her fifteen minutes of fame is over?

Frankly, I always felt like it was the reverse. The current BRF are quiet, hard-working people who are drama free. Drama free doesn't sell papers. Writing about an event that happens every year with minimal difference doesn't sell papers. Egging on the simmering resentment that many Brits have against TRH The Sussexes does.

I would agree with your sentiments, the newspapers are keeping things going, although I would change resentment to indifference . Why would you purchase goodness knows how many photographs of a woman walking down a road. It doesn’t make me want to buy the newspaper.

 

[Fem]

Simmons certainly wasn't kind to them, and I too would love to hear about that Zoom call. But just the fact that he had a Zoom call with Harry (apparently without Meghan) is interesting. If he wanted to talk to Harry about podcast ideas, that suggests Spotify expected Harry to be involved in making/hosting/producing these podcasts. But as far as I know (I haven't listened to all of them), Harry's been completely uninvolved.

I think Harry was a part of the first podcast, but then it looked like the project was just Meghan's.

 

[Granada]

Leopoldine, I completely understand what you are saying, but I believe, *hope*, its not misfortune that critics of The Sussex's wish on them.....more like karma or comeuppance, if you will.

They went on a certain revenge based mission, AFTER the HI-HO Plan was denied. Starting with Oprah to demean and attack The Royal Family, knowing Philip was on his death bed. They have then continued AND 'upped the ante' with more devastating personal attacks and allegations. The so called ....."Their truth".

Two books, Finding Freedom and Spare, Bombshell Interviews, Netflix Docu-series, Podcasts, Magazine Articles.....its never-ending in a short time. Its exhausting. Meghan was only a "Working Royal" for 18 months, no less.

Many, here in The States I believe were initially sympathetic to them. But seemingly every few months another grenade gets thrown. I mean WHY did Harry have to attack The UK Government's reputation in June as being at "rock bottom" . I thought that was simply terrible of him to say that.

So, I think the vitriol could be two sided. The Sussex's purposely sought to to diminish AND damage The Royal Family's reputation and Role. All to elevate The Sussex on The World Stage. Three years now of their non stop tawdry tales, allegations, and grievances. The Sussex's even mocked the relationship between The Commonwealth and The UK.

Just my thoughts.....Harry wrote Spare under the presumption that Queen Elizabeth would be alive at publication AND for the fallout. He didn't care. Sparing no-one. Charles, William even weirdly her sister Margaret got attacked in it.
Harry was obliquely questioning the whole Institution. Purposely. Elizabeth's life work.

That is what is rubbing People the wrong way. All the while as Harry and Meghan certainly seek to profit from their association with it.

 

[kalnel]

A big one. Bill Simmons is widely respected in the industry for turning his career as a popular sports columnist into a media and entertainment empire. Back before John Favreau, Tommy Vietor, and Jon Lovett (former members of President Obama's staff) founded Crooked Media, their wildly successful "Keeping It 1600" podcast was part of Bill Simmons' Ringer network. He has solid liberal credentials, which I mention only because he's not the kind of right-leaning guy you might expect to hear these kind of comments from. They can't be easily hand waved away as coming from someone who'd naturally be opposed to the Sussexes. And the fact that he's speaking from personal experience with them says a lot. His opinion is going to have credibility with the kind of industry people and companies with whom Harry and Meghan are probably hoping to do business. Yikes.

It is also not a good sign for Meghan's supposed political hopes. If Democrats in the media don't support them, she can give that dream up.

 

[Curryong]

Spotify are downsizing after the Covid years when they expanded and probably overspent. Harry and Meghan aren’t responsible for that. Nor are they responsible for Spotify shedding hundreds of staff over the last few months.

According to The Sun, Spotify was looking to drop any content not meeting audience demands – a policy which appears to have also claimed former First Lady Michelle Obama’s podcast, which was dropped last year. So the Sussexes aren’t the only apples falling from the Spotify tree!

 

[Sunnystar]

Spotify are downsizing after the Covid years when they expanded and probably overspent. Harry and Meghan aren’t responsible for that. Nor are they responsible for Spotify shedding hundreds of staff over the last few months.

According to The Sun, Spotify was looking to drop any content not meeting audience demands – a policy which appears to have also claimed former First Lady Michelle Obama’s podcast, which was dropped last year. So the Sussexes aren’t the only apples falling from the Spotify tree!

Maybe not, but they're certainly the only ones being called "f-ing grifters" by a Spotify exec and leading podcaster.

 

[Curryong]

He’s long been unsympathetic about Harry. Months ago he blasted him about, among other things, quote, ‘living in f…ing Montecito,’ unquote. So he clearly dislikes him, for whatever reason. And an executive swearing and using crude and abusive language about people who were signed to his organisation. Very impressive I’m sure!

 

[Leopoldine]

It is also not a good sign for Meghan's supposed political hopes. If Democrats in the media don't support them, she can give that dream up.

Her press coverage is very negative. Carrying a $5000. handbag is an own goal in that regard, but NM that. I have great sympathy for her in that her media coverage is so personal and mean, but it seems unlikely that someone attracting this coverage could even achieve modest success in electoral politics.

 

[HenRach Dominion]

I may have missed something, but when has HRH The Duchess of Sussex express any political ambitions?

 

[Sunnystar]

He’s long been unsympathetic about Harry. Months ago he blasted him about, among other things, quote, ‘living in f…ing Montecito,’ unquote. So he clearly dislikes him, for whatever reason. And an executive swearing and using crude and abusive language about people who were signed to his organisation. Very impressive I’m sure!

By "long ago" you're meaning last January? Which was after the "Archetypes" podcast series had been fully aired and after "Spare" was published. The full quote he had this week made it clear he had personal interaction with Harry, trying to help him develop at least one podcast idea, and that he came out of that singularly unimpressed. Presumably, that Zoom meeting they had happened long before the book or Meghan's podcast series came out. Simmons certainly doesn't have a good opinion of either of them, but I was left with the impression that it was not without base.

As far as his language goes... If that's what you want to hang your hat on to take exception to, fair enough. I take it from the angle that this guy has been holding his true thoughts in for quite awhile and now that the Sussexes and Spotify have parted ways, the relief he feels is so large that he can't help but use a word that some people consider crude and others use routinely (and I'd bet on him probably using it more routinely than not, given he comes from the sports talk radio/podcast side of broadcasting).

 

[Curryong]

I may have missed something, but when has HRH The Duchess of Sussex express any political ambitions?

She hasn’t. She’s an activist and enthusiastic about citizens getting out to vote. The rest is just media speculation that’s been going on practically since they began living in California. Meghan has however never stated that she would be interested in being a Congresswoman or Senator.

 

[LadyRaven]

He’s long been unsympathetic about Harry. Months ago he blasted him about, among other things, quote, ‘living in f…ing Montecito,’ unquote. So he clearly dislikes him, for whatever reason. And an executive swearing and using crude and abusive language about people who were signed to his organisation. Very impressive I’m sure!

I have read the current ceo of Disney biography where he relates a story which to me he comes across as being rude to a Disney relative who has passed on. Also same ceo was caught swearing at in an investors meeting a few years ago. it’s show business not show friendship. If any executive comes across as nice and professional it’s an act. I for one like honesty including in feelings

 

[Hallo girl]

Her press coverage is very negative. Carrying a $5000. handbag is an own goal in that regard, but NM that. I have great sympathy for her in that her media coverage is so personal and mean, but it seems unlikely that someone attracting this coverage could even achieve modest success in electoral politics.

I do not particularly like some of the press coverage either, it is frankly boring and repetative . As for personal and mean, well the couple have been known to go down that road themselves with the various interviews/ books etc. against people whom they know will not respond, therefore I do not have much sympathy there. The late Queen must have wondered what she had done to deserve such treatment, other than to love her grand son.

 

[Hallo girl]

[.....]

Whether we believe he uses foul language for everybody or just M and H it doesn't actually matter, the contract is gone, they were not good enough. If they had been successful , by bringing in the money, then they would still have been there . I am sure they have not done badly out of the arrangement and their team will spin it as them moving on to better things but the bottom line is they failed.
Yes other people/ contracts / programmes will have been cancelled, people will have lost their jobs but if they had been a success with the podcasts they would still have been there with another series.

 

[Asteria12]

Regarding Meghan's "political ambitions", I can't recall reading anywhere that she herself has stated an intent to go into politics (I could be wrong). I think the speculation came from her cold-calling US senators on their personal phones regarding paid family leave in 2021, and a meeting with Gavin Newsom (US Presidential hopeful) in 2020. Omid Scobie has also said that she “has her eyes set on the US presidency”, though I take much of what he says with a boulder of salt!

I do not particularly like some of the press coverage either, it is frankly boring and repetative . As for personal and mean, well the couple have been known to go down that road themselves with the various interviews/ books etc. against people whom they know will not respond, therefore I do not have much sympathy there. The late Queen must have wondered what she had done to deserve such treatment, other than to love her grand son.

Yes, I agree, they cannot claim any moral highground considering the extremely personal and vindictive things they themselves have put out into the public arena against his family.

 

[Alison H]

There are a lot of reports in the press at the moment that Meghan is about to sign a sponsorship deal with Dior, so maybe that's the direction she's headed in. It would certainly be nice to see her doing something which doesn't involve whining and or slagging off the Royal Family.

 

[muriel]

There are a lot of reports in the press at the moment that Meghan is about to sign a sponsorship deal with Dior, so maybe that's the direction she's headed in. It would certainly be nice to see her doing something which doesn't involve whining and or slagging off the Royal Family.

Good luck to Meghan if she can get endorsement or sponsorship deals she wants to do.

@Alison H: As you quite rightly say, anything that "doesn't involve whining and or slagging off the Royal Family" is a positive!

 

[SLV]

Has Meghan worn Dior before? Is it her style of dress?