00:00Eric, some news from Variety about Meghan and Harry.
00:03More details about their Netflix, I don't want to call it drama,
00:07but it's like the business side of Meghan and Harry.
00:09Yes.
00:10You've been reporting on it.
00:11What have you been hearing?
00:15So yeah, as we reported, the partnership between Meghan's lifestyle company,
00:19as ever, and Netflix itself has kind of dissolved.
00:22And both parties have kind of spoken out and said that it was mutual
00:25and that they're okay with it.
00:27Now, Meghan and Harry, just to clarify, still do have a deal with Netflix
00:30via their R2L Productions, their production company.
00:32But this Variety article that came out this week had a whole mix of stuff
00:36about kind of the status of Meghan and Harry's relationship with Netflix.
00:40There was a lot of negative stuff there, but Meghan's lawyer chimed in
00:44and kind of debunked a lot of that.
00:45But basically the main all is that there was a lot of talk about
00:49their relationship with Ted Sarandos, the current Netflix co-CEO,
00:53and basically saying that one of the kind of big points of the story
00:56was that he allegedly would not jump on a call with her
00:59without a lawyer present.
01:00And that during meetings, Meghan would just kind of up and leave
01:04and turn her Zoom off and just, they'd be like, hello.
01:07And she just like would not be there.
01:08And apparently when Meghan and Harry were in meetings together,
01:10she would kind of reprimand him or talk over him.
01:14Exactly.
01:15So all of those allegations were there and they were debunked by...
01:19This was so interesting because it came from Variety who said they had a source
01:25in the know at Netflix.
01:27And then Netflix kind of came back and was like putting on their brave face
01:32of being like, no, we didn't say that.
01:34We love working with them.
01:35And the timeline of this whole story is kind of crazy.
01:39Basically, we all know they stepped away from being senior members of the royal family
01:43in 2020.
01:44They moved to Montecito.
01:46They launched their Archwell Foundation, which does have this other line of Archwell production.
01:51They started this Netflix partnership, which I believe was $100 million when they first
01:56signed on, right?
01:57Now they have a new deal, which is we've reported not the exact number, but said to be a lot
02:02less
02:02than $100 million.
02:03So I think as time's gone on, Netflix has found like maybe they shouldn't invest as
02:07much in Meghan and Harry as they initially wanted to.
02:10And we've seen recent projects have not been hits.
02:13I mean, with Love, Meghan, with all due respect to With, Love, Meghan, I didn't love it.
02:17I don't know if other people loved it.
02:18A lot of people didn't love it.
02:19It's not returning for a third season.
02:21And that was kind of evident in and of itself, because if you went on Netflix, they sort of tell
02:26you what people are watching and clicking on and what's doing well on their own by giving
02:30you the top 10 list that you're watching.
02:33And I remember for the second season of With, Love, Meghan, she was barely even in the top
02:3910, if she even was with that show.
02:42I think it was a hard show to land, and I'm sure she wanted it to be a certain way
02:48and
02:48look and feel, but it just like really didn't resonate.
02:51It was kind of hard to attach to.
02:54But yeah, only two seasons of it.
02:56And then the holiday special.
02:57Which also was not a hit at all.
02:59So I think what I'm assuming what Netflix is learning is that the biggest hit with Meghan
03:03and Harry was the Meghan and Harry docu-series, which they kind of unloaded a lot about their
03:09life in the royal family.
03:10And I think Netflix has probably realized that's what people want.
03:13People don't really care about Meghan cooking in the kitchen.
03:15People want to know what they have to say about their lives during the royal family since
03:19they've left.
03:20They want to see what they're kind of peeking behind the curtain.
03:24And we saw that a lot with the Oprah special with how successful that interview was.
03:28So I think overall, consumers care more about Meghan and Harry kind of spilling the tea
03:31on what they allegedly experienced as members of the royal family, rather than Meghan cooking
03:36bread in the kitchen.
03:37Right.
03:37Because they also did a few other partnerships with Netflix already.
03:40They did Harry's polo documentary.
03:43Flopped.
03:44Right.
03:45For them.
03:46They're like, we're trying.
03:48No one cares about the polo doc.
03:48We're trying.
03:49Yeah.
03:49No one cares about the polo doc.
03:50They did do the Invictus games special that they had.
03:56And it's a great cause, but also flopped.
03:59It's a little too nicey nice.
03:59People want to know, I hate to say it, like the dark side of what has gone on in the
04:03royal
04:03family when they were a part of it and all the allegations and the relationship between
04:06Harry and his brother, his father.
04:09And that's what people care most about.
04:11And so I think the problem is, is they're not willing to give all that content to Netflix.
04:15So it's kind of like a standstill of like, well, how are they going to make this work
04:19and how are they going to create something that the consumers are really going to, you
04:23know, care about?
04:24I thought the variety graphic that they made was actually kind of funny because they, it
04:29was like them watering their garden in Montecito, but it was Netflix was, the flower was dead.
04:35The podcast flower was dead.
04:37And then the one flower that was blooming was the publishing because Harry did release his
04:42memoir and got into all of those dirty details.
04:45But this situation with Netflix, I mean, obviously they signed them, their projects didn't do super
04:52well.
04:52Now it seems like they are doing more of a, a strategy that a lot of other producers do,
04:59which is produce the project and then sell it to companies.
05:02So it's not really that weird for them to take this turn, but it is a noticeable difference
05:07of they invested in you, the projects we could see weren't performing just by looking on Netflix
05:14ourselves.
05:14And now it's like, they seem like they're backtracking and all of this new stuff with what
05:21variety is reporting is happening behind the scenes at Netflix.
05:24What Netflix is saying isn't true.
05:26What Megan's lawyer is saying isn't true.
05:28Seems to really be coming to light because they have made that shift away from being so integrated
05:34with Netflix.
05:36I just feel like, you know, all eyes are kind of on how is their production company going
05:40to bounce back from this, move forward from this.
05:44They just recently parted ways, even with the brand of As Ever, where they were kind of helping
05:51source her products.
05:54So, I mean, on one hand, I can see them saying like, oh, these comments aren't true.
06:00But on the other hand, it's like, I feel like variety is pretty strong sources.
06:04And the facts are the facts and the numbers are the numbers.
06:06So if, you know, the interest isn't there in terms of With Love, Megan and As Ever, then
06:10Netflix doesn't have a reason to stick with them just because they're Megan and Harry.
06:13You know, there's other hit shows and brands and stuff that Netflix is putting their time
06:17and resources into.
06:18And so if Megan and Harry aren't delivering for them, then, you know, see ya.
06:21Yeah.
06:21I mean, you know what?
06:22They're getting a crash course in being business people.
06:26Absolutely.
06:27Entrepreneurship now.
06:28Exactly.
06:29They're learning.
06:29Even Megan and Harry have their moments.
06:32That's for sure.
06:32I kind of love that.
06:33Yeah.
06:33They're just like us.
06:34Exactly.
06:35Very much so.
06:36Prince Harry and us are the same.
06:39Completely.
06:39You know, he's royalty, but he's also learning how to be an entrepreneur.
06:42I think the lesson here for them, if I was on their team, I would say you kind of have
06:46to give the people what they want and get the gossip going about whatever the relationships
06:50are with the royal family.
06:51Because that's, the numbers have proven that's what people care the most about.
06:54That is true.
06:54Not Megan cooking in the kitchen.
06:56I know.
06:56Unfortunately.
06:57Not enough, at least.
06:57For her.
06:58Yes.
06:58Yeah.
06:59Yeah.
06:59Yes.
06:59Unfortunately for her kitchen, we don't care about it.
07:01Which it wasn't even her kitchen, though.
07:02Right.
07:02Exactly.
07:02So that's another thing is there's a, you know, that's a whole other thing is that the
07:05transparency, people feel like they're being genuine.
07:07Are they not being genuine?
07:09And I think the most genuine I felt that they were was honestly sitting down with Oprah.
07:13And I think people are hungry to see that kind of dynamic again from them.
07:16I do, too.
07:17I wonder how they could do that, though.
07:20Because it is tricky and difficult, I'm sure, for them.
07:23We have seen and reported that Harry has met with King Charles after they had this tense
07:30situation of leaving the royal family and then not really speaking to them.
07:34And then, obviously, the bombshells that were revealed in his memoir and the Oprah special.
07:39Kind of hard to come back from, in my opinion.
07:41But he's trying to make amends with his dad.
07:45There's just such a fine line there.
07:47How do you, and I'm sure a lot of, not to compare them to reality TV people, but I'm
07:51sure a lot of reality TV folks understand this.
07:54Yeah.
07:54Like the whole world then sees your entire story.
07:57Right.
07:57All these behind the scenes moments.
07:59You're trying to assimilate to everybody in the world and share your problems.
08:04But then it's also like, you're doing it on a scale where your dad is the king of England.
08:09It's kind of been a losing battle for them since 2020 when they left to come here.
08:13Because I think what they want to do is not what the people want from them.
08:17And I think that is like the dichotomy and the difficulty.
08:20So, I don't know.
08:21Should they like go on traitors or something?
08:23Should they go on reality?
08:24Let's like put Megan in the turret.
08:26Let's put Megan in the turret.
08:27Everyone says she's so manipulative and deceitful.
08:29Let's see her be a traitor, damn it.
08:30You know what?
08:30Let's see in action.
08:32I think it would be fascinating.
08:32I would love it.
08:33Seriously, I mean, are they that busy?
08:36I feel like I would, and maybe I'm the only one, but I would watch a reality series from
08:42her of building as ever.
08:44Like, show me what your meetings are like, maybe.
08:46Show me your struggle day to day.
08:48Show me that, you know, she did that, she did a summit recently where she spoke about
08:54building out her social media.
08:55And it was right around when they announced that With Love, Megan was not going to be renewed.
09:01And she kind of, I don't want to say spun it, but spoke about it as if she was saying,
09:06oh, we're going to focus on short form.
09:08We're going to start doing more social stuff.
09:10I'm going to try and get engagement that way.
09:13Show us that.
09:14Yeah.
09:14Show us you learning these new assets.
09:16And show us the losses.
09:17Yeah.
09:17Everyone has losses in business and careers and jobs and stuff.
09:20And I feel like that is kind of a big issue that people have with them is they always
09:24just want to chalk up like if there was a mistake or something went wrong.
09:27It was like, but actually, you know, we agreed with Netflix.
09:30It wasn't the right partnership, but we have all this other stuff coming out and stuff.
09:33And it's like, no, we want to see the vulnerability and see that something flopped and things flop
09:38for everyone in life, especially at the power that they have.
09:40So show us that.
09:42I think that's the transparency that people want.
09:43And that maybe they're learning with these highs and lows with Netflix that what to show
09:48the people and what they don't care about.
09:50And I think that that is something that really Princess Diana, Harry's mom did so well, was
09:57showing her human side, showing humanity, even when she would go on press trips where
10:03she was highlighting volunteer work.
10:05She was, you know, getting down low with the children.
10:08She was playing.
10:09She was picking them up.
10:09She was showing that she had a human side.
10:12And I agree.
10:14Like you said, a lot of people kind of feel like Harry and Meghan are lacking that just
10:18because obviously they have a human side, but they're trying to keep everything so tight
10:22and so buttoned up and seem so polished and perfect.
10:25Like maybe that is the solution.
10:27Show us some of the nitty gritty.
10:28Yeah.
10:29Like follow in your mom's footsteps, continue to follow in her footsteps and try something
10:34that's a little more vulnerable because we don't really get to see that side of them.
10:38And I think it would be encouraging to.
10:41Their next female moves will be very interesting because all eyes are on them.
10:45And I'm sure Netflix is hoping that whatever they produce next is going to be a hit because
10:50they really need a hit.
10:51They do need a hit.
10:52They have the rights to meet me at the lake, which I read.
10:55So what do you think?
10:57I'm excited to see how it all comes together.
11:00I think it could be a success for them.
11:03But I do wonder, like I almost feel like they shouldn't be overly involved in it.
11:09I agree.
11:09They should.
11:10Take the credit if it's a success.
11:12Right.
11:12But like don't slap your face and your names all over it.
11:15Right.
11:15Because that will turn people off at the same time.
11:17And don't be like over involved in it.
11:19Like we don't want to see it being like, oh, you're on set trying to over direct, like
11:25be the production house you're trying to launch as, you know, Netflix does just see and find
11:31those key moments and people and pieces and be like, this is going to work and this is
11:35going to sell and take on more of like the business aspect of it than the front facing.
11:41Like, don't cast yourself in it, please.
11:43I agree.
11:43And right.
11:44And then we also have isn't Megan acting in like a project where she was spotted on set
11:47that we reported that as well.
11:48And that's been quiet.
11:50We haven't really heard anything about that, but that'll be interesting to see her back
11:53in the mix.
11:54And if people are going to gravitate towards her as an actor again.
11:57I know.
11:57I mean, Suits did blow up.
11:59I wouldn't say it's really because of her, but Suits did blow up on Netflix, what, a
12:02couple of years ago?
12:03Yeah.
12:03And that really drew people in again.
12:05And, you know, she was asked about it and stuff.
12:07So I'm curious if she, you know, has this return to acting, how people are going to react
12:11to it.
12:11Me too.
12:12Well, we'll have to wait and see.
12:13Yes.
12:14Thank you so much.
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