‘It was only a matter of time’: She has already been dubbed the Duchess Difficult, a dictator in heels, the one ‘who makes grown men cry’. Buckingham Palace has kept quiet about the results of its internal investigation into Meghan Markle’s mistreatment of staff, but Hollywood will not remain silent.
“It was only a matter of time before the industry press started to attack. It’s hard to find anyone who could say a good word about their reputation in film and television,” one Hollywood producer confides to reporters. Hollywood is tired of Meghan and Harry and is abandoning them. It’s a natural result if you have “a lot of schadenfreude with a special dose of venom,” according to the same high-ranking producer.
Sources told the Hollywood Reporter: “She’s absolutely relentless. She marches around like a dictator in high heels, seething and barking orders. I’ve seen her reduce grown men to tears.”
Why did Harry and Meghan flee the royal palace? It’s very simple, the answer is money. As the second son of the then Prince of Wales, sixth in the line of succession, Harry was quite happy with his allowance until he got married.
But after the wedding, it turned out that a family man needs much more money. Megan opened her husband’s eyes, their house is not big enough, waiting in line to use a private jet is humiliating, and she deserves the best. As a member of the royal family, Megan could continue her career as an actress, but this was too little for the Duchess of Sussex. While private business activities are strictly excluded, in order to avoid a conflict of interest.
By giving up their duties and their share of the royal grant, Harry and Meghan have been given the chance to build their own business empire and pursue financially profitable projects. And Hollywood has welcomed the American Duchess and her prince with open arms. Netflix has signed a $100 million deal with them, but there is no talk of an extension.
The publisher signed a five-book deal with the Sussexes, only Meghan’s children’s book and Harry’s memoir were published. The children’s show Pearl was cancelled, the podcasts did not attract the audience the creators had hoped for: “Even Harry and Meghan’s naysayers were shocked by how little they had actually achieved.”
Since April, Megan has been developing the American Riviera Orchard (ARO) brand and making plans to film a culinary television show where she will not only share recipes, but also talk about what is important to her; in addition, a cookbook based on the show will be released.
Netflix boss Ted Sarandos is confident in the success: “I’ve met a lot of celebrities before – the way people react to Meghan is just otherworldly.” It’s easy to believe that when the Duchess wants to charm, she knows how to do it.
And then the chaos begins. Charming with those who can be useful to her, she becomes a tyrant for the staff: “Everyone is terrified of Meghan. She humiliates people, does not listen to advice. They both make bad decisions, often change their minds. Harry is a very, very charming person – no pathos – but he really loves to help others. And she is just terrible.”
But in the American industry, it is customary to do business tough; everything must be done quickly, efficiently, and efficiently. But even the Hollywood-hardened employees are “horrified,” and the turnover in their organization is alarming.
And what about influential friends? The Clooneys, who hosted the couple in Lake Como, are now avoiding them. The Sussexes were not invited to their annual humanitarian awards. The Obamas have been avoiding the overly chatty royals since 2021, even though Michelle once offered to help Meghan. Oprah Winfrey, who hit the jackpot with her scandalous interview, music producer David Foster and others are no longer in the spotlight of the Sussexes.
Hollywood doesn’t want Harry and Meghan anymore. The Duchess, who dreamed of A-list fame, dazzling red carpet appearances and friendships with influential politicians and the elite, is forced to advertise cosmetics. Was it worth it?
