Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were maligned as “grifters” by a top Spotify executive in the aftermath of the breakup between the Sussexes and the streaming behemoth.
It was announced this week that Spotify and the celebrity couple would no longer continue their business relationship.
“Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together,” a statement said.
The pair’s podcast production company, Archewell Audio, had a multi-year partnership with Spotify that was expected to include multiple programs. However, Archewell Audio produced one series – Markle’s show “Archetypes” – and a holiday special since signing a deal with Spotify in December 2020. “Archetypes” didn’t premiere until August 2022, and only lasted 12 episodes.
The Spotify deal was reportedly worth around $20 million. The Wall Street Journal reported that the couple would not receive the entire $20 million payout from the Spotify deal, citing sources familiar with the matter. The couple did not produce enough content to receive the full payout, sources reportedly told the New York Post.
Bill Simmons, head of podcast innovation and monetization at Spotify, slammed Markle and the Duke of Sussex as “f***ing grifters.”
“I wish I had been involved in the ‘Meghan and Harry leave Spotify’ negotiation,” Simmons said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “‘The f***ing grifters.’ That’s the podcast that we should’ve launched with them.”
Simmons claimed that he had a video call with Prince Harry, “I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try to help him with podcast ideas. The grifters.”
Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Insider.
Simmons blasted Prince Harry in January during his podcast.
“Shoot this guy to the sun. I’m so tired of this guy,” Simmons said of Harry. “What does he bring to the table? He just whines about s**t and keeps giving interviews. Who gives a s**t? Who cares about your life? You weren’t even the favorite son. The other guy was the king, you’re like the f**ing Fredo. F*** you.”
“Nobody cares about this,” Simmons declared. “He had like an eight-episode Netflix show – what did we find out?”
“I can’t stand him. So tired. I’m so embarrassed that I f***ing have to share Spotify with him, the guy sucks,” he ranted. “It’s embarassing that he’s on our platform.”
Simmons continued to trash Prince Harry, “What does he do? What’s your talent? Why are we listening to you? So you were born into the royal family and then you left. What are you good at?”
“You live in f***ing Montecito, and you just sell documentaries and podcasts, and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family, and you just complain about them,” Simmons continued. “He’s got a book? What did he write a book about? Honestly, he’s the worst.”
In May 2022, Netflix canceled Markle’s animated series titled “Pearl” before it aired a single episode.
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