Over the past few months, we’ve been reporting on the various humiliations that Meghan Markle, the wife of Prince Harry, has suffered with Netflix. Now, things have gotten even worse for Meghan. Indeed, she’s been hit with yet another crushing blow with the streaming service.
Meghan’s Latest Netflix Fail
Meghan has reportedly struggled to sell her As Ever products so much so that Netflix’s Los Angeles offices are overrun with unsold items. In fact, they have become so flooded with the products that Netflix is reportedly allowing staffers to help themselves to free items, just because they no longer have space for them.
“Apparently, there are two storage rooms packed with As ever product,” a source told Page Six. “They’re literally just giving it away to employees — one (staffer) walked out with 10 products for free.”
Insiders claim that jars of jam, candles, wine and even Meghan’s famous flower petal sprinkle are being kept in storage rooms. These storage rooms are allegedly located in the Icon tower and Epic building at Hollywood’s massive Netflix campus.
“There’s so much overstock,” a second source added.
This comes one month after Meghan, 44, went into panic mode when an As Ever website glitch revealed unsold inventory of roughly 650,000 items.
According to Page Six, “the site briefly displayed inventory that included approximately 220,000 jars of jam; 30,000 jars of honey; 90,000 candles; 80,000 tins of flower sprinkles and roughly 70,000 bottles of wine, including sauvignon blanc, rosé and brut sparkling wine.”
With Love, Meghan Canceled
Meghan had teamed up with Netflix to sell products for her lifestyle brand. The products were meant to coincide with her Netflix series With Love, Meghan. However, it was revealed last month that the show would not be returning for a third season amidst abysmal ratings. Indeed, Netflix seemingly pulled the plug on the series after it was panned by critics and fans alike.
After season two of With Love, Meghan flopped in August, Netflix took action. The streaming service downgraded Meghan and Harry’s deal from their $100 million contract. Instead, Netflix gave them a far more modest “first look” deal.
Meghan and Harry had signed their $100 million Netflix contract back in 2020 after they stepped down as senior royals. While they initially found success with their docuseries Harry & Meghan, which they used to shamelessly bash the royals, years of flops followed when it came to their Netflix projects.
Meghan’s Netflix Downgrade
On August 11, Netflix announced that it will not be renewing Meghan and Harry’s $100 million contract. Instead, Netflix has given them a “multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects.” This “downgrade” is the same one that Netflix gave to Barack and Michelle Obama.
“In practice, it is a downgrade from the 2020 overall deal that birthed Harry & Meghan, Polo and With Love, Meghan, among other projects,” The Hollywood Reporter reported.
“The overall-to-first-look extension mirrors the move Netflix made recently with the Obamas — as well as others — for their Higher Ground banner,” the publication continued. “In both cases, the exclusivity carried by their respective, splashy original deals has been removed.”
‘Netflix Is Trimming Fat…’
While Meghan has tried to spin this in a positive light, experts have emphatically stated that it’s a major downgrade.
“They have shot the golden goose of 2020. More of a ‘we’ll call you’ than ‘here’s the checkbook,'” leading publicist Mark Borkowski told Daily Mail. “It’s a first-look deal, which means Netflix gets first dibs but no obligation to bankroll every semi-royal whim.”
“I reckon Netflix is trimming fat industry-wide, so this is less carte blanche, more curated cameo,” he added. “They’re still in business together. Meghan’s As ever brand and seasonal specials keep them in the Netflix shop window. But make no mistake, this is a slimmed-down sequel to the blockbuster original. So Harry and Meghan’s new Netflix chapter is less champagne budget, more Prosecco by the glass.”
Given how much Meghan has seemingly struggled to sell her products, it’s no wonder that Netflix has lost all faith in her. In the end, this is just the latest in a long line when it comes to Meghan and Netflix.
Here’s hoping that Netflix staffers are enjoying the free products from Meghan, because clearly, the rest of us have no intention of paying for them!