It’s been a rollercoaster week for Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
After being brutally critiqued about her failed Netflix deal in a Variety story two days ago, she’s now shared happy photos of herself and her daughter, Princess Lilibet, four, on Instagram.
The post on her Meghan, Duchess of Sussex account, doubles as a promotion of her lifestyle brand As Ever’s new collaboration with luxury flower company High Camp Supply.
“Something is blooming. A new collaboration with @highcampgardenias arrives tomorrow,” the caption says. “Sign up for the launch reminder so you don’t miss it.”
It could also have been captioned, “Netflix, who?”
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‘Meghan ruffled feathers in meetings’
The Variety story details Netflix’s collaboration with Meghan’s lifestyle brand, which it had partnered with last year. Although both parties claimed the working relationship ended positively, sources told the magazine that wasn’t so.
Variety says it “spoke to six well-placed individuals with knowledge of Netflix and the Sussexes, who say the union between Meghan, Harry and the streamer has been far from a fairy tale. The Sussexes’ perceived pattern of selling repackaged versions of the same story about their exit from royal life has exhausted Netflix.”
Variety also wrote, “Three insiders say Netflix chief Ted Sarandos is fed up with the pair — who, per two sources, have been known to text directly with the Co-CEO about their projects, as do many A-listers who work with the streamer.
“Similarly, chief content officer Bela Bajaria is said to have grown weary of the Sussex pact.”
Variety added that, ” Netflix spokesperson says it is “absolutely inaccurate” that Sarandos and Bajaria have lost faith in the couple.”
There were further specifics, with one source alleging Meghan would “disappear” during Zoom meetings when she was offended by someone: “The mood in the building is, ‘we’re done’.”
According to another source, both Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan’s behaviour has “ruffled feathers in meetings”.
Variety also cites issues such as the launch of Meghan’s personal podcast, Harry’s book Spare, and the couple’s Oprah interview, as unforeseen events that threw a spanner into the works of the Netflix relationship, after the deal with struck in 2020.
A scene from ‘With love, Meghan’. Image: Netflix
Netflix split was ‘always intended’
Unhappy with her portrayal in the story, Meghan’s lawyer has said: “[Meghan] works from home, is the mother of young children aged 4 and 6, and often encounters children who enter the space unexpectedly during a meeting.”
Netflix also responded, with a spokesperson insisting to Page Six that the split was mutual.
“Meghan’s passion for elevating everyday moments in beautiful yet simple ways inspired the creation of the As Ever brand, and we are glad to have played a role in bringing that vision to life,” the statement said.
“As it was always intended, Meghan will continue growing the brand and take it into its next chapter independently, and we look forward to celebrating how she continues to bring joy to households around the world.”
Top image: Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Image: Instagram