Prince Harry, Meghan Markle hit with another dent in a brand that’s already taken a few knocks

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s angst seems to keep growing, that too at their own hands because that’s what a newly released Variety piece from two days ago claims.

In it the couple’s Netflix was referenced in great detail, so was every alleged issue that it brought to the surface. Whether it be claims that Meghan would walk out of meetings or that the co-CEO refused to take their calls without legal representatives present.

All of this has led brand and culture expert Nick Ede to offer his two cents to the Daily Express.

In his view this Variety piece “really doesn’t come at a great time” for Harry and Meghan, and “I imagine behind the scenes, there will be a fair bit of frustration. Because “their Netflix deal was supposed to be the big success story of their post-royal life, so any suggestion that things aren’t running smoothly immediately raises eyebrows.”

Furthermore he also says, “when everyone starts speaking out like this, it creates a sense that there’s smoke and where there’s smoke, people assume there’s fire. Claims that they’re 'difficult to work with' are particularly damaging in Hollywood because reputation is everything.”

He also referenced how “once that narrative takes hold, it can be very hard to shake, and it seems that this has become a perpetual problem for them both; that’s not going away. Even in the article, there are repeated remarks from their spokespeople or from Netflix that contradict it and claim none of it is true, but it all feels very messy.”

Furthermore, from a brand perspective, it “chips away at their credibility.” Given that they’ve positioned themselves as ‘global storytellers’ with ‘something important to say,’. The issue is that “if the focus shifts to behind-the-scenes tensions rather than the work itself, their authority weakens.” Also “it makes them look less like power players and more like a couple still trying to find their footing, and it seems this footing is still on wobbly ground.”

Before concluding he also said, “audiences are starting to care less about the narrative and more about what they actually produce. If they can deliver something genuinely compelling, they can absolutely turn this around, but the pressure is definitely on now, and no amount of flower sprinkles can sugarcoat their life anymore. Ultimately, this isn’t a crisis just yet, but it’s another dent in a brand that’s already taken a few knocks.”

“categorically false,”

“Netflix and Archewell had legal counsel involved to oversee the evolution of the deal, as is common practice for any deal changes in Hollywood.”