Netflix, which reported last week it had lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, announced over the weekend that it was canceling development of a series created by British duchess Meghan Markle — and some reports said the show would have been based on her own life.
“Pearl,” the animated series created by Markle, revolved around a 12-year-old girl inspired by various historical women. “The name Meghan originated in Wales, where it is traditionally spelled Megan, however it originally came from the Greek name Margaret, derived from the word margaritēs, which translates to ‘pearl’” The Daily Mail noted last year.
Archewell Productions, Markle and Prince Harry’s media company, first announced “Pearl” in August 2021. Markle stated in a press release, “Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenges. I’m thrilled that Archewell Productions, partnered with the powerhouse platform of Netflix and these incredible producers, will together bring you this new animated series, which celebrates extraordinary women throughout history.”
British journalist Dan Wootton commented, “Meghan is realising that pretending to be a “Duchess” won’t buy her any favours in the cutthroat world of telly.”
Meghan is realising that pretending to be a “Duchess” won’t buy her any favours in the cutthroat world of telly.
Netflix has axed her first series Pearl – based on her own life – before it ever aired.
Most likely because it was going to be worthy tosh.
Back to the drawing board.— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) May 1, 2022
Archewell Productions signed a multi-year deal with Netflix in 2020. Soon after that, the royal couple signed a $20 million deal with Spotify.
In March 2021, Harry told Oprah Winfrey in their interview on CBS, “My family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford security for us. I was cut off in the first quarter of 2020. But I’ve got what my mom left me and without that, we would not have been able to do this.”
At roughly the same time Netflix was canceling the Markle series, a report claimed employees at the startup promoting “mental fitness” which boasts Great Britain’s woke Prince Harry as its chief impact officer were disgruntled about proposed modification of their contracts, even claiming that their “heart is broken.”
BetterUp, a company valued at roughly $5 billion which hired Prince Harry last spring, enthusing they were “energized by his model of inspiration and impact through action” as a “true citizen of the world,” employs over 2,000 professional coaches. The startup recently announced a modification of their contracts, according to The Daily Beast, which prompted some employees to express their bitterness to the media outlet.
“There’s so many of us now who are upset,” one coach lamented, adding, “I would say my heart is broken. And I think there’s really questionable ethics going on.” Another coach echoed, “They’ve turned us into a commodity.”