Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are seeking other avenues of employment after their preferred method of moneymaking — delivering speeches for six-figure fees — dried up in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and The Mirror reports they’re pitching a “woke” television series focusing on “feminism” and “racial equality.”
Harry and Meghan are said to be modeling their post-royalty careers on Barack and Michelle Obama’s post-White House life, and entering the production area seems the logical next step. The Obamas inked their own multi-year, multi-million dollar deal with Netflix after leaving the White House, and are already producing a number of shows and films for the streaming service.
The Sussexes, though, are focusing on pitching a single project: a TV series that “will focus on two issues closest to [Meghan’s] heart – female empowerment and racial equality.”
“It will tackle discrimination like that faced by mixed-race Meghan herself as she grew up in Los Angeles,” the outlet added, citing “sources” within the television industry.
“They have suggested a series focusing on the empowerment of women and young girls in today’s world,” the source added. “It will home in on race issues, something Meghan has always been passionate about. It’s got quite a political stance and will also draw on feminism.”
The pair had hoped to have careers on the speaking circuit, Vanity Fair reported recently, but they are “exploring other avenues” since public events like meetings, conventions, and banquets, are “on hold” as the world tangles with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
“The focus is on projects and campaigns that mean something to them and are in line with their views, so that includes civil rights, women empowerment, and movements like BLM,” a “source close to the couple” told Vanity Fair. “They have to earn a living and clearly there isn’t a market for after-dinner talking right now, so the public speaking is on hold for the moment and they are exploring other avenues.”
Meghan, at least, is looking to forge a media presence like another one of the pair’s mentors, Oprah Winfrey. The Duchess of Sussex appears in a video by Makers Women, interviewing arch-feminist Gloria Steinem in an “historic backyard chat” about women’s rights.
“People forget how hard women like you and so many others before you fought for us to be where we are right now,” Meghan gushes to Steinem in a clip posted to Instagram. “If you don’t vote you don’t exist…it’s the only place we are all equal, in the voting booth.”
Meghan recently aligned with Michelle Obama for the former first lady’s “When We All Vote” campaign, and the pair have appeared in several online chats since moving to Los Angeles back in May, mostly addressing ongoing racial justice issues.