On Jan. 21, an emotional Prince Harry took the stand at London’s High Court to testify against British tabloids in a lawsuit in which he and six other high-profile figures, including Elton John and Liz Hurley, have accused Associated Newspapers of phone hacking, obtaining personal records through deception and other forms of unlawful information gathering.
After nearly two hours of testimony, Harry’s voice cracked as he told the judge the publishers “continue coming after me [and] have made my wife’s life an absolute misery,” according to The New York Times.
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Back home in California, Meghan, 44, was indeed suffering, but not because of intrusive reports in the British press. Instead, she was dealing with the news that her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, will likely be canceled after just two seasons. (According to Netflix’s streaming data, the show came in as the 1,224th most-watched with 2 million views; her December holiday special fared slightly better, coming in at 1,022nd place and 2.4 million views.) “There are no plans for a season 3,” a source tells Star. “The ratings weren’t good and the production costs don’t justify a long-term run.”
While there’s talk of more one-off specials, the show’s failure is the latest in Meghan’s long line of attempts to rebrand herself after she and Harry, 41, left the royal family in 2020. Her Spotify podcast Archetypes lasted just one season, and a second one, Confessions of a Female Founder, is currently on hiatus. She and Harry are set to produce an adaptation of the best-selling romance book The Wedding Date for Netflix, but their previously announced production of Meet Me at the Lake also appears to be stalled. “Some say Meghan needs to wake up and smell the coffee,” says the source. “She certainly doesn’t seem willing to learn from her past mistakes.”
Good Angle
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In signature Meghan fashion, she’ll likely put a positive spin on the demise of With Love, Meghan. Back in October, months after the $100 million deal she and Harry made with Netflix was downgraded to a first-look deal, the former Suits actress downplayed the new terms at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, calling the new agreement “an incredible sign of the strength of our partnership” and likening it to a deal previously made by Barack and Michelle Obama.
She also made vague comments about a potential season 3 of her entertaining series, saying “it’s a lot of work” and that she recognizes that “people want content in different sizes.” Says the source: “Team Sussex wants everyone to believe the decision was mutual and Meghan is looking to expand her brand in other ways, but everyone knows she’s disappointed and embarrassed. The show had so much to do with her brand, so the argument that she’s looking to further her business in other ways is a little laughable.”
According to the source, Netflix’s decision to maintain the first-look deal was a courtesy to help Meghan save face. “It was worth keeping the deal on because it ensures Netflix has the Sussexes in their back pockets, plus it was no skin off the network’s backs because it didn’t cost them any more money,” explains the source.
What Went Wrong
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The source says Meghan only has herself to blame for the series’ failure. “She refused to take feedback and was very bull-headed in her approach,” says the source, adding that “there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, which is the narrative that comes up again and again with Meghan.” (In a November profile in Harper’s Bazaar, it was noted that Meghan was formally announced as “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex” when she entered an empty New York City brownstone.)
She won’t go down without a fight. Especially because her failure to make it big in Hollywood could strengthen Harry’s argument that they should spend more time in his native U.K. (In early January, it was reported by Daily Mail Harry was set to regain his official security detail for him and his family when they’re in Britain.) “It may help him persuade her to return to the U.K. more often, if not move back there permanently,” says the source. But Meghan’s already preparing for yet another comeback. “She’s shocked and embarrassed about the show, but she still believes success will come her way,” the source says. “And she’s on a mission to prove herself once and for all.”
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