Prince Harry has dismissed as “categorically false” a report in Hollywood bible Variety that Meghan Markle talks over him in meetings “usually preceded by a touch to the arm or thigh.”
The magazine ran a lengthy feature declaring that Netflix is “done” with the Sussexes after a series of lackluster projects and tensions over whether the one show that was successful, Harry & Meghan, was upstaged by the prince’s book Spare.
The piece is peppered with denials from both camps, including from Meghan and Harry’s lawyer Michael Kump, though his legal letter did not apparently succeed in dissuading the magazine’s editors from running the story.
Variety‘s report reads: “Insiders say that Meghan has long conveyed that Hollywood is her domain. In virtual and in-person meetings with partners, she tends to talk over or recast Prince Harry’s thoughts, sometimes while he is midsentence, sources say (usually preceded by a touch to the arm or thigh).”
Harry is quoted as saying this is “categorically false,” while Kump told Variety in his legal letter that the allegation “seems calculated to play into the misogynistic characterization of her bossing her husband around.”
Why It Matters
The extraordinary briefing, apparently from Netflix insiders, mirrors longstanding social media theories about the Duchess of Sussex, with the physical contact sometimes described online as the “Markle claw.” Newsweek first reported on the existence of that online narrative back in 2022.
Some social media critics argue that Meghan controls Harry in public either by holding his hand or arm or by placing a hand on his back to guide him around. Clearly, the couple emphatically deny those suggestions.
This is the first time those theories have entered the mainstream, attributed to sources who apparently had direct experience of the couple’s relationship.
Harry’s on the record personal denial is no doubt intended to communicate he speaks for himself and to dispel any potential suggestion Kump’s denials were communicated on Meghan’s behalf.
Needless to say, the strength of Harry and Meghan’s response does signal the Sussexes had significant concern about the story and they have a long track record of frustration at social media theories being picked up by mainstream media outlets.
‘Variety’ Reports Major Tensions Between Sussexes and Netflix
The wider piece paints a bleak picture of Meghan and Harry’s relationship with Netflix, suggesting there were major tensions even around the one project that was a commercial success, their first biopic, Harry & Meghan.
Variety reported the mood at Netflix HQ was “we’re done” with the Sussexes, while Bela Bajaria, chief content officer, and Ted Sarandos, co-CEO, were said to be fed up with them.
Netflix disputed the account and Bajaria told the magazine: “Archewell has been a thoughtful and collaborative partner and we’ve really enjoyed working with Harry and Meghan.
“They’re deeply engaged in the storytelling process and bring a unique, global perspective that aligns with the kinds of impactful projects our members respond to.”
Sarandos, the magazine said, recently refused to sit for a meeting with Meghan unless lawyers were present. Kump said: “This is blatantly false. In fact, Meghan texts and speaks with Mr. Sarandos regularly, and has been to his home, sans lawyers.”
Variety said the couple’s Netflix deal, signed in 2020, was worth around $60 million, less than the $100 million originally reported but still a major amount of money.
Netflix, though, was reportedly annoyed at being told only at the last minute that the couple would do a bombshell interview about their royal exit with Oprah Winfrey in March, 2021. The material covered the same topics Netflix were expecting to release themselves through the couple’s biopic. They did not, though, believe the couple had breached the terms of their deal, Variety reported.
Meghan Markle’s Feedback for Netflix Staff
Another sore point for Meghan featured prominently—her relationship with staff. Following allegations she bullied two PAs out of Kensington Palace and was a “dictator in high heels” at her U.S. based nonprofit Archewell, the last thing she needed was more of the same.
Variety said three sources indicated she had “odd methods of providing feedback,” and would “disapper” during Zoom calls for long periods before Netflix’s marketing team would later be told a staff member had offended her. Elsewhere, the piece said: “Their bedside manner has ruffled feathers in meetings.”
Kump’s letter said that Meghan “works from home, is the mother of young children aged 4 and 6, and often encounters (as many parents who work from home do) children who enter the space unexpectedly during a meeting.
“Independent of being a parent who works from home, Meghan is also conscious of shielding her team from the distraction of children. Nearly all professionals can attest to needing to turn off the audio or camera during a virtual meeting at some point during many hours of virtual business calls.”
The piece comes after Netflix pulled out as an equity partner of Meghan’s online shop As Ever, announced earlier in March, and a source in the Sussex camp briefed The Sun that the streamer’s cautious team had been holding her back from going global.
Nick Ede, a U.K. brand and culture expert, told Newsweek at the time it was a risky move to take a swipe at such a major company and now the couple appear to be fighting an even bigger fire.
