Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have announced another high-profile breakup.
The couple’s lucrative deal to produce podcasts for Spotify has ended, the parties said Thursday.
“Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series they have created together,” said the audio streaming giant and the Sussex-founded production company in a joint statement.
The development comes after the couple launched just one series, Archetypes, a podcast hosted by Meghan Markle, which began in August 2022. The series was an Ashwell Audio podcast intended to “explore, analyze, and defuse the labels that oppress women.” stamped.
As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, a Spotify representative said the decision means Meghan Markle’s podcast “Archetype” will not be renewed for a second season.
A representative confirmed reports that executives from both companies had previously discussed a second season of “Archetypes” following the success of the first season, but the show’s producers were said to be unable to proceed with a second season. It is said that there is
Representatives for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
“Archetype” featured celebrities such as Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Mindy Kaling, Constance Wu, Jameela Jamil and Paris Hilton. In December, “Archetypes” also won the award for best podcast at the People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles.
Meghan called the podcast a “labor of love,” writing on Archwell’s website at the time that she “loved throwing her hands into the process and sitting in bed late into the night doing writing and being creative.” was
“And I loved delving into meaningful conversations with diverse and inspiring guests, laughing and learning together,” she said.
A deal between the royal family and Spotify is reportedly set for $20 million in 2020. NBC News could not immediately confirm the figure.
A Spotify spokesperson declined to disclose how much the deal would cost, but said the company’s recent job cuts were “unrelated” to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to end their contracts.
When the Spotify deal was first announced, Prince Harry and Meghan wrote in a joint statement: “What we love about podcasts is that they remind us all to take the time to really listen and connect with each other without distractions.”
“2020 has been full of challenges and no time has been more important because listening to each other and hearing each other’s stories is a reminder of how interconnected we all are.” They clearly stated in the reference. To the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may live in California, but the power of their voices rests on their status as global citizens,” said Dawn Ostroff, Spotify’s chief content and advertising business officer at the time. said in the release.
“We are proud to partner with the Duke and Duchess and look forward to hearing from our listeners first-hand from them and other creators as they improve through our global platform.” said Ostroff.
