Meghan & Harry FIRED?

A $20 million deal with Spotify falls apart for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

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In 2020, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry inked a $20 million, multi-project deal with Spotify that was supposed to last for years. But on June 15 after the former royals' Archewell Audio had produced just one season of an interview show called Archetypes - the couple announced in a joint statement with the digital streaming service that they "mutually agreed to part ways."

No cause was given for the split. However, just a day later, Spotify exec and mega podcaster Bill Simmons, who hadn't been involved in the initial deal, suggested he personally had plenty of reasons for wanting to sever ties and called Meghan and Harry "grifters." "It's like, What's your talent? Why are we listening to you?" Simmons said on his namesake show. "Nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family."

Understandably, their axing has rattled Meghan, 41, and Harry, 38. "It's an embarrassing setback," says an insider. "If they can be fired by Spotify, who's next? They feel like their brand and future endeavors are in jeopardy."