MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry have “tarnished” their reputation, following their Spotify deal falling through, according to a royal author.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were slammed as being “f****** grifters” by a Spotify chief after their £18m Archetypes podcast was axed.
The couple were dropped from the streaming giant in June following reports they did not meet “productivity requirements“.
Royal author Tom Bowers claims the snub will affect future deals, and told Closer: “Of course they’ve lost their big Spotify contract – one of the big contracts that was clearly going to be their basis for fame.
“The ‘grifters’ line has tarnished them for life.”
Bill Simmons, Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization at Spotify, slammed the Sussexes’ in his own podcast.
He said: “I wish I had been involved in the ‘Meghan and Harry leave Spotify’ negotiation. “‘The F***ing Grifters.’
“That’s the podcast we should have launched with them
“I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea.
“It’s one of my best stories … F*** them. The grifters.”
Spotify and the couple’s company Archewell released a joint statement claiming that the deal was ended by “mutual agreement”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be hoping for a fresh start this year, after backlash last year for their Netflix documentary and Harry’s bombshell biography Spare.
However, royal expert Phil Dampier told Fabulous that “redemption” is unlikely for the Sussexes.
It’s thought the couple may move home from Montecito to get themselves closer to Hollywood.
A source told US Weekly: “Harry and Meghan think 2024 will be the year of redemption” – with Meghan apparently turning down offers of work “left, right and centre” and Harry also in “extremely high demand”.
And Meghan has enlisted Beverly Hills talent agency William Morris Endeavour ahead of her long-planned relaunch in the New Year.
The source added: “They’ve actually been shocked by how popular she is. Her team has never seen anything like it.”
They claim she is being approached about everything from film roles to multi-million-dollar endorsement deals with major brands.
Reports of an acting comeback came after the duchess appeared in a playful Instagram ad for a coffee company, a firm she holds shares in.
The cameo appearance sees the former Suits star doing multiple roles at coffee company Clevr Blends, including packing, working on the digital team, and on the operations team.
