Amid reports that the multi-year partnership between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Netflix has come to an end, new details have surfaced about Meghan Markle’s meetings with the streaming giant.
Several insiders, along with journalist Matt Donnelly, have alleged that Meghan has an unusual way of handling criticism, particularly during virtual calls with executives.
Highlights
- Explosive claims from insiders and journalist Matt Donnelly hint at strained dynamics between Meghan Markle and Netflix during high-profile business discussions.
- Reports suggest Netflix recently stepped back from the former actress’s brand following disappointing results, despite describing the split as a “natural transition.”
- Meghan’s attorney dismissed the bombshell claims as misleading, while critics online continued to slam her alleged behavior, fueling a heated debate.
These behaviors were reportedly most evident during discussions surrounding her lifestyle brand, As Ever, and her recently non-renewed series, With Love, Meghan.
“She just couldn't handle the truths about what was said to her,” wrote one social media user.
Netflix officially withdrew as an investor from Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, and did not renew her series for another season
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In March 2026, Netflix officially announced its withdrawal as an investor from Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, along with the non-renewal of her lifestyle series With Love, Meghan for a third season.
Netflix described its role as a “passive partner” during the brand’s launch year, providing initial backing for product development and shipping.
While both parties framed the move as a “natural transition” for the brand to stand on its own, reports suggest the decision followed disappointing viewership for the tie-in series.
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According to Variety, Netflix was also left with approximately $10 million in unsold inventory, including jams, teas, and $64 candles.
Reportedly, Netflix has not completely cut ties due to a “first-look deal” with Meghan and Prince Harry, which gives the platform the right of first refusal on any new projects the Sussexes pitch. However, it no longer provides the same level of guaranteed funding as before.
Amid these developments, Variety chief correspondent Matt Donnelly made several bombshell claims about the Suits actress’s approach to handling criticism of her work.
Variety journalist Matt Donnelly made several bombshell claims about Meghan’s attitude while receiving criticism during meetings
Image credits: Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images
While appearing on an episode of The Royalist podcast, Donnelly told the host, “Multiple sources told me that when Meghan would sit in meetings, especially those regarding her brand As Ever, her lifestyle and homewares range, if she heard feedback she didn’t like or ideas she didn’t think were appropriate, she would turn her Zoom camera off to express her displeasure.”
The journalist jokingly added, “It's certainly an interesting way to provide feedback in Hollywood.”
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He also discussed how, despite no longer being active senior royals, both Meghan and Prince Harry still appear to follow certain royal-style protocols, which can interfere with their business model in Hollywood.
Donnelly explained, “I think, for how they live, the protocols they follow are very similar to what a senior royal might have.”
“You know, long security advances, many preceding greetings, middle managers and underlings who introduce them or create a buffer before you actually get to the two principals of the company, which I think is unusual in show business,” he added.
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Donnelly concluded, “For all its glamour and intimidation, Hollywood is a working culture. It’s a business like any other, and it has its own protocols… Deals are done over lunch at the Polo Lounge, which means meetings are often held with large groups inside a studio.”
“There is not so much decorum, I think, as maybe the Sussexes are used to,” the reporter concluded.
These claims were also echoed by Matt in a March 17 piece for Variety titled Inside Meghan and Harry’s Falling Out With Netflix.
One comment read, “She had to go in the other room & make up another lie. She needs rehearsals”
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In the article, Donnelly alleged that a Netflix insider told the outlet, “The mood in the building is ‘We’re done.’”
The report further claimed that Meghan would frequently interrupt or “talk over” Harry during virtual meetings, sometimes using subtle physical gestures, like touching his arm or thigh, before interjecting.
However, in a statement to Variety, Meghan’s attorney, Michael J. Kump, firmly dismissed these allegations, describing them as “calculated to play into a misogynistic characterization of her bossing her husband around.”
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Expanding on Markle’s meeting behavior, Donnelly also reported that three sources alleged she would occasionally “disappear” from calls.
“Later, Netflix teams, such as the marketing department, would be informed that her absence was due to her being offended by something that was said,” the report claimed.
However, attorney Kump refuted these claims, stating that Markle “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.”
“Netflix teams… would be informed that her absence was due to her being offended by something that was said,” alleged Donnelly
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“Independent of being a parent who works from home, Meghan is also conscious of shielding her team from the distraction of children,” the lawyer added.
“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.”
Reacting to the allegations, one critic bluntly wrote online, “None of this is surprising. It’s clear why all her projects fail but she and her husband haven’t figured it out yet.”
“She’s a horrible marketer, negotiator and business woman,” read another harsh remark, while a third netizen added, “Messy is so rude and she takes offense if people don't grovel at her feet.”
Others responded with sarcasm, with one user writing, “Like she disappeared from royal duties? And then disappeared to Canada? And then to Montecito? Is it too much to hope that she’s so offended by Variety, she disappears to Australia, while there for her women’s retreat?”
“When s**t doesn't go her way, she shuts down, and shuts ppl out, quite manipulative really,” reacted one critic
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