Skip to main content

As you may recall, months after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to America in 2020, the couple signed a lucrative deal with Netflix. While the exact amount of the deal was not disclosed, it was believed to have been upwards of $100 million.

The duke and duchess produced content for the streaming giant, including the docuseries Harry & Meghan and Polo as well as the documentaries Heart of Invictus and Live to Lead. Most were flops, but Harry & Meghan pulled in a record number of views for Netflix’s biggest documentary debut of all time, racking up 81.55 million viewing hours in its first four days.

In addition, the Duchess of Sussex starred in Seasons 1 and 2 of the lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, and With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. Netflix also had a partnership with the former actress’s As Ever brand, which launched in 2025. However, their business and financial partnership ended in March 2026.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos once praised Meghan’s marketability, saying that people are “fascinated” by her and she’s “underestimated in terms of her influence on culture.” Well now, some in the duchess’ circle believe that the company actually “used” Meghan by stirring up reports that she could star in a new season of another show on the streaming platform.

Before the Sussexes moved back to the U.K. with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, rumors swirled that Meghan was planning a TV comeback and was in talks to star in Guy Ritchie’s series The Gentlemen. Then, when she and Harry did return to England, reports intensified that they did so for Meghan to film her scenes on location.

The chatter about her joining the cast was later debunked, but now some close to the duchess are not keeping quiet.

Related

Why Meghan Markle’s Former Friend Says the Duchess Needs to Ditch Her Royal Title Now and Embrace Something Else Instead

Meghan’s friends have accused Netflix of “using” her, telling The Telegraph, “Some people in her camp feel she was used to help promote Season 2, because they knew it wasn’t as good as the first season and had already commissioned a third [series].

“It’s the oldest marketing trick in the book: get a big name to read a script, then leak that you’re ‘in conversation’ with them when, in reality, nothing is particularly far along. The whole thing left a bit of a sour taste in the Sussex camp’s mouth. Needless to say, Netflix got what it wanted: huge viewing figures for season two and a lot of publicity.”

Netflix is now denying that claim. An insider responded to the accusation that it “used” Meghan to promote The Gentleman saying that is not true and insisting, “This is not a show in need of stunt casting.”

Best in News