Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s run at Spotify is over. Less than three years after signing a deal worth a reported $20M, the ex-Royals and the streaming giant are going in separate directions, having actually only completed one collaboration together: a 12 episode podcast called Archetypes. In response, popular podcaster and Spotify exec Bill Simmons publicly unloaded on the couple, calling them ‘fucking grifters’ and now many in the British media are taking their turn dunking on the pair, with many convinced they’ll “resort to” the same next step.
The famous couple who have a notoriously frosty relationship with the rest of the British Royal Family have been the subject of intense conversation and speculation in the British media since the end of the podcast deal was announced via joint statement between Spotify and the pair of content creators.
Speaking on GB News (via OK Magazine), Royals correspondent Kinsey Schofield said she thinks Markle will “resort to” being an online influencer, as that’s likely her only real path right now to making money, given Spotify cancelled this deal and things reportedly aren’t going great at Netflix. Here’s a portion of her quote…
(With) Spotify you know, kicking her to the curb in front of the entire world, this is a hard time for them. And I think that they are really struggling to figure out their identity and what their next steps are, I think it's being an influencer. I think she's going to have to resort to creating digital content because what else is she going to do?
Schofield is far from the only person on that side of the pond jumping to the same conclusion. The Daily Mail has been running tons of stories on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry since the Spotify announcement was made, and as part of that coverage, talking to PR experts about what the next steps might be for the two. The general consensus was fans would likely see Markle relaunch her blog The Tig and try to focus on creating an influencer brand.
Markle is friends with Gwyneth Paltrow, who has reportedly been able to turn Goop into a $250M business by recommending unusual and sometimes controversial products for affluent people. They were recently spotted having dinner together, and being that style of influencer, particularly in the product and lifestyle recommendation field, could be a good next move for the polarizing former star of Suits.
At this point, it seems unlikely Markle and Prince Harry will be able to revive their reputation with everyone. Simmons’ aggressive comments on his podcast following the Spotify deal ending, which included a reference to a meeting he had with Harry over Zoom, garnered a split reaction from fans, with some feeling he was too hard on the couple and others agreeing with his take. There’s clearly a segment of the public, rightly or wrongly, that seems unlikely to support the pair anytime soon, but there are still plenty of vocal advocates. If Markle is able to harness those on social media and funnel them toward content she creates or products she endorses, she could make plenty of money as an influencer.
For now, however, that’s all speculation. No one outside of the couple is sure on what their next steps might be. So, while going the influencer route seems like a logical path, it’s also possible another large company or production host may want to take a chance on the two, as they’re still among the more famous people in the world.
