Meghan Markle has officially pulled the plug on her Archetypes podcast just months after her £15.5 million deal with Spotify fell through, according to reports.
The Sussexes have withdrawn a bid to trademark the name of the podcast made by their firm Archewell Audio, signalling that it will not be continued.
The application was originally made to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in March last year and rejected after the USPTO said there was a “likelihood of confusion” with another existing brand.
Archetypes had already been registered in May 2019 by US-based firm Miracle IP Holdings.
The USPTO received a “petition to revive” the trademark application from Archewell in July, with the firm arguing for the refusal to be withdrawn.
But a notice on the USPTO website says that the couple have now formally withdrawn their claim, according to The Sun.
In a joint statement, Archewell Audio and Spotify said they had “mutually agreed to part ways” and were “proud of the series we made together”.
The first series, which ran for 12 episodes from August 2022, sought to “investigate, dissect and subvert the labels that try to hold women back”. Guests included Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey and Serena Williams.
It had originally topped podcast charts for Spotify in several markets and scooped the top podcast award at the People’s Choice Award in Los Angeles.
A source told Variety that Spotify had been expecting more content from the couple.
The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the split between the Sussexes and Spotify, also suggested they had not produced enough content to receive the full payout from the deal.
Spotify executive Bill Simmons launched a scathing attack on the couple on June, labelling them “f****** grifters” in his own podcast.
The Sussexes have also signed a deal with Netflix, which released a documentary series about the couple last year.
Archewell Audio’s company mission is “producing programming that uplifts and entertains audiences around the world”. The company also “spotlights diverse perspectives and voices” and “builds community through shared experience, narratives, and values”.
The Standard has approached Archewell for comment.
