Prince Harry and Meghan Markle faced another blow to their Archewell Productions company following a new departure earlier this month.
Bennett Levine, the manager of Archewell Productions, has left the company. He announced his resignation on his LinkedIn profile in which he wrote: "I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position at Cinetic Media."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have yet to confirm his departure. Levine initially joined the team as coordinator in 2021 and was promoted to production manager in 2022. During his stint at Archewell, he co-produced several projects including the hit Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan".
A source revealed to the Daily Mail's royal reporter Richard Eden that "there's no doubt" that Levine's departure "is a blow to the company".
News about his departure comes at the heels of two resignations last year. Ben Browning, an Oscar-nominated producer who led content at Archewell Productions, also left his post after his contract expired. Likewise, the company's head of marketing, Fara Taylor, left the company amid the Sussexes' plans to "streamline the company's marketing arm".
Taylor spearheaded the marketing campaigns for "Archetypes" and "Harry & Meghan," as well as the global release of Prince Harry's memoir "Spare." According to Variety, neither she nor Browning will be replaced as their titles have been dissolved.
"Ben and Fara have been integral to the creation and execution of many critically and commercially acclaimed projects during their tenure. They have expertly delivered content and campaigns that have exceeded expectations and made their mark within the cultural zeitgeist," said Archewell head of communications and global press secretary to the Sussexes, Ashley Hansen.
Hansen, who will manage the marketing team moving forward, added of Browning and Taylor: "They played a critical role in helping to tell the stories of the Duke and Duchess thus far and the couple remain hugely grateful for their support on those vital 'look back' projects, as they now look forward."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle launched their non-profit organisation Archewell Foundation, and its sub-companies Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio, in 2020. Since then, they have seen a series of executives leave their positions in as early as 2022.
This includes Mandana Dayani, who served as president of Archewell in 2021-2022. She resigned from her post in December 2022 after the Sussexes returned from parental leave to resume "full control" over the company.
After helping shape its vision and future, a Sussex rep confirms that Archewell president Mandana Dayani is moving on. Harry and Meghan will now take full lead of their company (which comprises of Archewell Audio, Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation).
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) December 4, 2022
STATEMENT: pic.twitter.com/SCfRd7S8St
Rebecca Sananes also quit after 18 months to work as a freelance producer. She was the company's head of audio and a producer on the Spotify podcast "Archetypes". She was hired in 2021 and replaced by media executive Serena Regan.
It is unclear if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to produce audio content after they have severed ties with Spotify last year. They were only able to produce the "Archetypes" podcast since they signed a multi-million deal with the audio streamer in 2020 to produce original content.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have kept details about their projects over at Archewell Productions under wraps. The former "Suits" star hinted at "so many exciting things on the slate" during an interview in November last year. She declined to provide details but shared her excitement to announce them.
News of Levine's resignation comes amid speculations that the Sussexes could jump ship from Netflix to Paramount Pictures when their contract expires in 2025. They were seen cozying up to Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins and his wife, Tracy James, at the "Bob Marley: One Love" film premiere in Kingston, Jamaica earlier this month. The four had their photos taken on the red carpet. Robbins, who owns a home near to the Sussexes' Montecito mansion, reportedly invited the couple to the film screening.
