Continuing HR article, Netflix

[Twistybranch]

See all these wise posters, lots of what we have said has been ‘confirmed’ by other sources

article in the DM:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/article-13874743/Harry-Meghan-Hollywood-turns-Sussexes-ALISON-BOSHOFF-venom-schadenfreude.html

https://archive.ph/xgEdv

One senior Hollywood publicist tells me: 'First of all, everyone industry-wide, EVERYONE reads The Hollywood Reporter. It's really striking that WME did not stop this running.'
She adds: 'WME normally – you would think – would have been threatening and denying access to other stars. Was this done here?

Thats exactly what we all thought! it’s strange how they are letting this stuff out.

As we have all seen in recent days, the dark art of covering up and killing stories- look at Al Fayed and what he got away with. So WME have done nothing???

Also, Harry attending an event in his own because Meghan is sick. No. This is part of separating their ‘brands’- I doubt she will attend any future events like these with Harry.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13875773/sick-meghan-markle-prince-harry-kevin-costner-charity-event.html

Seems like the wheels are falling off to me!

For me it will always be the timing of the Oprah interview - when PP was in hospital on end of life care and PH's 'adored' grandmother was enduring a deep living grief with her life partner dying in these final weeks and months that they launched this public global attack on the family and institution she adored and built.

Agreed @Hiji, but that IMO is on Harry more than Meghan. She's made it very clear that she doesn't give a flying fuck about her family, let alone her ILs, who she clearly thinks are a bunch of stuffy losers, but what's Harry's excuse?

I suspect that he didn't realise how unwell PP was and we know he was kept out of the loop on the Queen's health, due to worries that he'd go running to a news outlet and blurt it out. It IS unforgivable that he didn't go and see her at Balmoral when he and Meghan were in the UK in Sept 2022, but I strongly suspect that no one was telling him anything and he's too stupid and lacking in compassion to realise that a) a 96-year-old in poor health probably doesn't have long to live and b) that the Queen would've liked to see her grandson on one of the rare occasions he visited the UK.

I think, in his stupid head, he just couldn't contemplate her dying. And if he could've been one of her last visitors, do you think that wild horses could have stopped him rushing up to Balmoral? He'd have gone if only so he could talk about it in his wretched Netflix documentary!

Just on timings, I don't think there was immediate concern for the Queen. Yes, she was clearly getting much frailer, but she was formally greeting the new PM only 24 hours or so before her death. So my guess is that on top of her (never confirmed) other conditions (eg bone marrow cancer) and increasing frailty, there was an acute event the morning of her death and it was clear that she would not recover.

Yes, I still think it was odd of Harry not to go and see her, because at that age the amount of time left in front of someone could end at any point. But he hadn't seen much of her (and like many of us might have seen the pic with the PM and thought "oh good she's still OK") and just have tucked in his mind the idea she would live to the same age as her mother.

What I think would help is if Meghan, instead of trying to grab anonymous quotes from old employees, actually came out and said something herself along the lines of: "I am sorry I have been really difficult and abrasive these past few years; I am a pain in the arse and I promise I'll do better." But of course that is far too honest and to-the-point.

She feels the need to use wanky wording and confusing sentences that mean nothing, that you have to listen to or read about 20 times and you still can't fathom what she's saying.

She can't always be right. Its not normal or human. How can she defend herself by pretending she's always right, she needs to hold her hands up and say "I was wrong"

So I’m guessing, the fact it took weeks for their reply to come, is that they are using an outside crisis PR team? Otherwise why has it taken so long?

This THR is by far the worst piece on them for a long time. This is from the Jan moir article mentioned above:
Even The Hollywood Reporter, a neutral observer, now raises an eyebrow at this. This is devastating for the couple whose reputation has survived so far by ­blaming their difficulties on the Royal Family and the British Press, instead of examining their own alleged bad behaviour.

Thats the point- it’s a well respected, American, neutral, industry magazine.

Unless they sue- then it means what they’ve written stands. That’s what everybody will believe.

So what a decent PR team should have done, is recognise what has been written won’t go away and will be believed. So whatever they decided to put out, needed to add more context ….not offer a completely different view.

For example- they should have put out that she was a fair boss. Meaning, yes she’s tough and unlikeable but she’s fair. We’ve all known bosses like that. As long as they are fair, we can sort of deal with the boss being an asshole at times

But what they offered, was little miss Perfect Boss, who goes around throwing sweets treats and flowers everywhere she goes. Not only does it sound unbelievable (I think we all know she’s uses narcissistic charm methods, but many others don’t) it makes her look unstable.

No boss acts like that. A serious boss in a serious business doesn’t act like that. If you are looking to invest in her company, does that sound like someone who’s got their shit together? No it doesn’t

But the worst of it- is the fact that the THR still stands because they won’t sue. So now believe both the worst AND the best. Which makes her look like a completely fake, unhinged, scarier that she can turn on and off the charm, than if they had just gone with that she’s a tough taskmaster (not a bully etc but tough)

This PR team have actually make her look worse- she sounds deranged and manic

Yes, that is what a good PR team should have told her.

She would never do it, because she always has to make out she’s perfect.

But if she had done that’s it would take away the firepower of others and people for the first time would see a bit of self awareness and humility. I think it would have done her a big favour

Remember Jimmy Carr and the whole tax stuff, he put his hands up and took all the comments ion the chin. We accepted that, and moved on.

She should have done that too

I don’t think he thought the Queen would die imminently either, but she was obviously looking frailer and considering she was his much loved grandmother as he likes to remind us and he was at a loose end in the UK, it is somewhat surprising that he didn’t go and see her. Unless it was because Meghan had no desire to set foot in Balmoral. Interestingly, it isnt clear whether she ever actually went there. There are reports that she did, shortly after the Sussexes got married, but there are no photos or other evidence of this. It would certainly appear that the Highlands were not to her taste, having swerved a trip there in favour of the South of France when Archie was smalo. Obviously she would have managed to overcome her distaste in order to be there when the late Queen passed away 🙄

Wouldn't you have to assume the cooking show and ARO are less likely now?
Both projects rely on her being an aspirational figure promoting and selling a lifestyle we would want.

But now she is widely coming across as unlikable, isolated and unhappy surely there is no way she can now pull off a chatty cooking show hosting friends or sell us candle sticks so we feel like we're living a bit like the Sussex's?

It seems absurd now to think that she can sell an aspirational lifestyle.

So I’m guessing, the fact it took weeks for their reply to come, is that they are using an outside crisis PR team? Otherwise why has it taken so long?

Also, they knew in advance that the article was going to press, as THR contacted them for their comment. So the delay in getting any sort of 'rebuttal' is notable.

I'm not sure that any sort of PR professionals are working for them these days. If they are, then Meghan at least is not listening to them, but that is nothing new. I'm always a bit curious when I hear about all their 'staff' as I have no idea how they can afford them, and it's not clear what they actually do, since Meghan and Harry themselves don't do much of anything.

Exactly, what does Megan do at her companies if she’s making up flower baskets, buying dog leashes, wrapping presents, texting Ill staff members, making lunches for staff…..while having two small kids to look after?

Doesn’t sound like she does much at all

Last November, she said (directly her) that she had things on the slate that she was really excited about and couldn't wait to share with us.

That has been taken to mean the lifestyle show (and tie-in website and ARO as a means of selling) that were announced and soft launched back in the spring.

The latest I saw (a few weeks ago, before the HR article) was a puff piece (attributed to sources/friends) that she was really excited for it to be happening early next year.

Since then there was the Puck article about streaming deals that had underperformed, which hinted strongly that the show was not ready to air (reading between the lines, it suggested that it had done badly with test audiences). But since then a date has been announced for Polo to air.

And now the HR article, which is going to make it even harder to recruit staff, which is surely going to make delivery of the new improved series and website/ARO/ARO successor rather harder to achieve by early next year.

It might still materialise.

I think the Netflix deal runs to next autumn.

I think that’s probably what Netflix are seeing now.

But it would be a massive hate watch, so maybe that’s enough for Netflix to air it?

The ARO brand is dead in the water though

And a further thought

Harry's done OK.

There have been joint projects (Harry and Meghan and that leadership thing) and two Harry projects (Invictus and Polo) that have made it to screen or have a confirmed start date.

Meghan really needs a (non-Harry) success. Yes, she had the podcasts, but they have not continued on Lemonada (despite puff pieces saying podcasting was a passion).

making lunches for staff

I'd bet my house that Meghan didn't make any lunches for staff! They have a chef who does lunches and dinners, hence why Meghan boasts about making 'amazing breakfasts'. Remember on the Australian tour when Meghan wanted to take a loaf of 'her' banana bread to some gathering and had her staff up all night making the damn things until they were good enough to pass off as her own.

But since then a date has been announced for Polo to air

This is Harry's series for Netflix i.e. Netflix has done everything, but Harry will appear in it. It's part of their 'deal', which I suspect Netflix is trying to keep profitable in its dying months. The deal expires next Sept, I think.

Also don’t underestimate the Ellen connection.

Ellen has recently put out a comedy special - about how she went from loved to hated- because people found out she wasn’t that nice.

Ellen has has little self awareness- she seems to think it’s because she’s old and gay that the label mean stuck.

Not the fact she was a hypocrite selling ‘be kind’ subscription boxes all the while being a nightmare to work for. She sold herself as a benevolent supporter of everyone and put out her ‘be kind’ message to encourage others to join her. But it was all bullshit. So then it all fell apart.

An at home lifestyle brand, has to be based on the right type of personality. Warm, honest, kind and humble. Think Jennifer Garner.

But Meghans image is now a tyrant in high heels, lobbing gift baskets and vegetables at staff.

This is why they are shitting themselves about the THR article, they seen what the buzz feed news article exposing Ellen did. It took down her whole show! And she’s pretty much been cancelled.

The right and most genuine response would have been a personal statement from Meghan and Harry stating they regret the comments in the report, they respect and value all their employees and detail what actions they would take to understand better how and why some employees felt bullied. etc. etc. etc.

The stupid sycophantic responses from their minions just highlights even more how inauthentic and fake they are.

There is no way they have a credible reputation management company working for them, there is no one who would recommend getting your friends and employees to put out those kind of examples of what a great boss you are therefore the others are lying.

They were already in a hole, instead of trying to get themselves out of it with some dignity, they just dynamited the hole even bigger.

cross posted with@Comparisonisthethiefofjoy11

Nobody watched 'Live to Lead', which was an out of date documentary they plucked off the bargain basement shelf to fulfill contract obligations. The IG documentary did poorly in ratings, and I suspect the same will be true for 'Polo'. Meghan's podcast was not a success and Spotify dumped them. NF will likely do the same.

So I wouldn't say Harry 'has done OK'. It's becoming increasingly obvious that neither of them have anything to offer outside of their increasingly stale royal connections. I agree that Harry's prospects are less bad, because he will always be a prince, whereas she was only royal for about 5 minutes. He also, unlike her, has some people skills, superficial though they may be. And he can probably listen to advice and let experts take care of things, because that's what's he's been doing all his life. But he too is going to sink into oblivion as he ages and the royal family move on without him. Other than being royal, he has nothing to offer.

There is no way they have a credible reputation management company working for them, there is no one who would recommend getting your friends and employees to put out those kind of examples of what a great boss you are therefore the others are lying.

It looks to me that what is happening here is what Meghan wanted the Palace press team to do when she was a working Royal - to counter anything she perceived as negative about her in the press with this kind of full-on rebuttal with lots of gushing testimony to deny the allegations. And she reacted furiously when the Palace wouldn’t do this, taking her revenge in Oprah and all the other work shes put out since.

Now she has the freedom to run her own PR strategy. And we are seeing it very much in action here. Perhaps Meghan is about to discover that her way is actually not the best way to approach negative stories after all?

Serenster, I think you are right, the failed clapback looks to be a Meghan strategy, another example of her 'not accepting advice'. it makes her look ridiculous and none of it is believable.

I agree.

Any standard 'issues and crisis' PR response is to act fast and face the media.

It does not mean accepting any blame.

It requires a sober, short statement - that expresses both regret and concern for the words expressed by employees and then a commitment to investigate thoroughly to undertstand and rectify any issues uncovered.

It does not involved demonising the people speaking out ('disgruntled ex employee', 'coordinated smear campaign') or silencing or rejecting them.

And then going on to coerce, cajole and weaponise other employees to add their names (or anonmymous source) to a series of bizarre business anecdotes - a whole two weeks later in a random lower tiered publication.

Shocking comms strategy with appalling execution.

Amatuer, disingenous and very transparent.

That makes so much sense.

And why Harry released that statement when they were engaged about all the racist press there was…and everyone was thinking….what are you talking about??? …….It was online trolls. As is the palace could control them!

But meghan obviously forced the issue with him. The Royals don’t behave that way.

That then set everyone’s hackles up ( press and taxpayers) because the press had been nothing but fawning. Complete idiots

Yes, don’t they call it a holding statement.

just to get something out and say it’s taken very seriously and will be looked at.

Even though we know probably nothing will happen, they get out a statement to fill the void that otherwise the press will fill

Exactly that. Neutral and humble with no fixed time lines attached that will come back to haunt you. It's very very basic PR counsel.

But I suspect MM's inflated and fragile ego couldnt possibly absorb that so she went down the full narc rage route.

Petitchat · Today 03:22
Nothing better to do with their lives?
Sad really....

Well you obviously spend your time reading them so you can pop up from time to time 😆

And being a little catty, mon petit chat! Sorry...couldn't resist.😁