PR disasters continued. Thread 6

[AtIusvue]

For all PR disasters of Meg and Papa Sussex

“Perceptions were shifting in the industry and across the U.S., thanks to comments like Simmons’ and similar remarks from then-United Talent Agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer. “Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent,” Zimmer said at a 2023 conference in Cannes. “Just because you’re famous doesn’t make you great at something.” “

It’s a mystery to me why they were surprised by the discovery that Meghan wasn’t greatly talented at anything. Her previous career highlight prior to her marriage to Harry was a minor part in Suits. Did they think a brief spell as a Royal would have worked some sort of fairy godmother Cinderella spell whereby her previously hidden talents would suddenly burst forth?

Thanks for posting that screenshot GoldBtheyhypo, as you’ve just illustrated my point. The photo of the wisteria from The Huntingdon Library photo from last week shows the spring blooms of wisteria, with a mass of flowers and few very pale green immature leaves.

Meghan’s reel in contrast shows lots of bright green leaves, with more leaves than wisteria flowers. That only occurs later, after the first blooms have appeared.

It’s a fascinating read, Clearly, neither Netflix nor the Sussexes wanted it published, but having referred the draft to both parties in advance, and received pushback from both parties, Variety still was confident enough to publish it.

It’s also interesting that a Netflix spokesperson did the pushing back for Netflix, but Variety is crystal clear that Harry and Meghan instructed an external lawyer to push back for them. They apparently cared considerably more than Netflix did about getting this narrative shut down.

Meg leaving the room because she doesn’t like what she hears on a zoom meeting…chimes with what we have previously heard.

• We know she doesn’t do ‘negative’ thoughts/words- she talks about this on the Emma Grede podcast.

• Harry says that when he shouted at her during an argument one time, she left the room, later returning to tell him to never talk to her like that again, asking where he learned this behaviour

• That Harry said to Dr Sophie, that Meg (along with Harry) was psychologically damaged from hearing negative feedback from the brand review commissioned by Sentebale.

• We all know that Meg couldn’t handle the criticism from the UK press/the RF/advisors- so left in a Freedom flight to the US

She has incredibly thin skin it seems

This chap ( who is a professor ) and therefore being interviewed for proper reasons was obviously a bit embarrassed but got over being interrupted by his daughter because his wife rescued the situation. & that was on the BBC , not a general business zoom call. Most people can make sure they can schedule a zoom call when their children are being looked after. I do hope I haven't given M a "Oh I'm just an entrepreneurial mom - here comes lily backing into the room " idea here 😊

Many will remember this. There are those with more talent and skill than M who juggle WFH and having children. If H&M can go on faux royal tours without the children , surely she can organise childcare for a day or two of online meetings.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/video/2017/mar/10/bbc-correspondent-interrupted-by-his-children-live-on-air-video

Was it the nanny’s day off ? No other domestic staff who could step in ?

I think it was more a case of - here's someone who will finally spill the beans on the British RF; so, to get the dirt, we'll offer her a deal that includes her producing stuff, if she can. Once we've got tje dirt on the RF, anything else is a bonus; and if she can't produce anything, we'll cut her loose and still have turned a profit from her.

I think you are right. But I suspect they( NF ) were a little blindsided by the Oprah / Spare things and also thought M&H might have something more to give. I do wonder if in their heart of hearts they thought they over bid. Which would account for Ted Sarandos saying in public M is not to be underestimated. He has to look good in front of investors. The Hermes blanket comment I think is a complete nonsense - as I understand it they (Hermes ) do some things in short runs to keep up the exclusivity . I would bet a guinea to a pint of oranges that blanket had sold out before the series even aired. Or if not , they weren't making any more because M had one to sell more . I'm not sure she's their idea of a muse. Not in the sense of Jane Birkin or Grace Kelly.

As ever - just my thoughts.

IMHO, H&M failed to understand that while H's titles opened the doors, once inside H&M needed to deliver profitable projects.

Instead, H&M's poorly conceived and received projects lost Netflix money. And made Ted look very stupid at shareholder meetings for advocating that a D-list actress and a pampered Prince could produce profitable content if given a generous contract including supporting Netflix resources.

The fact that Netflix only responded to points in the Variety article as opposed to killing the article outright says it all really. IMHO, it is game over for H&M.

You have said that so much more succinctly than I have being hamfistedly trying to say 👏 I agree with you . Thank you 💐

Thank you so much!

The best characterisation is their portrayal on South Park.

Harry as a lost little boy who- lets face it- had two pretty awful parents and Meghan as an empty vessel.

There are plenty of people like that in Hollywood so it's not a criticism. However, they are usually pretty entertaining for a short term. The problem is that M and H want to be taken seriously at high levels of government/influence.

If they just checked in with themselves about what they offer they would be a lot happier. Meghan would make a bomb as a sales person on QVC etc and Harry could be trustees and boards til the cows come home. Do that for 10 years and then see where they at in terms of influence and recheck.

In virtual and in-person meetings with partners, she tends to talk over or recast Prince Harry’s thoughts, sometimes while he is mid-sentence, sources say (usually preceded by a touch to the arm or thigh).

• Meghan’s lawyer Kump, in his letter to Variety, says this assertion “seems calculated to play into the misogynistic characterization of her bossing her husband around.”

Kumps response is very distorted, (and so very a Meghan response) the whole world has seen Meghan in action in public, pushing her husband, interrupting him, steering him this way and that way, glaring at him. It’s not misogynistic to point out how she publicly emasculates Harry, the evidence is there for public consumption, it has generated thousands of video clips and memes.

Meghan’s responses, via her lawyers, are so puerile and unsophisticated it endorses every criticism in the article,

I read the article and only just now noticed the detail in the caricature image accompanying the article, that’s one big ole burn ‘If ever’. 😵‍💫😵‍💫

@Serenster seems people have also noticed the kid is wearing a warm coat in the video of her chasing the chickens, so it does look like she is using old video footage.

Ted Sarandos' comment about the blanket selling out is interedting. I've heard it several times and no one ever points out that the implication is Harry and Meghan are hot property, if they are talking about the Royal family. They don't attract nearly as much attention if they are talking about polo or jam or themselves. It's seems they are not the only people who failed to realise that being the son of a monarch or the wife of the son of a monarch doesn't convey status in and of itself. You actually have to do things.

Sorry. I’m completely wrong!

Confused myself!

No Variety hasn’t had a hit piece before. That was Vanity Fair in January 2025.

But that’s now the Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Vanity fair all published articles about Megs behaviour

Well said 👏. And I would add that H and M are known not to listen to advice so that certainly hasn’t helped .

Agree @MrsLeonFarrell

Plus they were there for such a short time and have already shared so much in Spare and OW- what new material will they have?

They need financial support for the children and this could easily come with strings- I can't see they have anything else to engage people.

William had the same parents and seems to be reasonably stable ?

That was replying to @2021x!

Thanks to PP for posting a review of Bowers' book. What snagged my attention was that he reports that when it came time for Meghan to contribute ideas for her coat of arms, she requested a songbird with its tongue cut out! Playing the victim (of the RF) at the same time as the RF was giving her status and privilege.

If this is true, the mind boggles.

The Hermes Blanket comment from Ted Sarandos is a weird one, that blanket featured on just about every Bravo housewives SM posts for years prior to MM’s show, there were already Architectural Digest articles about it long before Meghan.

I know. Maybe we should all chip in and buy her the world’s smallest violin?