What to Know
In case you missed it, Meghan Markle is now managing her lifestyle brand, As Ever, independently. Previously, she had partnered with Netflix. Given that Meghan and Prince Harry’s $100 million deal with Netflix was also not renewed, people have naturally wondered what the couple’s relationship with the company is really like now.
When The Sun first reported the news about As Ever in March, the decision was described as “mutual.” Sources claimed that Meghan and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos were still “on good terms.” However, a more recent report from Variety paints a more complicated picture.
Sources claim that “poor communication” might have played a role.
A Netflix insider told Variety, “The mood in the building is ‘We’re done.'” The way Meghan and Harry communicated (or didn’t) with the company also led to issues, they suggested.
Several sources pointed to Meghan’s behavior during Zoom calls with Netflix employees. According to the three insiders, Meghan would suddenly “disappear.”
Variety’s Chief Correspondent, Matt Donnelly, spoke about this allegation in more detail on Tom Sykes’ The Royalist podcast on March 31, per RadarOnline. For Meghan, “disappearing” during meetings meant turning her camera off.
Which honestly seems pretty normal except…
The reasoning isn’t. At least, if what the insiders are saying is correct. While on the podcast, Matt said that sources said Meghan turned off her camera in an attempt to avoid criticism or to express that she didn’t agree with what was being said.
“Multiple sources told me that, when Meghan would sit, especially in meetings regarding her brand As Ever, her lifestyle and homewares range, when she heard feedback she didn’t like, or heard ideas that she didn’t think were appropriate, she would turn her camera off to express her displeasure,” Matt claimed.
In the article, it’s noted that those who were talking to Meghan when she disappeared wouldn’t find out that she was displeased with something until later. Awkward.
However, her lawyer says that she’s actually just a mom.
If you’ve followed Meghan’s professional journey since her exit from the royal family, you’ll know that she’s talked about how hard it can be to be a working mom. Projects like As Ever and even her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, allowed her to be at home with her kids more often, but that doesn’t mean her kids never interrupt her Zoom meetings.
Her lawyer, Michael J. Kump, said that if Meghan ever disappeared from a Zoom meeting or turned her mic off, it was likely because of her kiddos.
After all, having your camera off (or turning it off at times) is definitely not something that only Meghan has done before.
Meghan’s lawyer told Variety that Meghan “works from home, is the mother of young children aged 4 and 6, and often encounters (as many parents who work from home do) children who enter the space unexpectedly during a meeting.” And yeah, this is definitely a common experience. But, of course, some people will find a way to criticize Meghan no matter what she does.
“Independent of being a parent who works from home, Meghan is also conscious of shielding her team from the distraction of children,” Meghan’s lawyer added. “Nearly all professionals can attest to needing to turn off the audio or camera during a virtual meeting at some point during many hours of virtual business calls.”
Her lawyer definitely isn’t wrong; we’ve all been there. But disappearing out of frustration or to avoid criticism would be something else entirely.
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