Taylor Swift reportedly turned down Meghan Markles request for her to be on her “Archetypes” podcast. (Karwai Tang/Kevin Mazur/TAS23)
Did Taylor Swift think Meghan Markle was trouble? Did she know all too well about the familial friction between the British royal family and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex? Was she not ready for an appearance on Markle’s “Archetype” podcast?
The world may never know.
A little over a week after it was announced that Markle and Prince Harry’s organization Archewell had mutually parted from its partnership with Spotify, it was reported that Markle wrote a personal note to Swift, requesting she come on her now-defunct podcast.
Swift reportedly rejected the offer via her representative, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Taylor Swift reportedly turned down a request to appear on Meghan Markle’s “Archetypes” podcast. (Karwai Tang/Kevin Mazur/TAS23)
A representative for Swift did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The Journal report expanded on the relationships the Duke and Duchess have curated in Hollywood after their infamous departure as senior members of the royal family in 2020, and the consequential birth of their nonprofit organization Archewell.
They would ink deals with both Netflix and Spotify that year, beginning with their lucrative “Harry & Meghan” documentary, which premiered in December 2022.
According to the report, employees felt that the documentary was critical for continuing the relationship with Netflix.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix show, “Harry & Meghan,” debuted in December 2022. (Netflix)
Their second project, “Live to Lead,” also debuted in December of the same year, but failed to reach Netflix’s top 10.
Their children’s program, “Pearl,” was previously scrapped by the streaming service.
The couple have several projects in the works with the platform, though insiders suggested to the outlet that Netflix will likely not renew their deal, which expires in 2025.
Meghan Markle’s podcast “Archetypes” featured stories from several prominent women. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images))
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Things with Spotify are also not cut-and-dry.
Markle’s podcast “Archetypes” was an immediate hit, with the podcast featuring special guests Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Mindy Kaling in the first three episodes.
However, according to the report, it was Prince Harry who did not fulfill his end of the bargain, as the initial deal with Spotify included “each of the Sussexes voicing and being directly involved in a podcast.”
Prince Harry was reportedly supposed to have a podcast of his own. (Hannah McKay – WPA Pool)
Despite their success, their work was reportedly not without flaws. People who worked for the couple alluded to the “Spare” author and his wife not being experienced in the podcast space, lacking direction, and underestimating the amount of work it would take to produce content.
Spotify and Netflix had been cutting costs – and content – and reportedly were not pleased that the couple had not been producing as much as they had expected.
Insiders say that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have “a lack of productivity.” (Netflix)
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In January, amid an announcement of several promotions and new hires, Archewell also parted ways with two of its top executives.
Neither Ben Browning, head of content for Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio, nor Fara Taylor, head of marketing for Archewell, have continued with the company.
“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,” a press release obtained by Fox News Digital read. “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.”
Representatives for the Duke and Duchess did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.