- Podcast website Podnews reported that “multiple sources” claim that some of the interviews on Meghan’s podcast “were conducted by other employees”
- The same sources claim that audio recordings of Meghan asking questions were then edited into the final episodes, which were streamed on Spotify
- Last week, it was revealed that Meghan and Prince Harry’s $20m podcast deal with Spotify was terminated by ‘mutual agreement’
Meghan Markle has been accused of falsifying several interviews for her podcast Archetypes with the ax from “sources” who claim the Duchess had members of the show’s staff conduct interviews with her guests before the audio of her voice was edited into the final episodes.
The claims, which come just days after it was revealed that Sussex’s $20m deal with Spotify was terminated by “mutual agreement”, was reported by a podcast-focused source Updates.
. questions edited-in afterwards'”>
According to the site, “multiple sources” claim that “some interviews on the show were conducted by other staff members, with (audio of Meghan, 41) questions edited out afterwards,” although Podnews did not highlight specific episodes where this may apply.
Meghan’s 12-episode podcast featured a string of high-profile guests during one season, including Mariah Carey, Serena Williams and Mindy Kaling, the latter of whom actually shared a photo of herself being interviewed by the Duchess when her episode aired.
However, while Meghan may have interviewed several high-profile guests for the audio show, this isn’t the first time questions have been raised about her input into the process of interviewing other people who have appeared on Archetypes.
In August of last year, podcast guest Alison Yarrow, a journalist from New York, revealed that she wasn’t actually speaking to Meghan when she was interviewed for the show, but rather a member of her production company.
Alison, who appeared in an episode of the show called To B or Not To B? in which she “explores the origins and plague” of the word b***h, revealed in a social media post shared shortly after her interview was recorded that the chat took place with an audio producer named Farrah Safarfi.
Sharing a photo of herself in front of a sign for Gimlet, an audio production company, Alison then thanked Farah in the caption for being such a “great interviewer”.
Last week, Spotify and the Sussex family’s audio production company, Archewell Audio, issued a joint statement regarding the decision not to renew Meghan’s podcast for a second season, saying they had “mutually agreed to part ways.”
The statement continued: “We’re proud of the series we’ve made together.”
Meghan and Harry have reportedly signed a $20 million deal with Spotify for the project in late 2020, but insiders close to the streaming giant claim the royal couple don’t meet the standard of performance needed to get on full payment, Wall Street Journal reported.
The decision to ax the Duchess’ female-focused podcast followed reports that Spotify had been involved in discussions to renew the series, but those talks are understood to have stalled.
WME, the talent agency that recently signed Megan, told the Wall Street Journal: “The team behind Archetypes continues to be proud of the podcast they created on Spotify. Megan continues to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform.
However, a day after news of Meghan and Harry’s scrapped Spotify deal broke, the streaming giant’s head of innovation and monetization, Bill Simmons, spoke out to call the Sussexes “fucking cheaters” in his own episode podcast.
“Damn cheaters. This is the podcast we should have launched with them,” he said.
Bill, a sports writer who founded podcast network The Ringer and sold it to Spotify in 2020 for $200 million, continued to attack Harry, 38, saying he had Zoomed in on the royal, during which he believed he tried to “help him with a podcast idea.”
“I got to get drunk one night and tell the Zoom story I had with Harry to try to help him with a podcast idea,” he said. “This is one of my best stories.”
Bill has long been critical of Harry, saying last January that he was “embarrassed” to be associated with the same audio company that broadcasts the Sussexes’ podcast.
“Shoot that guy into the sun,” he said, according to the sports website The big lead.
“I’m so tired of this guy. What does he bring to the table? He just whines about the f*** and continues to give interviews.
“Who gives as ***? Who cares about your life?
“You weren’t even the favorite son.” You live in goddamn Montecito and you just sell documentaries and podcasts and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you’re talking about the royal family and just complaining about them.
Spotify recently cut staff and cut big-name talent in favor of an emphasis on the creative economy.
The streaming giant has announced that it will lay off about 200 employees — about two percent of its workforce — who work on its podcast teams. He cited difficulties in making podcasts profitable despite their popularity among listeners.
However, Meghan is understood to be keen to continue creating her podcast and is said to be looking for a new home for the series.
The mother-of-two is also said to be working on several other projects, with rumors swirling that she is set to revive her wellness and lifestyle website The Tig, while in recent days it has also been reported that Meghan may soon has joined as the newest face of high-end fashion and beauty brand Dior.