The Sussexes’ production endeavors face turbulence as a big-name celebrity turns down a podcast invitation amidst Archewell's directional struggles
Taylor Swift, the chart-topping musical sensation, has reportedly rebuffed an invitation to feature as a guest on the Duchess of Sussex’s podcast, Archetypes. The revelation comes as Meghan Markle’s venture faces an uphill battle securing high-profile personalities and grappling with internal challenges.
The Wall Street Journal, a prominent financial daily, shed light on this development, revealing that Meghan extended a heartfelt, handwritten invitation to Swift. However, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter gracefully declined.
Archetypes, the podcast in question, delved into the realm of challenging and deconstructing negative stereotypes that encumber women. Yet, the production phase of the series was marred by a continuous struggle to secure guests and by Meghan's frequent last-minute alterations, as disclosed by the publication.
Furthermore, Archewell, the production company spearheaded by the Sussexes, is alleged to be navigating a labyrinthine path, devoid of a solid sense of direction. The couple, according to insiders, seems to be caught off guard by the magnitude of the labor necessitated to bring entertainment projects to fruition.
Elaborating on the organizational hiccups, the news outlet remarked, “Most potential initiatives, they said, follow a similar route: big idea, subpar execution.” It further highlighted Prince Harry's particular predicament in anchoring a concept, especially under their agreement with Spotify.
The liaison between the Sussexes and Spotify has recently met its conclusion, three years into an ambitious £15.5 million agreement. Reports suggest the premature termination was precipitated by the Duke and Duchess's underwhelming content delivery - one solitary podcast series, and a 30-minute "holiday special" over a three-year timespan.
Variety, the esteemed entertainment publication, reported that the streaming behemoth decided to withdraw from the partnership, having anticipated a more prolific content flow from the Sussexes’ Archewell Audio.
The podcast endeavor managed to produce only a single series, comprising 12 episodes of Meghan’s Archetypes show in the previous year, which investigated societal stereotypes regarding women, along with a festive half-hour special in 2020 which included appearances by several celebrities and their son, Archie.
In a unified statement from the Sussexes and Spotify, they expressed having "mutually agreed to part ways," adding, “We are proud of the series we made together.”
Archewell Productions and Taylor Swift's representatives were approached for remarks but have not issued any comments at the time of this report.
