Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Were Left 'Humiliated' After Public Fallout With Spotify

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's lucrative Spotify deal came to an end in June after the couple failed to satisfy the brand's base. Although the Sussexes weren't the only A-listers to receive the boot from Spotify, the announcement opened the door for criticism, and entertainment experts questioned their credentials.

A source discussed the couple's reaction to the failed partnership in an interview.

"The Sussexes haven’t talked about it publicly," the insider shared. "But it was humiliating for them both."

"The Spotify failure put a fire under both of them to keep moving forward," they added.

Spotify and Archewell's official statement depicted the split as amicable, but executive Bill Simmons has a different outlook on the pair. A source claimed their pitches were "laughable," and the pair were branded as con artists by Simmons.

“I wish I had been involved in the ‘Meghan and Harry leave Spotify’ negotiation,” Simmons said on his self-titled podcast after the news broke.

"'The F------ Grifters.’ That’s the podcast we should have launched with them," he complained. "I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories … F--- them. The grifters."

The Sussexes' inability to find success on the streaming service didn't dissuade them from giving up on audio programming. A source claimed Meghan is looking for a new home for "Archetypes" and future projects.

“If agreement is reached with the Sussexes, it will be a deal structured in a very similar way,” the pal told a publication. “They would be obliged to offer any audio projects to Audible first but would then be completely free to market them elsewhere if rejected."

"It’s the sort of deal some elite moviemakers enjoy with major film studios," they continued. "Importantly for Harry and Meghan, it would more than wipe out the monetary hit they took when Spotify pulled the plug and offer them a growing platform where Meghan can make good her vow to continue her podcast."

In a recent BBC appearance, CEO Daniel Ek addressed the business decision to shelve "Archetypes" and future Sussex creations.

"We thought we can come in and offer a great experience that both makes consumers very happy and allows new creators new avenues," Ek explained.

"And the truth of the matter is some of it has worked, some of it hasn't. We're learning from those, and we are moving on, and we wish all of the ones we didn't renew with the best of success they can have going forward," he concluded.

While Meghan and Harry lost a multi-million dollar check, royal expert Rebecca English pointed out that Archewell staffers were greatly impacted by the loss.

“Part of this problem with Harry and Meghan is a problem with the entire podcast industry,” English said on "Palace Confidential." "There was a flurry to sign massive names and throw big money at them without actually knowing if they had an idea which was workable."

“That’s now falling around the industry’s ears, and a lot of good people: producers and engineers — these people are losing their jobs, and there’s a lot of anger because people like Harry and Meghan with significant amounts of money, so there’s quite a lot of bad feeling about it," the commentator noted.

Insiders spoke to In Touch.

Sources discussed a potential Audible deal with The Daily Express.