The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s estate in Montecito is not where anyone wants to be right now! According to a royal source, Prince Harry and Meghan are grappling with a high-stakes $153 million Netflix deal that is causing more than just creative conflict.
“The negotiation table couldn’t look more different from 2020, when they had Oprah Winfrey, Spotify, and Netflix all over them,” our insider explains.
“Netflix isn’t mucking around. They know Harry and Meghan need them more than the other way around, so how good this deal is depends on how far they’re willing to go when it comes to sharing their story.”
Friends say the couple are now locked in fraught negotiations, and there is speculation about the inclusion of a divorce clause, following Vanity Fair’s explosive rumours earlier this year that Meghan had been “shopping around” a divorce memoir.
“Everyone can see, with the stress of everything, that there are cracks starting to show, and it’s only fair that Netflix gets first dibs on an interview if they do eventually divorce,” the insider continues.
“They know Harry and Meghan are under pressure and all the cards are on the table – from a divorce chat being locked in, in advance, to introducing their kids to the world.”
While friends say Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, have too much to lose by divorcing, the discussions have ignited “all kinds of tense conversations” behind closed doors.
Our source adds, “It’s obvious Meghan, like any mum, is aching to fully show off her beautiful children to the world – Harry feels the same. But they both agreed many years ago to protect them and until he’s able to resolve his security fears, he’ll never let them face the cameras. But they may have no choice – what leverage do they have at this point?”
Projects like Meghan’s lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, which launched in March, and Harry’s polo documentary last December have faced mixed reception on the streamer, despite much anticipation. Meanwhile, Harry’s fallout with his charity Sentebale’s chair Dr Sophie Chandauka earlier this year is just the latest in a long line of bad press for the couple.
“Their 2020 deal was an ‘overhead agreement’, so while it might have looked huge, it didn’t cover staff or production,” adds the insider. “They only get paid on what they produce and let’s face it, a lot of projects haven’t come to fruition.”
“Harry and Meghan need this deal for relevance, but at what cost? Neither of them want to sign any deal that has a divorce clause in it, and these conversations have not been easy to say the least!
“It’s not just about money. It’s about control,” New Idea’s source adds. “And it’s easy to see why Netflix would want dibs on Harry and Meghan’s next chapter, whether it includes a divorce or not.”
