Meghan Markle has contracted a new agreement for podcasts with the female-founded Lemonada Media. This comes after her and Prince Harry’s Spotify debacle in which Spotify executive Bill Simmons called the couple “f***ing grifters,” and the company canceled the contract.
Meghan Markle Joins the Lemonada Team
Meghan’s Spotify show Archetypes will be distributed to all platforms, and she will also create new content. In a statement, Meghan said,
“I’m proud to be now able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting. Being able to support a female-founded company with a roster of thought-provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024.”
She plans to re-release the same content she produced at Spotify so that “more people can have access to it,” as well as building fresh content.
Meghan’s Archetypes podcast focused on the idea that labels deter women from succeeding or holding them back. Spotify did not renew Meghan’s deal when her podcast failed to generate an audience.
Fortunately for Meghan, she has a legion of female fans who will be all in with her and listen to her podcast. Spotify paid $20 million for the podcast, and when it didn’t captivate listeners, they dropped her like a hot potato.
When Spotify did not renew the contract in June, Spotify and the Sussexes production company Archewell Audio stated that
“they have mutually agreed to part ways. And are proud of the series we made together.”
The Archetypes podcast had some significant players as Meghan’s guests. The first show featured tennis giant Serena Williams, and the second one had the talented and classy crooner Mariah Carey.
Many listeners tuned in to hear fascinating stories from these women, but that didn’t happen.
Archetypes Focused On Women Being Labeled and “Held Back”
Instead, the podcast seemed only to serve Meghan and give her a platform to pronounce her cheerful affirmations and repeat over and over how women are always kept from achieving what they could if society didn’t label them and “hold them back.”
Many listeners found the podcasts boring and unlistenable. However, no one could argue the moment of sheer joy experienced by those who stuck around to listen to the second episode with Mariah Carey.
The pop songstress and the Duchess were dissecting the word diva and its negative connotations. Mariah told the Duchess like it is, “You give us diva moments sometimes, Meghan.”
Jessica Cordova Kramer, co-founder and CEO of Lemonada, rolled out the welcome mat for Meghan,
“We are beyond honored that Meghan has trusted us to help democratize access to Archetypes and that so many more people around the world will have access to the series soon. Meghan’s talent as host, creator, and conversationalist is unparalleled, and we are thrilled to co-create a new series with her that fosters her approach to creating art that matters.”
Even though Meghan had been let go from her deal at Spotify, she continued to create content for Archetypes. She had always planned on unveiling Archetypes on a different platform.
Now, she has the opportunity to introduce a new audience to her Archewell material. Hopefully, she delivers, or she could be facing another deal cut short.
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