The Duchess of Sussex’s animated Netflix series, “Pearl,” was dropped because executives believed children wouldn’t care about the project, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Meghan Markle announced in July 2021 that she would executive produce a series following the adventures of a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by influential women throughout history. But the project was dropped in May 2022 amid the streaming site’s cutbacks, Deadline reported at the time.
But there was more to the story, according to WSJ, which reports that executives decided that “few children would care if the show they were watching had been produced by a duchess.”
The publication reported that the show was developed while Meghan was still a working royal, with the help of filmmaker David Furnish.
This comes after Spotify announced earlier this month that it had parted ways with Meghan and Prince Harry, as Meghan’s podcast, “Archetypes,” was not renewed for a second season.
Bill Simmons, Spotify’s head of podcast innovation and monetization, criticized the couple on his own podcast, “The Ringer,” saying he wished he had been involved with the couple’s leave negotiation and referred to them as “grifters.”
Meghan and Harry announced deals with Netflix and Spotify after stepping back from the royal family in 2020. The couple’s first Netflix project, a docuseries titled “Harry & Meghan,” was released in December 2022.
Speaking to WSJ, a Netflix spokesperson said it valued its partnership with Meghan and Prince Harry’s company, Archewell, and that they planned to work together on future projects.
“New companies often make changes in their start up phase, both with people and strategy, and we are no exception. We’re more equipped, focused and energized than ever before,” an Archewell spokesperson told WSJ.
The spokesperson added that Archewell had recently hired a new head of scripted content, Tracy Ryerson.
Representatives for the Duchess of Sussex, Archewell, and Netflix did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Meghan Markle’s Netflix kids show was canceled. Meghan Markle’s Netflix kids show was canceled