Why Meghan And Harry Reportedly Didn't Get Along With Their Netflix Show's Director
It's been a long road for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their multimillion-dollar Netflix deal. The superstar couple signed a lucrative agreement with the streaming giant to produce content back in 2020, per Us Weekly, but have yet to deliver on their promise. In fact, rumors have proliferated in recent months suggesting that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are in hot water with Netflix. Put simply, the royal defectors appear to be in way over their heads.
Earlier this year, an industry source told the Daily Mail: "Harry and Meghan's slate of projects could be in jeopardy as they have announced plans to make shows that are educational and inspiring, rather than sexy and sensational." They added, "The pressure will be on them to come up with a hit." It didn't help matters when Meghan's first project, "Pearl," was canned amid budget cuts, leaving the duchess scrambling to find a new home for it (via The Sun).
Thankfully, the Sussexes' reality docuseries is slated to debut in December, according to Page Six. But bringing it to fruition has been tough, with reports now alleging that the celebrity couple parted ways with the show's initial director over privacy concerns.
The Sussexes weren't comfortable giving up their privacy
When it was first announced, Page Six confirmed that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were shooting a "Keeping up with the Kardashians"-style docuseries for Netflix, which would follow them at home in Montecito and along their unfolding journey after leaving the royal family. However, Page Six now reports that the first filmmaker they chose for the project didn't work out because he required too much access to the couple.
Oscar nominee Garrett Bradley, who helmed Netflix series "Naomi Osaka" about the titular tennis icon, was chosen to direct the project. But, according to an industry source, "Garrett wanted Harry and Meghan to film at home and they were not comfortable doing that." He ultimately walked away after a few tense moments between them, with the Sussexes' own production company taking over until a replacement could be found.
This would explain why Meghan and Harry were seen being followed by two separate film crews while visiting New York City last year (they were also notably prohibited from filming inside Buckingham Palace during the queen's Platinum Jubilee, as the Daily Mail reported at the time). Another Oscar nominee, Liz Garbus, is currently in charge of the project, and the royal defectors appear to at least respect her vision above all else.
Meghan Markle was concerned about the replacement, too
Liz Garbus is an acclaimed filmmaker in her own right, with two Oscar nominations to date per IMDb, but she had some trouble with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regardless. Meghan Markle made extremely telling comments about her new Netflix series when she admitted to Variety that it was tough handing over control to somebody else.
"It's nice to be able to trust someone with our story — a seasoned director whose work I've long admired — even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it," she explained. But Meghan was quick to add, "That's not why we're telling it. We're trusting our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens."
Page Six revealed that higher-ups at Netflix were flummoxed when Prince Harry seemingly contradicted himself in the series, compared to what the duke has reportedly written in his upcoming memoir. Likewise, there were suggestions both he and Meghan were trying to sand down the edges of their previous comments following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but Netflix wouldn't budge.
During her cover interview with The Cut, Meghan refused to be drawn on the specifics of the upcoming docuseries, admitting, "I don't read any press. So I don't know what's confirmed." She did make it clear, however, "Liz Garbus is incredible."