Has Hollywood Grown Tired of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly losing favor in Hollywood as frustration mounts over their working style and the repeated failures of their entertainment and business ventures.
According to Page Six (Nov. 4), industry insiders say the once-glamorous couple has lost their luster among Los Angeles elites. “It’s not just that nobody in Hollywood wants them anymore — even the goodwill they once enjoyed has evaporated,” one source told the outlet. Another insider added bluntly that people are “just sick of” the Sussexes and bored with their every move.
The couple’s behavior has also drawn sharp criticism from those who’ve allegedly worked with them. Several accounts describe Harry and Meghan as “difficult,” “tone-deaf,” and “unprofessional.” Page Six reported that Prince Harry once showed up late to a Netflix meeting and then asked an executive to make him a cup of hot chocolate. A similar story surfaced via Vanity Fair, where a former Spotify staffer recalled that Harry had requested a special drink the office didn’t stock — prompting employees to scramble out and buy it.
As for Meghan, multiple sources claim she exerts total control over the relationship. “She thinks she’s smarter than everyone and tends to look down on people,” one insider said of the Suits actress. A Vanity Fair piece published in January 2025 quoted a producer who worked with Markle, describing the experience as “really, really, really awful — and incredibly painful.”
A Hollywood Reporter article from September 2024 painted a similar picture, noting that “staff were terrified of Meghan.” A source close to the couple explained, “She’s condescending and refuses to take advice. They both make poor decisions and constantly change their minds. Harry is kind and down-to-earth, but he enables everything. She’s… not.”
Once media darlings, the Sussexes no longer command the same public fascination they did in the early days of their post-royal fame. Recent projects and business deals have met with skepticism and ridicule. Meghan’s lifestyle reality series With Love, Meghan was widely panned as derivative, fake, and out of touch with what modern audiences actually want to watch. Their 2022 Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan was a massive success, but follow-ups like Heart of Invictus (2023) and Polo (2024) struggled to gain traction.
Recently, the couple’s $100 million overall deal with Netflix expired, replaced by a scaled-down first-look deal. At the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit last month, Meghan put on a brave face: “It’s exciting because it allows us flexibility — we can bring projects to Netflix first, but also explore stories that might fit better elsewhere,” she said.
Still, not all is bleak for the Sussexes. Page Six reported in July that the couple is quietly developing several new television projects. And despite the waning buzz, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos remains a loyal supporter — frequently dining with the couple and maintaining what insiders describe as “a friendly and flexible relationship” aimed at delivering fresh, relevant content in the future.
Meghan Markle Returns to Acting: What She Said About Quitting After Marrying Prince Harry
The Duchess of Sussex previously said she was “done” with acting
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NEED TO KNOW
- Meghan Markle is returning to acting, despite previously saying she was “done”
- The Sun reported on Nov. 5 that the Duchess of Sussex is set to play herself in the upcoming comedy Close Personal Friends
- An insider told PEOPLE, “She has a small part”
Meghan Markle is returning to acting after previously saying she was “done” with the profession.
On Nov. 5, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, was spotted on the Pasadena, California, set of the upcoming film Close Personal Friends. The Sun was first to report the news.
“Meghan was on the set today,” an insider tells PEOPLE. “She has a small part. She seemed very relaxed and happy. She introduced herself to everyone and was very sweet and down-to-earth.”
Meghan is reportedly set to play herself in the Amazon-MGM Studios film, which also stars Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding. Production was announced in August, with the comedy set to follow a couple who befriend a famous couple during a trip to Santa Barbara — a perfect potential link to Meghan and Prince Harry‘s family home in Montecito.
The “role” as herself will be Meghan’s first return to acting since marrying Harry in May 2018. The couple has since stepped back from their royal roles and moved to the coastal California enclave where they raise their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
A studio source told The Sun: “This is a massive moment for Meghan and signifies a return to doing what she truly loves. She has been swamped with offers, but this one felt right.”
PEOPLE has reached out to a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex for comment.
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Meghan got her start in Hollywood in bit parts on shows like Fringe and The League, as well as appearances as a suitcase model on Deal or No Deal, before landing her series regular role as Rachel Zane on the USA legal drama Suits.
She left the show following its penultimate seventh season in 2017, ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry.
“I don’t see it as giving anything up, I just see it as a change,” she said in their engagement interview with the BBC’s Mishal Husain.
“It’s a new chapter. Right. And also, keep in mind, I’ve been working on my show for seven years. So we’re very, very fortunate to be able to have that sort of longevity on a series,” she said. “For me, once we hit the 100-episode marker, I thought, you know what? I have ticked this box, and I feel really proud of the work I’ve done there, and now it’s time to, as you said, work as a team with [Harry].”
“I think what’s been really exciting as we talk about the transition out of my career and into my role is the causes that are really important to me that I can focus even more energy on,” she added. “Very early out of the gate, I think you realize you have access or a voice that people are willing to listen and with that comes a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously.”
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In a 2022 interview with Variety for their Power of Women issue, Meghan was asked if she’d consider acting again.
“I’m done. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not,” she said.
However, by then, she had started dipping her toe back into life on screen, with the announcement of her and Prince Harry’s Netflix documentary series, Harry & Meghan, directed by Liz Garbus.
“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,” Meghan said at the time. “But 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.”
“It’s interesting. My husband has never worked in this industry before. For me, having worked on Suits, it’s so amazing to be around so much creative energy and to see how people work together and share their own points of view,” she added. “That’s been really fun.”
Meghan’s Netflix presence has continued this year, with two seasons of her lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, in which she welcomed famous friends like Chrissy Teigen, Tan France, Mindy Kaling and more to Montecito to try out her favorite recipes, home hacks and entertaining tips.
On Aug. 11, 2025, Meghan and Harry’s production hub, Archewell Productions, announced the extension of its creative partnership with Netflix through a multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects. The lineup also includes a holiday episode of With Love, premiering in December.
A statement said that the project is titled With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, teasing, “This December, join Meghan in Montecito for a magical holiday celebration.”
Despite her and Harry’s emphasis on family privacy, Meghan said in her 2022 Variety interview that she wasn’t necessarily opposed to Archie or Lilibet one day following her into acting.
“When you become a parent, you genuinely want your kids to find the things that bring them complete joy,” she explained. “They’re our kids, obviously, and they’re part of a legacy and a tradition and a family that will have other expectations. But I want them to be able to carve out their own path. If it’s the entertainment industry, great.”
“And also, good luck. There are so many people that will talk about what opened the door for my children. But it still takes talent and a lot of grit. We’re creating multidimensional, interesting, kind, creative people. That’s who our kids are.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry take children Archie and Lilibet trick or treating in Santa Barbara with Duchess donning colourful butterfly costume – while Duke dresses down in jeans and a polo
Meghan Markle has been spotted in costume taking her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet trick or treating for Halloween – but their father Prince Harry seemingly forgot his fancy dress.
The Sussexes chose to leave the rare confines of Montecito, California, where they own a £14million 16-bathroom mansion, and instead made a Halloween call at a modest suburban street in nearby Santa Barbara.
Prince Archie, six, was seen eagerly running to an extravagantly decorated house in an ant costume while his sister Princess Lilibet, four, was already two steps ahead of him collecting sweets at the front door.
The little girl, who is understood to have only met her grandfather King Charles on one occasion, was dressed as a fluorescent green firefly.
Wearing a black tracksuit and sunglasses, Meghan appeared to coordinate with her children’s bug-themed outfits as she wore colourful butterfly wings.
Harry, on the other hand, did not buy into the spooky spirit, wearing a light blue baseball cap with a navy polo shirt and jeans.
The Duke appeared to be carrying a water bottle in his left hand, with another sticking out of his back pocket, while Meghan appeared to hold a Thermos cup.
Royal watchers will find it a shame that Harry has seemingly left his costume at home as the Sussexes have previously spoken of the special place Halloween holds in their hearts.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spend Halloween with their children in Santa Barbara
Harry appeared to be holding a water bottle in his left hand with another sticking out of his back pocket while Meghan carried a Thermos cup
In their Netflix docuseries ‘Harry & Meghan’, the former Suits actress recalled how they learned their relationship was about to go public in 2016 while they were together in Canada.
She explained: ‘Harry said, “Well, if it’s going to come out tomorrow, let’s go and have fun tonight.”
‘We were like, well, this might be our last shot to just go out and have fun in the world.’
Harry added: ‘We went to this Halloween party where we could be completely dressed up and no one would know. I had on a bandana and goggles.’
But Halloween has not always been a happy occasion for Harry.
Writing in his memoir Spare, the Duke recalled how he was lambasted for dressing up as a Nazi for a costume party in 2005.
He said: ‘It was probably one of the biggest mistakes in my life. I felt so ashamed afterwards.’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a point of keeping their children out of the public eye since they stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to Montecito.
Meghan sported sunglasses and a black tracksuit with her butterfly wings while Harry opted for a casual look consisting of a light blue cap, navy shirt and jeans
The couple have previously spoken about how much Halloween means to them
Now, royal watchers only get the occasional glimpse of the children on Meghan’s Instagram where she often shows the back of their heads.
Most of the snaps of the children show them in the garden with their faces hidden.
Understandably, there has been a huge reaction to these posts – with many followers expressing delight that the children have both inherited their father’s fiery red hair.
The launch of Meghan’s new account, which has the handle @Meghan, coincided with her new Netflix show With Love, Meghan and lifestyle brand As Ever.
From the glimpses Meghan has revealed on social media, Archie has unsurprisingly changed a lot since we last saw him as a baby.
He and Lilibet were also seen on their parents’ 2021 Christmas card.
Prior to that, Lilibet had last been seen in a portrait taken in the garden of Frogmore Cottage to mark her first birthday in June 2022.
This Halloween outing is also the first time the world has seen the Sussexes since King Charles stripped his brother Andrew of his Prince title on Thursday.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have chosen to keep Archie and Lilibet out of the spotlight since moving to the US. Here they are in the family’s 2021 Christmas card
Prince Harry and Meghan with their dogs and children, Archie and Lilibet
Prior to the Christmas card, Lilibet had last been seen in this portrait taken in the garden of Frogmore Cottage to mark her first birthday in June 2022
Archie and Lilibet featured in Meghan’s videos for Valentine’s Day as they made bagels with cream and strawberries
The former duke, who will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, will no longer be referred to as prince and is set to move out of Royal Lodge.
Daily Mail readers have been overwhelmingly supportive of the King’s decision to remove Andrew’s ‘Prince’ title, but largely thought he should follow by doing the same to Harry and Meghan, currently known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Peregrine Grey, from London, said: ‘It is essential that Harry and Markle are also stripped of their Royal titles given their appalling behaviour and actions which have repeatedly disrespected, damaged and abused the Monarchy.
‘It is an absolute must if the Monarchy is going to survive and move forward with integrity and public respect. The public remains outraged that this action has not yet taken place.’
‘The Markles are next,’ Bruni Banani, from Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand, added.
Louise York, from Yorkshire, said: ‘I think the royal family should be slimmed down as the Danish Queen did before she stepped down. Meaning only the family in line to take the throne has their titles. So no Harry, Megan, their children and so on.’
Why Meghan Markle is distancing herself professionally from Prince Harry
The second insider claimed that the distinction between Markle and Harry’s career aspirations will have a positive outcome for the Duke of Sussex.
“It’s healthy for them as a couple to have separate spheres, identities and passion projects,” the insider told the outlet.
The “negative attention” Markle gets in the press has allegedly affected Harry’s work, the other source shared.
“They will be very [professionally] divided now. It’s what they have been doing all year,” the source said.
Public relations expert Jane Owen told the outlet that Markle is building her “individual brand again.”
“It’s a shift toward individuality,” Owen pointed out.
Owen believes Harry is pleased with the new arrangement because he can focus on his personal projects.
“He seems happier doing the quieter, cause-driven work,” Owen said. “They’re still a team, but they’re playing to their own strengths now.”
PR maven Mark Borkowski agreed that the Duchess of Sussex is “no longer half of a royal duo.”
“She’s re-emerging as a solo brand: global, aspirational and strategically aloof,” Borkowski said. “The royal chapter was about proximity to power. This one’s about reclaiming it.”
Borkowski believes the former “Suits” actress, 44, is swapping her “duty-bound duchess palette” for a “cooler, west Coast gloss.”
“The Vogue salons, the couture cameos, the soft-focus humanitarianism — all signals that she’s positioning herself in the rarefied Gwyneth [Paltrow] and [Victoria] Beckham tier of conscious luxury,” Borkowski said.
The second insider explained how Markle is making a “very conscious move” into the world of strategic branding.
“Meghan is opening herself to the universe of brands and marketing, signaling to the world, ‘I’m open for business and ready to make money in the lifestyle sector,’” the source said. “[She wants to] emulate Gwyneth. She doesn’t necessarily need TV shows and the criticism that comes with them.”
Brand and culture guru Nick Ede claimed Markle is in “pure celebrity mode.”
“[Meghan] is establishing a presence that will lead to partnerships and deals… Someone who [can be] courted by brands,” Ede said. “She’s establishing herself with… a crowd she wants to be a part of.”
While Markle is leaning into the spotlight as Harry steps into the shadows, they will still share the same vision.
“It’s clear that [Meghan’s career] is moving forward with a sharper public profile [but] they both know how to share the spotlight when it serves their shared goals,” royal commentator Amanda Matta said.
Markle made fashion waves by sitting front row at her first Paris Fashion Week show earlier this month.
Last year, she launched her Goop-esque lifestyle brand As Ever (formerly called American Riviera Orchard) and this year, she starred in two seasons of her Netflix cooking show, “With Love, Meghan.”
Meanwhile, Harry, 41, has been focused on his Invictus Games, which benefits wounded, injured and sick military service personnel and veterans.
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