Contemporary from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry being known as “disaster tourists” for visiting the smoldering ruins of individuals’s properties misplaced within the Eaton fireplace, the couple face new scrutiny over the private, skilled and reputational challenges they’ve handled within the 5 years since they left royal life and moved to California.
Sadly for the Montecito-based Duke and Duchess of Sussex, “American Hustle,” a brand new cowl story in Vainness Truthful, discovered that earlier stories about Meghan being a “terrible,” “difficult” and even “bullying” boss to her workers may have validity. That’s, based on folks solely prepared to be interviewed anonymously as a result of they have been required to signal non-disclosure agreements.
Whereas Harry may be “charming,” if giving off the air that he “has no inner life” aside from polo — and didn’t actually wish to work on podcasts or Netflix tasks — Vainness Truthful reported that Meghan appears desirous to be “a good person” and to have interaction “in world-improving (if also brand-building) activities.” And but, the previous TV actor has develop into a polarizing determine in America. She additionally tends to have interaction in what author Anna Peele described as retaliatory conduct in opposition to “people so below her in status.”
Somebody who struggled to work on Meghan and Harry’s troubled Netflix and Spotify media tasks instructed Vainness Truthful that her relationships with workers tended to comply with a well-known sample. She would “be warm and effusive at the beginning, engendering an atmosphere of professional camaraderie.”
When one thing didn’t work out, usually as a result of Meghan and Harry’s personal calls for— akin to a teaser for her Spotify podcast being launched months earlier than she had even taped any episodes — she “would become cold and withholding toward the person she perceived to be responsible,” the supply instructed Vainness Truthful.
The supply mentioned it was “really, really, really awful. Very painful. Because she’s constantly playing checkers — I’m not even going to say chess — but she’s just very aware of where everybody is on her board. And when you are not in, you are to be thrown to the wolves at any given moment.”
Meghan’s remedy of underlings could possibly be “undermining,” the supply additionally instructed Vainness Truthful. “It’s gnawing at your sense of self. Really, like, ‘Mean Girls’ teenager.”
Earlier than working with Meghan, the particular person had a tough time believing the tales about Meghan bullying palace aides or yelling at them after she married Harry in 2018. The preliminary stories got here from the Instances UK in 2021, a 12 months after Meghan and Harry left Britain, decrying merciless and racist remedy by the tabloid media and the royal household. However after working with Meghan, this particular person discovered such conduct occurred “on any given Tuesday.”
Vainness Truthful reported that one particular person took a depart of absence after working with Meghan on three episodes of her Spotify “Archetypes” podcast, whereas “several others’ said they took extended breaks, left their jobs or underwent long-term therapy after working with the former TV actor.
“I think if Meghan acknowledged her own shortcomings or personal contributions to situations rather than staying trapped in a victim narrative, her perception might be better,” one particular person instructed Vainness Truthful, earlier than the particular person half-jokingly mentioned, “But who am I to criticize Meghan Markle? She’s doing great.”
The Vainness Truthful report comes at an important time for Harry and Meghan’s efforts to make a hit of themselves as media moguls, entrepreneurs and international do-gooders.
Meghan’s plan to launch herself this previous week as a way of life guru, along with her new Netflix sequence “With Love, Meghan,” was placed on maintain following the outbreak of the lethal wildfires in Los Angeles on Jan. 8. Meghan introduced the sequence could be pushed to March 4, “as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California.”
Her critics mentioned she and Netflix clearly had no selection however to delay a present that will depict the duchess celebrating her lavish, Southern California life-style along with her celeb buddies, after so many others in Pacific Palisades and Altadena had misplaced all the pieces.
In the meantime, Harry and Meghan initially acquired glowing headlines for dropping into Pasadena final Friday to serve meals, depart donations and provides hugs to Eaton fireplace survivors. However they quickly started to engender harsh criticism on-line from actor Justine Bateman and others who have been outraged that they have been photographed, receiving a private tour of burned-out neighborhoods from Pasadena’s mayor.
Bateman known as them “disaster tourists” and “ambulance chasers.” TMZ founder Harvey Levin and his producers additionally lambasted the couple on their day by day present earlier this week. “I find it crazy that there are people, most people cannot get into these areas, especially Altadena and don’t even know if their homes are still there,” Levin mentioned. “For Meghan and Harry to show up from Montecito, and they get a tour? For what purpose?”
Govt producer Charles Latibeaudiere agreed that it appeared like “an ill use of resources,” whereas senior information producer Charlie Neff mentioned their go to isn’t “sitting well with people in the community…. To be going there doing that feels not genuine and not necessary.”
It stays to be seen whether or not the “disaster tourist” criticism will stick. However the Vainness Truthful story may revive Meghan’s bullying controversy. Her representatives initially disregarded the 2021 TImes UK report as a part of a “calculated smear campaign,” hatched by a royal institution and British press that had grown hostile to her. The bullying allegations appeared to die down after Buckingham Palace mentioned in 2022 that it might not launch the findings of an inner investigation in Meghan’s alleged bullying.
However The Hollywood Reporter resurrected the problem with a scathing report in September, wherein one supply mentioned that Meghan “belittles people,” doesn’t take recommendation and is a “dictator in high heels” who fumes and barks out orders. Each she and Harry are “poor decision-makers,” a supply additionally mentioned, which might clarify why the 2 solely managed to supply one 12-episode podcast after two years and a reported $20 million contract. The Every day Beast adopted up with one other report that quoted workers who described her as “a demon” who had “psycho moments.”
For its report, Vainness Truthful talked to individuals who had good experiences working with Meghan, together with producer Jane Marie, who tried to assist them develop podcasts for his or her Archewell productions. “She’s just a lovely, genuine person,” Marie mentioned about Meghan.
Peele, the Vainness Truthful author, tried to supply a sympathetic tackle why Meghan might need bother managing workers or have a chip on her shoulder about folks judging her or wanting down on her. It goes again to when she claims she was an outsider in highschool, Peele famous.
“Is it any surprise that a sense of victimhood and righteousness could continue to exist in a person who had been treated so horribly by the press and her husband’s family?” Peele wrote.
Meghan additionally could view sure folks as enemies or interlopers, and never simply “the loathsome” media or “her pitiable father and half sister,” who offered tales about her to the tabloids, Peele mentioned. Meghan’s enemies additionally could possibly be professionals who work for her, from palace aides to those that “actually knew how to make a podcast,” Peele prompt. She may start to see them as extra highly effective than she is, “despite her immense fame and wealth and privilege, “Peele wrote.
“And then whatever happened to them, well…they shouldn’t have gotten between Meghan and her good work,” Peele concluded.
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