Spotify executive Bill Simmons called Harry and Meghan Markle "scammers" after podcast deal ended

 Spotify executive Bill Simmons called Harry and Meghan Markle "scammers" after podcast deal ended

The representative of the platform assured that he wants to tell the whole story of how his meeting with the Dukes of Sussex went

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue to have a difficult time. Bill Simmons, a Spotify executive, and podcaster, lashed out strongly against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. He called both of them "scammers", after the association they had for several years with the platform ended.

In 2020, after Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties, Spotify executives announced a partnership with the couple, with a contract worth nearly $20 million, according to various British and American media reports.

Three years later, on Friday, June 16, 2023, when the former members of the Royal Family decided to withdraw from the agreement they had with Spotify, Simmons said in his eponymous podcast: "I wish I had participated in the negotiation of 'Meghan and Harry leave Spotify'”, according to CNN.

And he added: “F**k you scammers. I have to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom [video call] I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. F*ck scammers!” said, Bill Simmons.

According to CNN, the agreement between Archewell Audio, Prince Harry's production company, and the Spotify platform, intended to include numerous programs, but finally, they opted for a small series and a Christmas special.

The series called "Archetypes" had the purpose of "investigating, dissecting and disrupting the labels that women try to leave", according to the description of the show itself. In this they would include interviews conducted by Meghan with Serena Williams, Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey, and Trevor Noah, to name just a few.

When Spotify announced it was cutting 200 jobs at the podcast unit, roughly 2% of its global workforce, Archewell Audio and the company announced their separation by "mutual agreement."

It's not the first time Simmons has lashed out at Prince Harry. In an episode of his podcast, dated January 2023, the executive said he felt "ashamed" to share the platform with him.

“What is your talent? 

You were born into the Royal Family and then you left. You live in Montecito, and you only sell documentaries and podcasts; but nobody really cares what you have to say, unless you talk about your Family and complain about them. Why are we listening to you?" Simmons said.

Archetypes

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex podcast premiered on August 23 of last year under the name Archetypes. The objective of the production was to change "the labels that try to stop women," explained Meghan herself, host of the program, in the first episode, where she was accompanied by her best friend, Serena Williams.