As you can tell by the title of this video, there is some major news coming out of Montecito, California, regarding one of the most talked-about couples in the world, Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Reports have surfaced over the past week that their hugely anticipated and lucrative Netflix documentary series has been put on hold indefinitely after the couple started having doubts about certain aspects of the project.
To find out more details on why exactly this Netflix deal has hit a major roadblock, I reached out to my inside source, Nacho, who has worked closely with the Sussexes over the past year as they've been filming. Nacho has given me some shocking insights into what really went down behind the scenes to cause such a drastic last-minute change.
I want to stress that these are Nacho's personal accounts and opinions and, as with any insider source, should not be taken as confirmed fact. However, Nacho has proven to be very knowledgeable and connected in the past.
According to Nacho, the problems with the Netflix project started around three months ago, right around the same time it was publicly announced that Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip, had passed away. Nacho said that during this difficult time for the royal family, Harry began having serious doubts about publicly sharing personal details of his and Meghan's exit from the Firm. Harry was said to be deeply conflicted between telling his story and honoring the legacy and memory of his grandfather.
Nacho also revealed that behind closed doors, tensions between Harry and his father, Prince Charles, as well as his brother, Prince William, had reached an all-time high in the months following the Oprah interview, where Harry and Meghan openly discussed their rift with the family. According to Nacho, private conversations between Harry and his family became even more strained and heated after this, with hurt feelings on both sides.
Apparently, in light of these escalating family dynamics, Harry began worrying more about how the Netflix series could potentially damage relations forever if too many private details were put out there. At the same time, Nacho said word also started spreading about backlash the Duke and Duchess had faced in the UK after the Oprah broadcast, with public opinion of the couple reaching new lows. According to some UK polls, this too began weighing heavily on Harry, who still cares deeply about his connection to Britain despite everything.
With Nacho revealing that Harry even questioned if speaking out even more publicly was worth it if the British public had already made up their minds to disapprove of his choices.
In summary, Nacho stated that three major factors—his grandfather's passing, tensions with his father and brother, and UK public backlash—caused Harry to have grave doubts about following through with the Netflix deal as originally planned.
At the same time, Netflix was putting increasing pressure on the Sussexes to deliver footage more quickly, but Harry and Meghan's stance had clearly shifted from being fully transparent to protecting certain privacies for the sake of their family relations.
Nacho says many high-level discussions took place over the next few weeks between the Sussexes' production company, Netflix executives, and even their PR teams as they all tried to find a solution. Some proposed reworking large parts of the project to focus more on Harry and Meghan's philanthropic work instead of personal stories, while others thought pulling the plug altogether would be less damaging than a poorly received docuseries.
In the end, Nacho told me that Harry made the ultimate call to pause production indefinitely, believing that waiting longer to tell their story in a different way was the wisest choice right now. So, ever since then, filming has come to a complete stop as all parties figure out the next steps.
Nacho says that while Netflix is obviously frustrated by these delays, they also understand the sensitivity of the situation and don't want to pressure or further strain the relationship.
As for how long a pause could last, Nacho speculates it may depend on if tensions among the royal family ease over time or if Harry and Meghan find the right format to control their narrative in a less scrutinized manner. They could potentially revisit the project down the road or look at alternative partnerships.
For their part, the Sussexes have been keeping an extremely low profile in Montecito these past three months since pulling out of the Netflix deal. Nacho says they have focused on raising their children, reconnecting as a couple, and working through this complicated period internally with guidance from trusted advisers.
Harry has also been quietly focusing his efforts on his various nonprofit roles. Nacho expressed that both Harry and Meghan seem at peace with their choice for now, even if it means losing out on a major payday because protecting family bonds is their top priority over money and fame.
