Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos just couldn’t help himself. He had to gush over Meghan Markle as if she were the crowned queen of streaming. “Meghan Markle is underestimated in terms of her influence on culture,” he boldly declared, seemingly with a straight face. Ah yes, culture—like selling out overpriced Hermès blankets and making those infamous shoes she wore vanish from stock. Not exactly storytelling or artistry, just plain old product placement and merch pushing.
Netflix, once the home of groundbreaking content, is now a bargain bin of mediocrity, occasionally sprinkled with an international hit. And yet, Sarandos believes that tying Netflix’s brand to Meghan Markle—a woman whose most notable cultural contribution seems to be the art of playing the victim—was a brilliant move. That must have been one impressive sales pitch. Did she show up teary-eyed in his office, lamenting how unfairly she’s been treated? We all know she has a knack for crying in the arms of strangers. Maybe that was all it took for Ted to sign over that hefty £100 million check.
If Meghan is such a cultural force, why did her Netflix series *Live to Lead* barely scrape together 2.6 million views worldwide? Meanwhile, a random teen drama, *Adolescence*, pulled in over 24 million views in just four days. And let’s not even get started on her lackluster Instagram following—2.5 million? That’s influencer-tier, not global icon status. If she had real cultural sway, brands would be clamoring to work with her. Instead, the response has been crickets, save for one overpriced lifestyle brand no one really cares about.
If everything she touches sells out, why isn’t she drowning in endorsement deals? Where are the high-profile contracts? The math just isn’t adding up, Ted.
Sarandos may be singing Meghan’s praises now, but let’s not forget how Netflix allowed comedian John Mulaney to absolutely roast the Sussexes at one of their own events. That wasn’t a coincidence. Netflix knows the royal association has been a colossal flop, and Sarandos is just scrambling to justify what’s looking more and more like a failed investment.
The reality is that Netflix’s deal with Meghan was a sinking ship from the start. The company poured millions into her brand, only to watch it fade into irrelevance. Co-CEO Greg Peters even spearheaded the decision to cancel a behind-the-scenes miniseries tied to *Live to Lead*—because, well, no one wanted it. And now, Meghan is reportedly feeling “betrayed” by Netflix.
It’s clear what Netflix was hoping for: a *Real Housewives of Windsor*-style spectacle. Maybe they believed keeping Meghan around would eventually lead to a royal reality show. But here’s the problem—Camilla, Catherine, Sophie, and Zara aren’t playing that game. Classy women don’t sell out for clout.
So now, Netflix is stuck with an expensive dud and a CEO desperately trying to convince the world that Meghan is still relevant. Ted, we’d love to know what you really think behind closed doors. Does your wife roll her eyes every time you pretend Meghan is a cultural icon?
Meghan Markle’s Netflix journey has been an embarrassing lesson in overhyped investments. Netflix thought they were getting a game-changer; instead, they got a master manipulator skilled at spending other people’s money. Sarandos might still be publicly defending the deal, but behind the scenes, you can bet Netflix executives are kicking themselves for ever thinking this was a good idea. The Meghan Markle era at Netflix is coming to an end—and not a moment too soon.
