Reports are swirling that Meghan Markle is on the cusp of signing a very lucrative contract. Photo / AP
Reports are swirling that Meghan Markle is on the cusp of signing a very lucrative contract. Photo / AP
Meghan Markle will reportedly soon sign a multimillion-dollar contract with Amazon’s audio company, Audible.
The Duchess of Sussex, 42, is believed to be in final talks with the US-based podcast platform in a lucrative deal that could “make or break” her career in Hollywood, reports news.com.au.
An insider revealed to Closer UK the Audible opportunity was bigger than Meghan’s $29 million (NZ$50 million) contract with podcast giant Spotify, which was axed in June.
“Word of mouth is spreading that it will lead to a huge payout – even bigger than the millions Spotify splashed out – and Meghan is thrilled that she’ll be in the company of Michelle and Barack Obama (who signed with Audible last year),” a source told the outlet.
“Meghan seems very confident at the moment but the reality is that she’s been in a pretty desperate spot. Losing the Spotify deal was a massive blow. She’s been pretty lost since but this deal could turn everything around.”
Markle and her husband Prince Harry, 39, went their separate ways with Spotify in a cloud of controversy.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan visit One World Observatory on the 102nd floor of Freedom Tower of World Trade Centre. (Photo / Lev Radin / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images)
After signing with them at the end of 2020 their exit from the royal family, the Duchess of Sussex made only one, 12-episode podcast series called Archetypes.
While Harry and Meghan alleged in a statement that it was a “mutual agreement” not to renew their deal, Spotify executive Bill Simmons later dubbed them “f**king grifters”.
Chatting on his podcast soon after the news broke, Simmons said: “’The F**king Grifters’, that’s the podcast we should have launched with them.
“I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry, trying to help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories.”
Despite the bad press that surrounded Meghan’s debut podcast, the source revealed that the former actress is “ready” to start anew with Audible, but is “daunted” by the pressure to make it work.
Meghan's podcast series Archetypes, currently on hold after the Queen's death. Photo / AP
“She hardly sleeps thanks to the pressure of it all, but knows that the pressure will only get worse if she lands the deal - it will be make or break,” the insider added.
“Hollywood’s powerbrokers will be aware of just how [the Sussexes] fumbled on the Spotify deal, so they fear that getting dropped twice would be the end of their brand, as nobody would trust they could deliver the content. The stakes are extremely high.”
However, New York Post reports Amazon has denied the claims.
Markle’s representative has not yet commented.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speak onstage during Global Citizen Live, September 25, 2021 in New York City. Photo / Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Global Citizen
This comes after Meghan signed with powerhouse talent agency WME in April, with fans eagerly awaiting what’s in store for the royal.
While there’ has been speculation building for a while regarding Meghan’s next career move, such as rumours of a deal with designer fashion house Dior and a social media relaunch, so far, nothing has come to light.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s contract with Netflix, which they also signed at the end of 2020 for a whopping $150 million (NZ$258 million), has been more successful than their other ventures.
The couple aired many accusations at the royal family in their debut Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, which came out in December, and Harry’s Heart of Invictus hit screens last month.
The Sussexes announced two months ago they’d be releasing a romance movie based on the New York Times bestselling book Meet Me at the Lake.
Update: Audible has since issued a statement saying there is “no truth” to the rumours.
