Makeup-free Meghan Markle looks glum as she’s spotted for the first time since her Spotify deal ended
The Duchess of Sussex looked pensive on Friday, the day after she ended her $20 million deal with Spotify.
Meghan Markle, 41, was spotted near her home in Montecito, apparently in an intense conversation. She then took off her earbuds, but kept looking at her phone as she continued walking.
Dressed casually in black skinny jeans, ballerinas and a striped sweater, she carried a $5,400 Fendi Peekaboo ISeeU bag.
Her husband and their two children – Archie, four, and two-year-old Lilibet – were not seen.
The decision not to embark on a second series of the 13-episode podcast Archetypes – which was number one on Spotify’s rankings when it debuted – was seen by some as an admission of failure.
Meghan Markle: Dressed casually in black skinny jeans, ballerinas and a striped sweater
Spotify and the Sussexes’ audio production company Archewell Audio have released a joint statement saying they have “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we have created together.”
But Bill Simmons, Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization at Spotify, condemned the pair in an episode of his own podcast on Friday.
“The damn crooks. That’s the podcast we should have launched with them,” he said.
“I have to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories.’
Simmons, a sports writer, founded the sports and pop culture website and podcast network The Ringer and sold it to Spotify for $200 million in 2020.
He then joined Spotify and has long been critical of the pair.
Last January, he sued Prince Harry, saying it was “embarrassing” to be affiliated with the same company.
She seemed to be having an intense discussion as she walked with wireless earphones on
Meghan was pictured walking to a salon appointment in Old Town Santa Barbara
Meghan was pictured glumly standing next to someone who may have been security personnel
Meghan carried a $5,400 Fendi Peekaboo ISeeU bag as she walked by her house
The 41-year-old was apparently spotted having an intense conversation while walking
Meghan’s luxurious Fendi Peekaboo ISeeU bag is worth $5,400
After taking off her earphones, Meghan kept looking at her phone as she walked
The photos come amid rumors that Meghan could soon be looking to bring back her wellness and lifestyle blog The Tig
The day before she was photographed, Spotify and the Sussexes’ audio production company, Archewell Audio, released a joint statement saying they have “mutually agreed to part ways”
Meghan and Harry’s sprawling Tuscan-style estate in Montecito, bought in June 2020 for $14.7 million, is said to have a sizable mortgage (nearby photo)
Meghan pictured wearing a $5,400 Fendi Peekaboo ISeeU bag and small paper bag
Here, Meghan was seen taking off her sweater while standing next to a black car
“Shoot this man at the sun,” he said, according to the sports website The great leadership.
“I am so tired of this man. What does he bring to the table? He just whines about s*** and keeps giving interviews.
‘Who cares if***? Who cares about your life?
“You weren’t even the favorite son. You live in f****** Montecito and you just sell documentaries and podcasts and nobody cares what you have to say unless you talk about the royal family and just complain about it.”
Spotify recently laid off staff and scaled back great talent to focus on the creator economy.
The loss of the Spotify contract will deal a blow to the Sussex family’s finances.
Their sprawling Tuscan-style estate in Montecito, purchased in June 2020 for $14.7 million, is said to have a substantial mortgage.
The annual property taxes alone cost $144,427 and on top of that comes staffing and maintenance.
A talent agency that recently signed Meghan, WME, told the Wall Street Journal that she still hopes to find new outlets for her work
Makeup-free Meghan Markle looks glum as she walks towards the black car outside her house
Although Harry and her children are not present, it is believed that this man may be a security guard
Bill Simmons (left), who sold his podcast and sports journalism company The Ringer to Spotify for $200 million in 2020, now works as Spotify’s head of podcast innovation. On Friday, he described the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (right) as ‘bastards’ after parting ways with the company
Meghan Markle’s Spotify podcast Archetypes will not be renewed for a second season
It comes amid reports that the pair will stop making documentaries and tell-all books because they have ‘nothing left to say’
But the talent agency that recently signed Meghan, WME, told the Wall Street Journal that she still hopes to find new outlets for her work.
The royal couple has racked up millions since moving to California. Prince Harry’s amazing memoir, Spare, was part of a $20 million book deal
“The team behind Archetypes remains proud of the podcast they created at Spotify,” said a spokesperson.
“Meghan will continue to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform.”
There are also suggestions that Meghan could soon be looking to bring back her wellness and lifestyle blog The Tig, in an effort to rival Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop website – which is reportedly worth $250 million.
Since officially leaving the royal family and moving to California in 2020, the Duke and Duchess have taken a number of different avenues to generate income.
This includes Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare, which he made as part of a $20 million deal with Penguin Books.
The pair also teamed up with Netflix to produce the Harry And Meghan docu-series, with the streaming giant reportedly paying the pair $100 million for the six-episode series.