Comedian John Mulaney delivered a stinging critique of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix output at the streaming giant’s prestigious January 2025 season launch event in Los Angeles, California, drawing knowing laughter from an audience filled with the platform’s top executives and industry heavyweights.
During his presentation for his upcoming show “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney,” the comedian captured the room’s attention with a pointed reference to one of Netflix’s most talked-about deals. “Not since Harry and Meghan has Netflix given more money to someone without a specific plan,” Mulaney quipped, prompting “snickering and a few ‘whoas'” from the Hollywood crowd.
The barb referenced the royal couple’s reported $100 million deal signed in 2020, intended to produce a slate of content including documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows, and children’s programming through their production company, Archewell Productions.
The comedian’s jab highlighted the couple’s struggling content creation efforts since signing the massive deal. Their first major project, the 2022 docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” faced significant criticism despite its initial viewership numbers. Their 2024 follow-up “Polo” failed to connect with viewers, marking a second consecutive misfire for the high-profile partnership.
Mulaney’s self-deprecating presentation continued to draw implicit parallels to the Sussexes’ Netflix ventures. “The show will never be relevant,” he declared, adding, “if we can be one-tenth as popular on Netflix as anything from South Korea, I will have the most successful talk show in world history.” He further emphasized that his show “will never be your source for news,” which drew additional laughter from the audience.
In what industry observers noted as a telling sign of the streaming platform’s shifting priorities, Meghan’s upcoming series “With Love, Meghan,” scheduled for a March 4 premiere, was barely mentioned during the event’s extensive presentations. The lifestyle show, featuring gardening, cooking, and hosting tips while highlighting her American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brand, represents a marked departure from the couple’s previous documentary-style content.
The launch of “With Love, Meghan” has been officially postponed due to Los Angeles wildfires. Addressing the delay, Markle stated, “I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California.” However, multiple sources indicate the show is undergoing significant re-editing, though specific changes remain unconfirmed
The star-studded event showcased Netflix’s expanding content lineup across various genres and featured numerous high-profile collaborators, including Ben Affleck and Tina Fey. The gathering highlighted dozens of upcoming projects, emphasizing the platform’s push into live programming and innovative content formats.
That Netflix would permit such public ribbing of the Sussexes at their prestigious launch event struck many attendees as significant. The audience reaction to Mulaney’s quip suggested industry insiders were well aware of the challenges facing the couple’s content creation efforts. Neither the Duke nor Duchess of Sussex attended the gathering, and their absence was particularly notable given the platform’s significant investment in their projects.
Despite the mixed reception of their previous projects, the Sussexes’ Netflix deal remains one of the streaming platform’s most substantial partnerships with public figures. The reported $100 million agreement spans multiple years and various content formats, though the specific number of required deliverables has not been publicly disclosed.
