Popular podcaster and Spotify executive, Bill Simmons, has publicly criticized Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, referring to them as "grifters" following the termination of their multi-year partnership with Spotify. The collaboration between Archewell Audio, the couple's production company, and Spotify was expected to result in several high-profile programs. However, only one series, "Archetypes," and a holiday special were produced.
According to Simmons, he had a Zoom meeting with Harry to discuss a podcast idea that he believed could be successful. However, the plan never materialized, and only the one series produced in collaboration with Spotify has aired. On his podcast, Simmons referred to Harry and Meghan as "f**king grifters" and expressed his frustration with their lack of performance in the partnership.
The "Archetypes" series had a specific focus on dissecting and subverting labels that hold women back. It featured an array of celebrity guests, including Serena Williams, Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey, and Trevor Noah, and was hosted by Meghan. However, the series was not enough to sustain the collaboration between the couple's production company and Spotify.
On Friday, February 19th, Archewell Audio and Spotify mutually agreed to part ways, just two weeks after the audio streaming platform announced its decision to cut 200 jobs within its podcast unit, which amounts to 2% of its global workforce. Earlier this year, Simmons had already expressed his discomfort with sharing Spotify's platform with Prince Harry, stating that he was "so embarrassed" to share Spotify's stage with him.
Simmons further criticized Harry's apparent lack of talent and questioned why audiences were interested in hearing from him. He pointed out that Harry was born into a royal family, left, and now resides in Montecito, California. Simmons remarked that Harry sells documentaries and podcasts, but nobody cares what he has to say about anything unless he talks about the Royal Family and complains about them.
Simmons, who Forbes reported was paid over $200 million for his sports and culture site "The Ringer," became the head of innovation and monetization for Spotify after the acquisition. He has since been involved in creating over 30 popular podcasts, including "The Rewatchables."