Meghan Markle‘s new boss has hailed her latest signing as an “unparalleled” content maker, despite the Duchess of Sussex’s Spotify deal being axed.
Lemonada Media and Meghan have agreed a deal to develop a new podcast series and to distribute episodes of Archetypes.
Jessica Cordova Kramer, Lemonada’s Chief Executive and Co-Founder, said the US podcast firm, which bears the motto: “Make Life Suck Less”, is “beyond honoured” Meghan has trusted the company to help “democratise access” to Archetypes.
She told The Hollywood Reporter: “Meghan’s talent as host, creator and conversationalist is unparalleled and we are thrilled to co-create a new series with her that fosters her approach to creating art that matters.”
Lemonada’s Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Stephanie Wittels Wachs, told the same publication that staff at the company felt “blown away” by Meghan’s collaborative spirit, clear vision and deep desire to build compassion and community through the new venture.
She added: “The Lemonada team felt immediate kinship with Meghan and the Archewell Productions team, and we are delighted to be working together.”
The first series of Meghan’s Archetypes podcast featured celebrities including Paris Hilton, Serena Williams and Mariah Carey. It ran to a dozen episodes, but despite the star-studded line up it completely flopped.
Its first instalment was released on Spotify in August 2022 in what was hailed as a multi-year deal between the streaming giant and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Audio.
Spotify announced the partnership with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in late 2020 after the couple stepped down from royal duties and began to pursue new careers in California. That deal was estimated to have been worth millions of pounds.
The Wall Street Journal reported in June that the Sussexes failed to meet productivity benchmarks required to receive the full payout from the deal. Since the end of that deal, the couple have been tipped to forge new agreements.
Meghan said in a statement she felt proud to be able to share the news she is joining the “brilliant” team at Lemonada to continue her love of podcasting.
She added: “Being able to support a female founded company with a roster of thought provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024.
“Our plan to re-release Archetypes so more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast, are well in the works. I’m so eager to be able to share it soon, and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family.”
News of the new podcast series comes after Harry and Meghan launched a new website. Their previous site, Archewell, now automatically redirects to Sussex.com, which consistently refers to the couple by their official royal titles.
A picture of the couple dominates the main web page, overlaid with the text: “The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan, The Duke & Duchess of Sussex”. It also features a royal coat of arms.
