Netflix executives “snickered” as a comedian took a swipe at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, sources have claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were mocked at Netflix’s prestigious new-season launch event in Los Angeles, as comedian John Mulaney took aim at their multi-million-pound deal with the streaming giant.
Speaking at the historic Egyptian Theatre, Mulaney drew laughs whilst introducing his own upcoming chat show by comparing it to the Sussexes’ arrangement with Netflix.
“This is a really fun experiment. Not since Harry and Meghan has Netflix given more money to someone without a specific plan,” the US comedian quipped in front of Netflix’s most senior executives.
Netflix executives ‘snicker’ as comedian takes swipe at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
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The Hollywood audience responded with “snickering and a few ‘whoas'” to Mulaney’s barb, according to sources present at the event.
Notably, the Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming show “With Love, Meghan” was barely mentioned during the evening’s presentations.
The programme was absent from Netflix’s glossy PR brochure promoting their biggest 2025 releases, despite being set to launch in March.
Even during Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria’s hour-long presentation of their biggest projects, neither the show nor any other Sussex projects were referenced.
“It was shocking to me that Netflix would seemingly allow Meghan and Harry to be ridiculed at such a prestige event,” one audience member remarked.
Harry and Meghan reportedly signed a £100million five-year deal with Netflix in 2020 to produce content for the platform.
While their initial six-part series “Harry and Meghan” proved successful, subsequent projects have faced criticism.
Their recent documentary series “Polo”, focusing on the Prince’s favourite sport, was particularly poorly received.
The couple also produced “Heart of Invictus”, about Prince Harry’s games for wounded service personnel, and “Live to Lead”, featuring figures like Greta Thunberg and Jacinda Ardern.
“With Love, Meghan”, a cookery and lifestyle show expected to mirror formats pioneered by Martha Stewart, was meant to mark a fresh commercial direction for the Duchess.
The show was originally scheduled to launch this month but has been delayed according to Netflix “because of the ongoing devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires”.
However, Hollywood insiders have suggested the series is undergoing re-editing.
The show’s launch coincides with Meghan’s return to Instagram and the introduction of her new commercial venture, American Riviera Orchard, a lifestyle brand focusing on products from preserves to wallpaper.
The star-studded event at the Egyptian Theatre drew Hollywood’s leading lights, with Ben Affleck present to promote a new film and Tina Fey discussing her latest comedy.
A 90-second preview of Victoria Beckham’s upcoming docu-series was showcased, with Netflix expressing excitement about “a very posh series coming later this year”.
The Sussexes were notably absent from the event, where dozens of other projects were highlighted across genres including games, reality TV, drama series and films.
Even Tyler Perry, who once provided accommodation to the couple following their royal departure, received a mention during the presentations.
