Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been named among the biggest Tinsel Town losers of the year by industry bible, The Hollywood Reporter.
The magazine published its 2023 review celebrating those who triumphed and noting those who failed to hit the mark.
Among the 11 chosen as having struggled were the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who were mocked for their ‘whiny Netflix documentary, a whiny biography (Spare – even the title is a pouty gripe ) and inert podcast.’
Meghan’s podcast, Archetypes, was dropped by Spotify in June after just one season and the firm’s head of podcast innovation and monetization, Bill Simmons, labelled the couple ‘grifters’ after their $20million (£15.9m) , multi-year deal ended.
Their treatment by The Hollywood Reporter was far from effusive, with the publication saying the couple had ‘fled a life of ceremonial public service to cash in their celebrity status in the States’ – but failed to ignite.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured in New York City on October 10, have been named among Hollywood’s biggest losers of 2023
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured in New York City on October 10, have been named among Hollywood’s biggest losers of 2023
Meghan Markle’s podcast was dropped by Spotify after only one season
Meghan Markle’s podcast was dropped by Spotify after only one season
‘The Harry and Meghan brand swelled into a sanctimonious bubble just begging to be popped – and South Park was the pin,’ the authors said.
In March, South Park ridiculed the couple with an episode entitled ‘World-Wide Privacy Tour’, which skewered the pair for claiming to find media intrusion too intense, and then seeking the spotlight.
The magazine concluded: ‘Still, all the scorn and mockery beats otherwise having to attend 200-plus official royal family engagements a year, which sounds hellish.’
It comes as the couple’s charitable foundation, Archewell, saw donations plunge by $11million (£8.7m) in the past year, sending it into the red while its boss and their red-hand man James Holt was handed a massive 280 per cent pay rise.
The Sussexes have released their charity’s annual report and a glitzy promotional film showing their good works in 2023 – but it has also emerged that its finances have dived.
An income tax return filed in the US revealed on Monday that in 2022 donations were down to just over $2million (£1.6m) – down from $12.9million (£10.3m) in 2021, an astonishing drop of $11million (£8.7m).
And 2021’s profit of $9million (£7.1m) has evaporated due to a lack of donations. The Archewell Foundation recorded a loss of $674,485 (£536,357) for last year because revenue was $2million but costs were $2.67million.
Last year there were only two major donors giving around $1million (£795,210) each. The year before an unidentified wealthy donor gave them $10million but there was no repeat in 2022.
It follows a tumultuous year for the couple, which saw Harry’s vitriolic memoir, Spare, top the bestseller lists but their personal popularity ratings tumble.
They were also the subject of ridicule by popular televisions shows such as South Park and Family Guy, lambasted after claims about a reportedly ‘near catastrophic’ car chase in New York and lost their lucrative podcast deal with Spotify, where one senior executive labelled them ‘******* grifters’.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released a video showing Archewell’s 2023 ‘impact’ – but their annual report also reveals that their foundation has recorded a loss
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released a video showing Archewell’s 2023 ‘impact’ – but their annual report also reveals that their foundation has recorded a loss
The foundation has filed its annual tax return showing donations have plunged (top set of circled figures) and a profit has turned into a loss (bottom, circled) – but they do still have cash in the bank
The foundation has filed its annual tax return showing donations have plunged (top set of circled figures) and a profit has turned into a loss (bottom, circled) – but they do still have cash in the bank
The foundation’s highest paid employee is Meghan and Harry’s right-hand man James Holt (right with the couple in their Netflix Invictus documentary). He was paid $227,405 a year ($180,835), including a $20,000 (£15,904) bonus
The foundation’s highest paid employee is Meghan and Harry’s right-hand man James Holt (right with the couple in their Netflix Invictus documentary). He was paid $227,405 a year ($180,835), including a $20,000 (£15,904) bonus
This section of the report shows two contributions of $1million each (£800,000) to Archewell
This section of the report shows two contributions of $1million each (£800,000) to Archewell
The couple set up their Archewell Foundation after quitting the Royal Family and say it is an ‘impact-driven global nonprofit that puts compassion into action’ which is ‘committed to a simple but profound mission: show up, do good.’
The Foundation employed five people, with salaries totaling $640,441 (£509,285) for the year. Harry and Meghan did not take a salary.
But executive director James Holt, considered the Sussexes’ right-hand man since Megxit, was paid $227,405 a year (£180,835), including a $20,000 (£15,904) bonus. This was around a $170,000 (£133,000) pay rise, up from his starting salary of $59,846 (£47,641) the year before.
Holt’s 2021 salary did not reflect a full 12 months of work because he joined in the middle of the year, it is understood.
Despite the loss in 2022, it appears that the foundation, described as a ‘non-profit’ organisation, still holds around $8.3milllion (£6.6m) in cash and assets.
The charity still has reserves available and an Archewell spokesperson contested Holt’s pay rise.
The spokesperson said the accounts showed the charity was doing well and managed its finances aptly and would likely have millions to spend each year.
High-profile foundations sometimes receive a large amount of funding in the first year which is then used over the course of several years. If a foundation already has a large amount of money in the bank this may lead them to reduce future fundraising.
Harry and Meghan have released a video showing Archewell’s 2023 ‘impact’ just hours after the Princess of Wales shared a clip of herself at a baby bank with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The royal couple shared a one-minute clip showing people and causes their foundation has helped throughout 2023. They have shared similar videos in the past, but usually not until January.
The foundation’s high end video includes a clip of Harry and Meghan at a mental health summit in New York as they show the charity’s good works
The foundation’s high end video includes a clip of Harry and Meghan at a mental health summit in New York as they show the charity’s good works
Harry’s ‘whiny’ memoir, Spare, was cited by The Hollywood Reporter as one reason for the couple’s ‘loser’ status
Harry’s ‘whiny’ memoir, Spare, was cited by The Hollywood Reporter as one reason for the couple’s ‘loser’ status
The Duke and Duchess were skewered in a March episode of South Park
The Duke and Duchess were skewered in a March episode of South Park
This release, just hours after Kate was praised for the sweet footage of the Wales children at at Windsor baby bank, may now raise eyebrows in royal circles.
Perhaps in a bid to show they are a hands-on couple, the video shows them hugging veterans, packing bags for school girls in Nigeria and taking selfies with dozens of supporters.
It comes as brand experts have warned of the demise of ‘Brand Sussex’ following the fallout from Omid Scobie’s poison-penned book Endgame, which attacked the Royal Family and named Kate and King Charles as ‘expressing concern’ about Prince Archie’s skin tone before he was born.
The couple were joined on The Hollywood Reporter’s ‘loser’ list by Marvel movies, the Scream franchise, troubled actor Ezra Miller and Disney.
‘Who wants to bet Bob Iger wishes he stayed retired? Disney got pummeled in 2023,’ the magazine said.
Elon Musk was also on the loser list, citing his tumultuous leadership of X – which has seen its value plummet in a year from the $44 billion he paid for it to $19 million, according to internal documents.
‘Call the hellscape what you want, Elon Musk’s management of the social network — one that’s long served as a critical promotional vehicle for studios and talent — has been so disastrous it’s resulted in articles speculating that the otherwise phenomenally successful businessman must be intentionally crashing the bus, because nobody could be this smart and dumb at the same time,’ the magazine said.
‘From alienating advertisers (U.S. revenue is down 55 percent since he took over in 2022) and turning off users, to retweeting antisemites, Musk has proved you can’t be a grown-up social media boss and play the impulsive Twitter troll, you have to choose your role — and it shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.’
Top of the winners list was Taylor Swift, accompanied by Barbie creators Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig and actor’s union chief Fran Drescher.
Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan was also declared a winner, along with the Las Vegas Sphere entertainment venue, and ‘Silver Foxes’ – with the magazine noting 57-year-old Patrick Dempsey’s naming as People’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’, and the resurgence of Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.
