Spotify canceled the second season of the podcast starring Meghan Markle. "Archetypes," for which the Duchess of Sussex was paid $20 million, chronicles the historical and cultural stereotypes faced by women. Until now. Markle and the podcast platform itself issued a joint statement in which they assured that the show would not continue streaming new episodes: "Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together," the statement reads.
Archewell Audio is the company founded by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to diversify their business. It was born in 2020, and a few months later they had already reached an agreement with Spotify to create "Archetypes." The product was released in August 2022 and appeared to be a success, so much so that it won the award for Best Podcast at the People's Choice Awards in December of that year. At the time, Markle was proud of her product and demonstrated this in a statement reported by the BBC:
I loved digging my hands into the process, sitting up late at night in bed, working on the writing and creative. And I loved digging deep into meaningful conversation with my diverse and inspiring guests, laughing and learning with them. It has been such a labor of love.
However, the success was not sustained, and the podcast has been canceled due to poor performance. According to what sources familiar with the matter told the Daily Wire, neither Markle nor Prince Harry fulfilled the contract they had agreed to, and that was reason enough for Spotify not to pay out the full $20 million that was agreed upon.
