The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have faced another blow to their team following a new departure earlier this month.
It's been revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said goodbye to Bennett Levine, the manager of Archewell Productions – the company which was set up in October 2020. Confirming his news on social media, Bennett updated his LinkedIn profile and announced: "I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position at Cinetic Media."
© Steve Sands/NewYorkNewswire/Bauer-Griffin/ShutterstockAccording to Daily Mail's Richard Eden, the departure was a "blow to the company".
Bennett was originally welcomed to the team as co-ordinator for the business in 2021. He was then promoted to be the manager of Archewell in 2022.
Productions released through Archewell Productions include Netflix documentaries Harry & Meghan and Heart of Invictus, which focuses on the Invictus Games, as well as animated children's series Pearl.
Prince Harry and Meghan's journey began in earnest after they stepped back as senior royal members in March 2020 and swapped the UK for sunny California. They then signed an impressive deal with Netflix, rumoured to be worth £80million and something that ends in 2025.
Their docuseries Harry & Meghan, released at the tail end of 2022, smashed global records, making it an instant sensation. Despite this phenomenal success, there were murmurings about Netflix pressing the couple to bring forth more projects to secure the rest of their deal.
However, reports that the Duke and Duchess may end their Netflix deal were fuelled by their recent trip to Jamaica for the film premiere of Bob Marley: One Love. It's been reported that the couple were invited as guests of rival Paramount Pictures.
Meanwhile, back in June, Prince Harry and Meghan also reached the end of their Spotify deal as Meghan's podcast, Archetypes, was not renewed for a second season. The news was confirmed through a joint statement by Archewell Audio, the couple's content creation label, and Spotify. Former Suits star Meghan served as the host of Archetypes, a thought-provoking podcast that explored the history of stereotypes against women.
Over the course of 12 episodes which aired from August 2022, Meghan engaged in conversations with notable figures such as tennis star Serena Williams, singer Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton, and actors Mindy Kaling and Constance Wu. A joint statement from Archewell and Spotify expressed mutual agreement in parting ways and highlighted the pride they felt for the series they created together.
© Chris Jackson"Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together," a representative told HELLO! at the time.
The Sussexes' deal with Spotify, signed in late 2020, was reported to be worth approximately $25 million (£18 million). It aimed to position them as hosts and producers of podcasts, showcasing their storytelling abilities and sharing impactful narratives with a global audience.
