Harry and Meghan are the butt of the jokes AGAIN: After being ridiculed on Family Guy and South Park, and now mocked at the Golden Globes, experts say Sussex brand is in ‘trouble’ just as duchess tries to relaunch Hollywood career
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being ridiculed so much in Hollywood that it could put their rebrand in trouble, culture and royal experts told MailOnline today.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were once again the butt of a joke on Sunday night when Golden Globes host Jo Koy roasted them in front of an audience of A-listers.
The US comedian said the couple were being paid ‘millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing – and that’s just by Netflix‘. The comment was met with huge laughs in the auditorium, including one from Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos.
Koy also prompted laughter when joking how Imelda Staunton’s portrayal of the Queen in The Crown ‘was so good Prince Harry called her and asked her for money’.
Netflix is one the couple’s main sources of income after they signed a multi-year deal worth $100million (£78million) with the streaming network in September 2020.
Golden Globes host Jo Koy is pictured at the ceremony in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday
Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos is pictured at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on Sunday, where he laughed during a joke about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by host Jo Koy
Their podcast deal with Spotify was axed after just one season of Meghan’s series Archetypes, with the firm’s executive Bill Simmons later labelling them ‘grifters.’
‘When you become figures of ridicule you are in trouble’
ANALYSIS BY PHIL DAMPIER
A couple of years ago Harry and Meghan would not have been humiliated in this way but they are now the butt of jokes, even among the woke luvvies of Hollywood.
When you become figures of ridicule you are in trouble.
When they first moved to America they were a popular couple but people have seen through them and are fed up with their constant moaning.
This is the latest of a growing list of mickey takes out of them, following on from South Park and other shows.
They have lost their Spotify contract, have run out of ideas at Netflix, and now they are a source of amusement even to the sort of left of centre audience who previously would have been sympathetic to them.
They are badly in need of a new direction in 2024 otherwise they could nosedive.
They have to pay for their security and have huge running costs, so they need money coming in, but the sources of income are drying up.
They expect criticism from the press and social media, but attacks from the showbiz world show how far they have fallen.
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Sunday was the latest in a long line of jokes at the couple’s expense on American TV over the past year, including an episode of South Park last February entitled ‘The Worldwide Privacy Tour’ which showed the couple on a publicity blitz to promote Harry’s book, ‘Waaagh’.
The were also the target of a cutaway sketch in Family Guy last October, when a butler gave Harry his ‘millions from Netflix for… no one knows what’ – before Meghan says: ‘Babe, time to do our daily $250,000 sponsored Instagram post for Del Taco.’ Harry responds: ‘I shouldn’t have left the made-up nonsense.’
At the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on Sunday, Koy said: ‘Succession has nine nominations. Just a great series about a rich, white, dysfunctional family, all scheming – oh, wait, that’s The Crown. I’m sorry.
‘How great was Imelda Staunton in The Crown, wasn’t she amazing? Her portrayal of the Queen was so good Prince Harry called her and asked her for money.
‘Like I said, I didn’t write all of these. That one’s not mine.
‘Turns out Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will still get paid millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing. And that’s just by Netflix.’
The comment about asking for money comes after Harry told Oprah Winfrey during the couple’s bombshell interview in 2021 that his father, then Prince Charles but now King Charles III, ‘literally cut me off financially’ when they stepped down as senior royals one year earlier.
And the latest joke comes as some believe former Suits actress Meghan is currently assessing a potential second stage of her Hollywood career – although this is more likely to relate to production rather than acting this time.
Royal author Phil Dampier said today that the regular ridicule in the US was making life difficult for the California-based Sussexes – with Americans now left ‘fed up with their constant moaning’.
He told MailOnline: ‘A couple of years ago Harry and Meghan would not have been humiliated in this way but they are now the butt of jokes, even among the woke luvvies of Hollywood. When you become figures of ridicule you are in trouble.
‘When they first moved to America they were a popular couple but people have seen through them and are fed up with their constant moaning. This is the latest of a growing list of mickey takes out of them, following on from South Park and other shows.’
Prince Harry and Meghan were the target of a cutaway sketch in Family Guy last October
The couple were in an episode of South Park last February called ‘The Worldwide Privacy Tour’
He told how the couple had ‘lost’ their Spotify contract and ‘run out of ideas at Netflix’, saying they are a ‘source of amusement even to the sort of left of centre audience who previously would have been sympathetic to them’.
‘Now Netflix no longer produces The Crown, they may be viewed as expendable’
ANALYSIS BY RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS
The Sussexes began last year with Harry’s autobiography Spare, which unwisely attacked the Royal Family.
However, the inclusion of his problems with penile frostbite and how he lost his virginity in a field caused much mirth.
The satirist and actor Gyles’s Brandreth corpsed on British television when discussing this.
The satirical animated show South Park made headlines in the United States by mocking their hypocritical stance on privacy with the ‘Worldwide Privacy Tour’, which was hilarious.
It punctured their entitled attitudes, which had meant that they could trash the royal family time and again without consequences, or so it seemed.
Their ratings began to plummet – it was William who was voted America’s most admired public figure on Gallup.
Recently the Hollywood Reporter called them ‘losers’.
Now Golden Globes host Jo Koy has mocked the fact that they ‘will still get paid millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing. And that’s just by Netflix’.
Koy did not distinguish himself in the role as host, but he did highlight the fact that Meghan, who joined the prestigious Williams Morris Endeavour Agency in April, has, despite rumours of a relaunch, done nothing.
After the fiasco of Omid Scobie’s Endgame, the Sussexes were very silent.
There were reports of blogs, and adapting a romantic novel for Netflix but nothing has materialised.
They lost their contract with Spotify, being attacked by an executive as ‘grifters’.
Now Netflix no longer produces The Crown, they may be viewed as expendable if they continue to produce so little.
That would be a crisis as their $100million contract expires next year. If they are still mainly active in charities which Harry was connected to before his marriage, they will have become even more of a joke.
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Mr Dampier said the couple were ‘badly in need of a new direction in 2024 otherwise they could nosedive’ with their sources of income drying up amid their ‘huge running costs’ and security outlay.
He added: ‘They expect criticism from the press and social media, but attacks from the showbiz world show how far they have fallen.’
But brand and culture expert Nick Ede pointed out that the joke at the Golden Globes means the Sussexes are still ‘news’ and creating conversation.
He told MailOnline: ‘Jo Koy made another joke at the expense of Harry and Meghan at the Golden Globes suggesting they do nothing and still make millions.
‘He is another in the long list of stars who have taken swipes at the pair and although they have been quiet and less conspicuous they are still on the tip of people tongues and their names are used as punch lines.
‘I think for Meghan’s rebrand that this shows that they are still ‘news’ and like it not they create conversation.
‘Whether quips like this will further damage their reputation we will have to wait and see in time, but I think that she will make a big splash in 2024 and command attention and we will see her using her fame in a much more authentic way which will win over her detractors and please her many fans.’
Meanwhile royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams warned that the Sussexes could be ‘viewed as expendable’ by Netflix, given that it no longer produces The Crown.
He told MailOnline: ‘The Sussexes began last year with Harry’s autobiography Spare, which unwisely attacked the Royal Family. However, the inclusion of his problems with penile frostbite and how he lost his virginity in a field caused much mirth. The satirist and actor Gyles’s Brandreth corpsed on British television when discussing this.
‘The satirical animated show South Park made headlines in the United States by mocking their hypocritical stance on privacy with the ‘Worldwide Privacy Tour’, which was hilarious.
‘It punctured their entitled attitudes, which had meant that they could trash the royal family time and again without consequences, or so it seemed. Their ratings began to plummet – it was William who was voted America’s most admired public figure on Gallup.’
Mr Fitzwilliams pointed out that the couple were also described by the Hollywood Reporter as ‘losers’ last month.
And, speaking about Koy, he added: ‘Koy did not distinguish himself in the role as host, but he did highlight the fact that Meghan, who joined the prestigious Williams Morris Endeavour Agency in April, has, despite rumours of a relaunch, done nothing.
‘After the fiasco of Omid Scobie‘s Endgame, the Sussexes were very silent. There were reports of blogs, and adapting a romantic novel for Netflix but nothing has materialised.
‘They lost their contract with Spotify, being attacked by an executive as ‘grifters’. Now Netflix no longer produces The Crown, they may be viewed as expendable if they continue to produce so little.
Cast members from TV show Suits reunited at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on Sunday night – from left, Patrick J. Adams, Gina Torres, Sarah Rafferty and Gabriel Macht
‘That would be a crisis as their $100million contract expires next year. If they are still mainly active in charities which Harry was connected to before his marriage, they will have become even more of a joke.’
Meanwhile an insider claimed Meghan was not able to join a Suits reunion at the Golden Globes because of a ‘previous commitment’.
Speaking to Page Six, a source said the Duchess was invited to the event, but ‘unfortunately’ wasn’t able to make an appearance because of other plans.
In addition, Gina Torres – who played Jessica Pearson in the US legal drama – revealed on Sunday that the ex-castmates simply ‘don’t have her number’ when asked if anyone had reached out to the former actress.
Prince Harry and Meghan attend the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf together last September
Torres, who attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding at Windsor Castle in 2018, was asked by a reporter from Variety: ‘Who texted Meghan and said ‘you’ve gotta come to the Golden Globes, Meghan Markle’.’
And Torres replied: ‘We don’t have her number. We just don’t so. She’ll see. She’ll watch. She’ll be happy that we’re here.’
Despite the couple’s troubles, Meghan revealed on the red carpet last November that they have various projects on the horizon.
Speaking at the Variety Women of Power Gala in Los Angeles, she said: ‘We have so many exciting things on the slate. I can’t wait until we can announce them, but I’m just really proud of what we’re creating and my husband is loving it too.’
