Last month, Variety’s Matt Donnelly wrote a bonkers hit-piece on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, related specifically to their Netflix production deal and Meghan’s now-finished partnership with Netflix on As Ever. Throughout the Variety piece, Netflix executives and Meghan’s lawyer gave on-the-record statements disputing the unnamed sources’ claims. Netflix’s Bela Bajaria also went on the record after the piece was published, saying “don’t believe whatever you read” and confirming that Netflix has many projects in development with Archewell. Within a week, Archewell and Netflix announced a polo drama series in development, as if to say “Variety has no idea what they’re talking about.” So, what’s new? This guy, Matt Donnelly, is now being welcomed in the Deranger community. He appeared on Tom Sykes’ Royalist podcast and he and Sykes went on and on about how obviously, everyone at Netflix hates the Sussexes and Netflix didn’t want to be in the As Ever business anymore. Here’s just part of what was said:
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex really screwed the pooch with their Netflix deal, Variety chief correspondent Matt Donnelly told The Royalist Podcast. On March 17, Donnelly published a bombshell report in the trade magazine about the Sussexes’ disastrous business relationship with the mega streamer, just over a week after Netflix dropped its investment in Meghan Markle’s jam and tea brand, As Ever.
Netflix was a major backer of the consumer-products brand that launched last April alongside her series With Love, Meghan, which was canceled after only two seasons. According to a Page Six report last month, the media company had been sitting on an excess of unsold As Ever products—such as tea and baking mixes—and had been “just giving it away to employees.”
“The sense seems to be that the brand actually hasn’t worked out either, because despite all these claims from their office that they’ve sold $60 million worth of jam and more than major jam manufacturers, the truth is, it’s hard to imagine that Netflix would have split from them if that was the case,” The Royalist Podcast‘s Tom Sykes said.
“It defies common sense,” Donnelly agreed. “Netflix is a publicly traded company, so if they’ve decided to take a huge gamble and invest in an experimental field, like consumer goods, as they did with As Ever… Ted Sarandos told this to me on the record in a cover story we did with him last March: He said that this model, this business, this venture for them was a huge discovery model for Netflix.”
“And I can tell you personally from sources and from my prior reporting, Netflix paid everything,” Donnelly continued. “Netflix paid for the manufacturing, Netflix paid for the shipping, Netflix paid for the branding.”
“This is a massive investment, so if they are going from success to success to record-breaking jam haul to record-breaking jam haul, why then, after a year, does Netflix bail? Doesn’t that contradict the responsibility they have for shareholders, which is to provide value?” he asked. “It defies common sense.”
Sometimes I wonder how many of the conspiracies about Harry and Meghan just boil down to “stupid people not understanding money or business.” I think about that a lot with the pocket-watching stories about the Sussexes’ money, wherein people say with their whole chest that Harry and Meghan are broke and they’ve already spent their $100 Netflix contract, their $20 million Spotify contract and all of Harry’s book money and salary from BetterUp. Like, do they not understand money? Investments? Savings? Salaries? Profits? That’s what I think is happening with all of these conversations about Netflix’s investment in As Ever – by the looks of things, As Ever had a fantastic first year, to the point where the business is already turning a significant profit and Meghan is now confident enough to grow her business on her own. She’s either already paid back Netflix’s investment or she will pay it back in the coming months/years. This conversation about “As Ever isn’t turning a profit, it’s not selling, Netflix LOST all of that money” makes zero sense.
Photos courtesy of Netflix.
This Donnelly person is clearly a hater but also knows that the Meghan hate train is a money maker. Another racist grifter getting into that rickety deranger boat. Loser.
All of this noise re Netflix suggests to me those gutter rats just fill in whatever blank they think makes the Sussexes look bad. They are obviously clueless and circling the drain for talking points all while the Sussexes keep living their fabulous lives. They just need to give it up already because, Meghan is moving forth with her vision while they regurgitate nonsense.
Packaged goods has been my entire career at a senior level. This is a nutty story. Of course Netflix probably did front the capital for the AE start up. That is exactly how start ups work. You get a big investor to take a minority interest in exchange for the early funding and strategic support. Then at some point, the minority investor holds on for when the business goes public or gets acquired or the founder buys the investor out. This seems to be what happened. Netflix got some learning from their investment, found that the products were not a fit with the Universal Theme Parks Stores type of retail they were building, so both sides moved along and got what they wanted from the deal. Unless Netflix was going to build out a new type retail division, AE would not produce enough revenue to matter to a multi billion dollar organization, but as a stand alone Meghan can make millions that are material to her own net worth. Happens all the time. I have funded many of these at the corporate level.
I have always felt that the Sussexes and the Sarandos were close enough friends that Ted utilized Netflix to help his friend out, giving her the capital investment she needed. He was able to get Meghan started all while Netflix also profited. There is no way Netflix took a loss on this. However I do agree jams, teas and wine are not really in their wheelhouse so once Netflix got their investment back and Meghan was on her feet he let her run her own business.
Sarandos believed in the Sussexes and was able to use Netflix to help her out all while getting a top 10 home & cooking show and their investment plus. For all we know maybe she had trouble finding investors due to the press going after anyone that helps them and he knew it was a safe investment and Netflix could withstand any attacks.
Have to disagree about As ever items not being in their wheelhouse: the WS Bridgerton branded collection – among many other items – currently includes cookies, shortbread and scone mixes, fruit spreads, honey, a candle, a couple of chocolate bars (including one with pressed flowers!). They don’t have wine, but have a variety of beverage mixes in wine shaped bottles. WS (also Dove) are large, established companies providing branded merchandise connected with a multi season, continuing series. As a start up connected, at least publicity wise, with a limited run series over in less than a year, As ever was nowhere near ready to provide either the volume or product diversity Netflix would require. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t a benefit for both sides, but made sense for As ever to ultimately move forward on its own.
@Windyriver I can’t reply to you but I think you need to separate the licensed products from As Ever, one is mass produced with a scale that has supply chains distributed throughout for over 10 years the other is an independent brand they are not the same and should not be thought of as such.
In less than a year, As Ever managed to set a healthy pace as a start-up, there is still so much to learn and know. Listening to several podcasts of start-ups that grew too fast and soon where supply chains fell through, forces out of their control did not work out, and investors demanded way too much because they were more interested in capital than survival of the brand.
I think these journalists just don’t understand business. If you invest in a company you are not legally allowed to withdraw your investment. Meghan could just say no and there wouldn’t be anything Netflix could do! The only way to separate before the end of contract is if a new investor comes on or Meghan pays back all the money and takes full control. Sykes and Donnelly just look silly. Why do they care so much about Meghan’s business, it’s weird?
It was Meghan’s company so why would Netflix be giving her products away for free (other than free samples for staff) without her permission? The products all have a shelf life into 2027 so why would Meghan allow this to happen? It sounds like some low level staffers saw the free samples and thought it was unsold stock. Totally bonkers!
Not always, but way too often, when a writer gets called out, instead of reflecting, they just double down and get even nastier. This guy now has a chip on his shoulder after his article was lampooned and largely disproven. So now he’s going to always have an ax to grind with Meghan. Rather than reflect on how he might’ve gotten it wrong he’s going to blame the subject and just keep critiquing. Make some of that click bait money while digging in those heels. And look, if none of Meghan’s productions come to fruition or asever bellyflops into bankruptcy, then sure, let them get their licks in. But that’s just not the situation at the moment. The Sussexes seem fine, chugging along and working. While Matt Donnelly keeps on insisting his view is valid when there’s a lot of evidence that points to the contrary. Time will tell but anyone being as obstinately insistent as he is usually ends up eating crow and with egg on their face.
I think this is strongly what occurred. Not only was he refuted within the story, and then their sister magazine deadline got the denial from Bela, they then released the news about the scripted Polo show.
He’s the one taking the hit, even though people are pointing out Variety’s tanking reputation as well. He’s embarrassed and that makes some people angry instead of reflective.
It’s wild. And yet here he is doubling down. I’ve seen this happen a few times where a writer gets something wrong or not quite right and they do not take the criticism well. Shouldn’t this spur them on to do better, have better sources, better research or something. But nope. Some people just get more righteous.
I thought it was 24 million not 60 million are they quoting these inflated totals so they can question any profit as a loss
Also he’s talking about the jam selling year after year and the business isn’t even a year old yet. I don’t get why he’s so fixated on this.
I think there’s a phenomenon here that drives this whole nonsense that’s akin to a gambling addiction.
People get *so juiced* on delicious, delicious anticipation. They feel they have inside knowledge that something exciting and desirable is going to happen – a win at cards, a win in the stock market, the downfall of someone they’ve decided is a threat or whom they hate – that the hype machine itself is a source of dopamine. In fact they almost don’t WANT the thing to happen because the anticipation alone – that is, the contemplation of an imagined exciting outcome – is a secure source of dopamine. Where some get bored and wander off, others get addicted.
This cottage industry in hate almost doesn’t want the Sussexes to fail now. This edge-of-the-seat anticipation of the failure is actually where they make the money.
So I used to think that they really thought that Harry and Meghan were spending all of this money, or had spent all of their money and didn’t understand the savings, investments, and passive income either. But I don’t really think that’s the case anymore.
I think that they focus so much on how are they going to make money, because these deals give them content to write about. What’s the next podcast that they’re going to release, what’s that going to be about, who is going to be guests on the podcast? How many shows have they produced for Netflix, what were the ratings on those shows, who did she invite on the shows, did those shows have any Royal mentions or Royal links?
They spent 2021-2024 doing that on everything that they did, and then they spent most of 2025 talking about what would they do after the deal ended.
That’s why they made such a hullabaloo about the first look deal. Not necessarily because they didn’t understand it I believe, but because it’s a different sort of restriction that they can’t concern troll about the return on investment. Harry and Meghan are private citizens so they don’t need to explain what they’re doing, but the British media can create content by pretending they’re just asking reasonable questions since they’re under contract. They can’t do that with As Ever, there are no shareholders, it’s not linked to Netflix anymore, they don’t have to provide content for them to judge them.
Failing companies are not planning global expansions.. these people act like AS EVER is declaring bankruptcy and closing the company leaving Netflix loosing money which they certainly didn’t but that is definitely how Middletons run their businesses.
Why wouldn’t they? Netflix was As Ever’s main investor.
It’s so weird. They seem to be focused on pressuring Netflix to cut ties with them. And that’s all this is. I think they got so much ink out of Spotify they are grifters mess they want that in the lead up to the games.
Matt is doubling down- I think he was embarrassed by the push back & by Bela saying people should fact check. So apparently on the podcast he says ridiculous stuff like how Meghan was just a recurring guest actress on Suits 🥴. And he claims the polo series was a 3 year pitch that was magically announced to kill his story. Talk about ego being bruised.
Ted sarandos was promoting the polo series articles. Why would Netflix play along with a show announcement if they are done with Harry & Meghan as his article says? Why even sign a new deal last year? Has Matt even thought of the logic of that- it can’t be because of friendship with Bela & Ted especially if he claims they were fed up with them. So what’s in it for Netflix?
I’m pretty sure that Ted’s interview said Netflix were passive partners of As ever & Meghan has said it’s pretty much her baby. Maybe with WLM not coming back as a regular series it didn’t make sense for Netflix anymore. I never got sense that this would be a permanent partnership although I did think it would be longer.
Netflix is doing cuts right now & let’s not forget their exit from As ever was likely around time they were still looking at buying Warner brothers so maybe they were also doing general cost savings in prep for that. As ever hasn’t released figures so Tom Sykes is lying saying they’ve made claims of what they’ve sold. But with sold out product launches it doesn’t seem like As ever is struggling. Plus I really don’t understand the idea that Netflix has these excess tea & mixes which aren’t on the site. Why wouldn’t they be trying to ensure the stock is sold especially as I doubt expiry dates would be an issue for those products?
He said all that? That Meghan was a recurring guest on suits? Ok, yeah that is definition of lost the plot and lost in the sauce.
Look they just want to continue with the we hate Meg campaign and they will put whatever lies they can come up with!! Unfortunately there are those who will believe the bullshit.
I think they’re trying to rage bait As Ever into providing hard numbers. That’s it. That’s all.
I watched the interview and I felt it was nakedly obvious that he absolutely despises Harry & Meghan. He also seemed angry that Netflix appeared to not further push Harry and Meghan away, but instead announce that new project. You could see his frustration in how that blew up the narrative.
Well, isn’t it As Ever’s first birthday today?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AS EVER!!!
I wish they’d do a social media post to celebrate. It’s been such a wild success story, they should throw some numbers in the faces of all these naysayers, who’ve started building a whole new industry around lying about Netflix and the Sussexes.
The noise around Meghan is always lies that don’t make sense. The noise makers have to lie because if they don’t how do you make a married philanthropist with 2 kids and a brand sound bad? You can’t and since Meghan must remain a villain at all costs they’ll act like Meghan closing her car door or buying out her investor and fully owning her brand in under a year are crimes against humanity.
True. They make the most simple, mundane things sound so bad when it’s Meghan. So crossing her legs, wearing ripped jeans, hugging people, sending early morning emails and now switching off the video doing zoom calls is made to be like cruella dog snatching evil. Variety’s source would hate me because I never have my camera on during work calls if I can help it.
People are so unhinged with the fault finding for Meghan
What I want to know is why tom sucks is so obsessed with Harry and especially Meghan and their bank accounts and lives . Like he has a whole ass left behinds there with him and he ain’t dedicate any of this energy to why the wanks won’t work or why Willy is selling off duchy property and stashing away the money for his children who he doesn’t want to work and why would they when he is taking Money that doesn’t belong to him or them and hiding it away for them . These are things tom should concern his creepy self with