Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, lands new podcast deal; parts ways with Spotify
Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN | 2/13/2024, 1:07 p.m.
Less than a year after Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, ended their podcasting partnership with Spotify, Meghan has a new podcasting partner.
Meghan will bring a new, yet-to-be-announced podcast to Lemonada Media, which issued a press release with the news on Tuesday. In addition to her new podcast, Lemonada will also stream “Archetypes,” Meghan’s podcast that debuted in 2022 on Spotify.
Lemonada did not release additional details about the podcast, other than Markle serving as its host.
Under the new creative partnership, Lemonada will begin streaming “Archetypes” this spring, handling ad sales and distribution. “Archetypes” featured conversations between Meghan and other notable women, including Mariah Carey, Mindy Kaling and Issa Rae.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. A spokesperson for Archewell Productions, the company founded by Harry and Meghan, did not respond to CNN’s inquiry regarding the terms of the deal.
“I’m proud to now be able to share that I am joining the brilliant team at Lemonada to continue my love of podcasting,” Meghan said in a statement. “Being able to support a female founded company with a roster of thought provoking and highly entertaining podcasts is a fantastic way to kick off 2024. Our plan to re-release ‘Archetypes’ so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast are well in the works. I’m so eager to be able to share it soon, and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family.”
“Meghan’s talent as host, creator and conversationalist is unparalleled and we are thrilled to co-create a new series with her that fosters her approach to creating art that matters,” said Lemonada CEO and co-founder, Jessica Cordova Kramer.
The company’s chief creative officer and co-founder, Stephanie Wittels Wachs, added, “As we’ve started development with The Duchess of Sussex, we are blown away by her collaborative spirit and clear vision, along with her deep desire to build compassion and community through this work.”
Lemonada Media is home to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ podcast, “Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus,” “Choice Words with Samantha Bee” and more.
After stepping down as senior royals and moving to the United States in 2020, Harry and Meghan secured numerous media deals, including with Spotify and Netflix, the streaming home of their docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” which chronicled their courtship, their relationship with the media and their decision to leave royal life.
The couple’s multi-year partnership ended with Spotify in June 2023. At the time, Archewell and Spotify said to CNN that both companies “have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”