Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Framed Netflix Deal ‘As a Better Opportunity’ to Get ‘More Control’

On Aug. 13, the trailer for the next season of Netflix’s With Love, Meghan dropped, showing Meghan Markle cooking and crafting with stars including Chrissy Teigen and Queer Eye’s Tan France. At one point the 44-year-old gushes, “Let’s get creative and learn something new!”

But it might just be the same old, same old. Since season 2 of the lifestyle show (out Aug. 26) was completed before season 1 premiered, there’s a fair chance the series won’t include changes to address the widespread criticism against it. That’s been a problem with the former Suits star and her husband, Prince Harry, who have just lost their $100 million deal with Netflix.

Not only did they fail to produce content that grabbed viewers, but they also reportedly ignored expert advice. In the end, Meghan’s show reportedly ranked 343 for the streamer, with 5.3 million views, while Harry’s Polo docuseries ranked a dreary 3,436.

Now the former royals have been demoted to a first-look deal with Netflix, meaning the streamer has first dibs on new projects, but is offering little to no investment (bye-bye $100 mil!).

It’s humiliating for the pair, who have repeatedly failed to make an impact in the industry. (An earlier Spotify deal also fell through.)

“Of course, they’re putting it out there that this is a better opportunity because it gives them more control,” an insider tells Star. “But as anyone in Hollywood knows, it could wind up being a stigma trap: If Netflix passes on something they pitch, it sends a negative message to other companies.”