A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously said reports of tension with Netflix are “categorically false"
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NEED TO KNOW
- Meghan Markle stepped out with close friend Kelly McKee Zajfen on Thursday, March 19
- The appearance comes amid a report in Variety that claimed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had tension with Netflix related to the couple’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, and Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare
- “Don’t believe whatever you read,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said, disputing the report
Meghan Markle is all smiles in her first public appearance since reports of a falling out with Netflix, which she, her husband Prince Harry and the streaming giant have all denied.
On Thursday, March 19, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, stepped out with her close friend Kelly McKee Zajfen as the pair attended the Alliance for Children's Rights 34th Annual Champions for Children event held at Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The Alliance of Moms co-founder praised Meghan in October 2024 for her support at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala, calling the Duchess' commitment to the cause “truly inspiring,” adding, “I’m so grateful to have you by my side.”
Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty
The appearance comes amid a Variety report alleging tension between the streaming giant and the couple. The outlet claimed that the tension came as Netflix was "blindsided" by the Duke and Duchess' joint interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, and Harry publishing his memoir, Spare, in 2023.
According to the report, the alleged rift was related to the couple's six-episode docuseries Harry & Meghan, which was released in December 2022 on Netflix, airing so closely to the interview and book.
The docuseries chronicled the couple’s relationship from its early days through their wedding and decision to step back from royal life.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the couple denied that the streamer was caught off guard by their other projects.
“Netflix and Archewell had legal counsel involved to oversee the evolution of the deal, as is common practice for any deal changes in Hollywood,” a representative for Meghan and Harry said in the statement.
Credit: Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty
The following day, Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria also spoke out about the claims at the “Next on Netflix” event on Wednesday, March 18 telling those in attendance, “Don't believe whatever you read.”
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After suggesting “a little fact-checking,” she said the company still has a working relationship with Meghan and Harry, and have current projects with them “in development on the TV and film side.”
“Deals come and go all the time,” Bajaria said, noting that the company is engaged in numerous deals that don't receive the same level of scrutiny as its relationship with Harry and Meghan.
"I guess there's no juicy story there," she said.
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