Meghan Markle is refusing to give up on her dreams of showbiz glory, but is feeling the weight of reality after several of her recent ventures with Prince Harry haven't gone as planned, according to a sensational new report.
Insiders said the Duchess of Sussex was bummed after a podcast network company delayed her series until 2025, RadarOnline.com has learned. The pushback is speculated to be from perceived scheduling conflicts.
News broke that Meghan joined forces with Lemonada Media for a fresh podcast deal in February.
It was claimed there were fears of it being eclipsed by her newly launched lifestyle brand and cooking show, royal expert Richard Eden explained.
A spokesman for Markle declined to comment in April, but sources close to the former senior royal said she had a list of "very high-profile guests" scheduled to participate in her new podcasts.
"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," a statement from the media group read while announcing their collaboration.
"Our plan [is] 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."
Spotify previously scrapped her Archetypes podcast in June 2023 after 12 episodes dropped, following which Bill Simmons, Spotify's head of podcast innovation and monetisation, slammed the Duke and Duchess as "f------ grifters."
Markle has already started sending out samples of her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, after she filed trademarks to sell cutlery, cookbooks and jarred foods.
"She wants everything all at once, and it's backfiring on her again," said a source, according to The National Enquirer.
Harry, meanwhile, was claimed to have been "mortified" by the blowback over their projects and is insisting "he won't tolerate another show business disaster."
Critics have started mocking what they perceived to be cheap labels on Markle's jams.
"Hollywood is glam and glitz on the outside, but the real stars have worked hard for their success," noted one source in the report, who said Markle's former royal status may be overshadowing her attempts after the couple's Netflix series and Harry's memoir, Spare.
According to the report, it will be essential for Markle to win over her critics.
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One source reasoned, "If the public doesn't like you, they won't get behind you, and no amount of money you throw at the problem will make it go away."