Spotify Exec Bill Simmons Thinks Prince Harry and Meghan Are ‘Grifters’
Spotify executive and popular podcaster Bill Simmons doesn’t sound like he’s a fan of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Simmons discussed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after news broke that their deal with the streaming platform had ended.
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“I wish I had been involved in the ‘Meghan and Harry leave Spotify’ negotiation,” Simmons commented on his self-titled podcast Friday, according to CNN. “‘The F–king Grifters.’ That’s the podcast we should have launched with them. I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories. . .F–k them. The grifters.”
The couple’s production company, Archewell Audio, and Spotify made the deal in 2020, which was meant to lead to the creation of several different series. However, only one came out of the partnership: “Archetypes,” a podcast that aimed to “investigate, dissect and subvert the labels that try to hold women back,” according its description. Guests on the podcast included several A-listers, including Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton and Trevor Noah.
Archewell and Spotify did not immediately return inquiries from Robb Report. In 2020, Spotify bought The Ringer, a sports and culture site founded by Simmons with more than 30 podcasts, in a deal worth over $200 million, according to Forbes. He has since become the head of podcast innovation and monetization at Spotify.
This isn’t the first time Simmons has targeted Harry. In a podcast episode that aired last January, the former sports writer said he was “embarrassed” to share Spotify with the prince. “What does he do? It’s one of those things where it’s like, what’s your talent? Why are we listening to you? So you were born in a royal family and then you left,” Simmons said. “You live in f—king Montecito and you just like, you sell documentaries and podcasts and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family and you just complain about them.”
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