New blow for Prince Harry amid ‘toxic’ claims
BetterUp, the life-coaching company Prince Harry is paid millions each year to represent, has been slammed as a “boys club” as the Sussexes brace for a “pivotal decision” from Netflix.
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Prince Harry’s $2 million a year role at mental health firm BetterUp has been thrown into chaos as employees branded it a “toxic train wreck” and a “psychologically unsafe place to work”.
The Duke of Sussex, who joined as Chief Impact Officer in 2021, has been a prominent face for the life coaching company, appearing at events and livestreams for the US-based firm.
But current and former staff have painted a troubling picture of life inside the company, with one employee claiming “everyone is uncomfortable and living in fear”, reports GB News.
Workers have also criticised the company’s “elitist boys club of leaders”, who they say “have no moral compass” and “lack self-awareness”.
The firm currently holds a poor 2.8 out of five stars rating on employee review site Glassdoor.
Staff reviews on Glassdoor reveal deep-rooted issues within the company, with one former employee in October describing BetterUp as a “literal circus”.
“The company is a mess. Executive leadership is so detached from everyone else”, the former staff member told the review, before speaking on concerns about “weird trips and spending” and constant strategy shifts.
A current employee called it a “toxic train wreck”, adding: “You work your a** off but if you’re not in the inner circle, good luck to you.”
One employee was particularly scathing, stating: “Their existence is based on lies, no moral compass and an elitist club of leaders that lack self-awareness”.
Prince Harry’s appointment to the role in 2021 was met with much eyebrow raising with critics asking what qualifications he had to take on the role.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are bracing themselves for a suspected financial blow as their lucrative Netflix deal comes to an end in 2025, a royal commentator has said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a $160 million deal with the streaming giant in 2020 after quitting royal life and moving to the US.
After releasing a series of bombshell tell-all projects including a memoir and a Netflix docuseries, the pair have now adopted a new “twin-track” business strategy in a desperate bid to salvage their public image, which has taken a hit in recent years.
As the end of their Netflix partnership looms, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams suggested a renewal of the contract is “absolutely pivotal” for the duo’s new approach to be successful.
“Their separation of work is being tried out, and it worked perfectly well in the sense there have been no glitches. What they need is her cookery series for Netflix,” Mr Fitzwilliams told GB News.
“What is absolutely pivotal is the renewal of the contract with Netflix next year, so precisely what happens in the coming months financially is vital.”
Earlier this month, the Sussexes released their Polo docuseries on the streamer. However, the project was slammed by both critics and viewers.
The duo, who both served as executive producers on the project, made minimal appearances in the docuseries, with the promotion of the project also underdelivering.
It came after Ms Markle finished filming her upcoming show for Netflix in July.
While details about her new project remain thin on the ground, the series will reportedly be centred around cooking and wellness.
Ms Markle is likely to produce the untitled project herself and it will likely incorporate her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which still hasn’t launched.
“They lost Spotify a while ago, and it doesn’t seem there is anything substantial financially that we know of that is coming up,” Mr Fitzwilliams said.
“When American Riviera Orchard and Meghan’s cookery show is launched, that will certainly give her a good deal more than her occasional appearance.”
Both the polo docuseries and the upcoming cooking show fall under the deal the couple signed with Netflix under their Archewell Productions company.
“They have a profile at a certain level. Harry and Meghan were in Times100 in 2020, so they have a brand, they have got their admirers, and they have got a profile,” the royal expert said of the couple.
“They’ve changed their tactic, and we will see what it adds up to in the next year.”
The couple’s previous collaboration with Netflix — a docuseries titled Harry & Meghan — proved to be a massive hit after its release in December 2022.
They also executive-produced Netflix’s docuseries Live to Lead, as well as Heart of Invictus, a documentary following athletes preparing for the Prince Harry-founded Invictus Games, which hit the streamer in August 2023.
Also that month, author Carley Fortune confirmed Archewell is adapting her romance novel Meet Me at the Lake for Netflix.
It’s unclear if the duo have any other projects in the pipeline for 2025, however fans are eagerly awaiting the overdue launch of American Riviera Orchard, which has faced a series of trademark issues in recent months.
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