Real reason behind Meghan Markle’s latest Hollywood move

A glowing Meghan appeared relaxed as she “worked the room like a pro” at an A-list LA party – but there was more going on behind-the-scenes.

Meghan Markle hit the red carpet at a Variety event last week. Picture: Lisa O’Connor/AFP

Hollywood insiders have lifted the lid on Meghan Markle’s “surprise” appearance at a recent A-list industry event, describing it as an attempt to quash speculation that her brand is in trouble.

The Duchess of Sussex hit the red carpet for Variety’s Power of Women event in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, where she gushed about how “proud” she was of the projects her company with Prince Harry, Archewell Productions, had been working on.

“We have so many exciting things on the slate,” a beaming Meghan told reporters.

“I can’t wait until we can announce them, but I’m just really proud of what we’re creating. My husband is loving it too which is really fun.”

The solo outing follows months of frenzied speculation about what the next commercial chapter will look like for Harry and Meghan, with many of their attempts at building a Hollywood empire since they moved to the US more than three years ago falling flat.

Meghan made a glamorous arrival at the Variety event. Picture: Lisa O’Connor/AFP

She was without Harry – and “worked the room like a pro”. Picture: Lisa O’Connor/AFP

They found massive ratings success with their Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan – but the majority of the couple’s other productions – including Harry’s Live to Lead and Heart of Invictus series, and Meghan’s podcast, Archetypes – have not proven so lucrative.

A scene from Harry’s Live to Lead Netflix series. Picture: Netflix

Just months on from the high-profile axing of their $31 million Spotify deal, there are now rumours that Netflix is planning to “quietly allow” their reported $150 million contract with the Sussexes to lapse when it expires in 2025, according to the Daily Mail.

The couple’s six-part docu-series was a massive ratings hit – but their other projects have not fared so well. Picture: Netflix

If that happens, it will likely mark the end of Harry and Meghan’s Hollywood dream.

Industry experts now claim Meghan’s decision to rub shoulders with the Tinseltown elite – including Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Universal Studios’ boss Pearlena Igbokwe and president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Janet Yang, was a carefully calculated move.

“It’s clearly time for a relaunch of Brand Sussex, and Meghan’s solo appearance speaks volumes about the direction they are headed,” leading Hollywood crisis management Eric Schiffer told the publication, adding that she “hit the red carpet like the pro she is” and “worked the room”.

Schiffer added that Harry and Meghan were able to initially coast on the “sympathy” felt by many when they quit royal life and moved to the US – but more than three years on, Archewell is now in desperate of a “hit” after having “squandered that goodwill”.

“The truth is that a lot of people think the couple have blown it,” a Hollywood studio executive told the Mail.

“In Hollywood, Harry is viewed as someone stuck in the past and consumed by grudges. Meghan is still able to get a lot of attention but the challenge for her now is about translating that attention into cold, hard cash.

“ … When they came to LA there was a lot of excitement, but now the feeling is, what do they have left to sell?’

“What do they have left to sell?” Picture: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Meghan’s glitzy solo outing came just two days after she and Harry made headlines after details leaked of their first call to King Charles in months.

The couple broke the ice with the monarch to make a “friendly” call, during which they wished him a happy 75th birthday and showed him a video of his grandchildren, Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2.

Over the weekend, a friend of the Sussexes reportedly told The Sunday Times that they would now “love to” celebrate Christmas in the UK with Harry’s family, but as yet, they “haven’t been invited”.

If they did arrange to spend Christmas together, it would be the King’s first with Archie and Lilibet.