Popular singer Taylor Swift recently declined an invitation to appear on Meghan Markle’s failed Spotify podcast, according to a new report.
On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Markle personally extended the handwritten invitation to the pop star. Swift declined to appear on the show through a representative. The report said Swift was just one of several top names Markle attempted to recruit as guests.
Earlier this month, Markle and Prince Harry’s lucrative Spotify deal valued at $20 million dollars fell through after the couple only produced one podcast since signing their contract in 2020. Since the deal imploded, reports have detailed the trials and tribulations surrounding the couple’s relationship with the platform.
Prince Harry attempted to pitch his own podcast ideas that reportedly fell flat with executives. One idea was a show that would feature controversial people discussing their childhood traumas including former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Podcaster Bill Simmons, who sold The Ringer to Spotify in 2020 has risen through the tech company’s executive ranks. He recently blasted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on his podcast Friday and labeled them as “f–king grifters.”
The Sussexes and Spotify confirmed Thursday they have parted ways after signing a deal reportedly worth $20 million three years ago for their production company, Archewell. The pact was part of Spotify’s surge in spending on podcasting, a push including the roughly $200 million Ringer acquisition. More recently, the audio giant has scaled back and laid off staff, consolidating divisions and emphasizing the creator economy instead of big-ticket talent, though it still has Joe Rogan and a few other notable hosts on its podcast roster.
“The f***ing grifters. That’s the podcast we shoulda launched with them,” Simmons ranted, during a recent episode of his podcast.
