Meghan Markle remains noticeably silent on actors' strike

2023-07-27

Meghan Markle remains noticeably silent on actors’ strike as rumours swirl over her and Harry’s Netflix deal

The Duchess of Sussex is already locked into a £78 million Netflix contract
Strikers seek better pay and assurances they won’t be replaced by AI

It was the union that made her a public offer of support following her bombshell Oprah interview in 2021.

But Meghan Markle has remained noticeably silent when it comes to the SAG-AFTRA strike in the US, despite once being part of the acting union.

There could be a conflict of interest for the Duchess of Sussex, 41, who is locked into a lucrative £78 million contract with Netflix – one of the streaming giants refusing to cooperate with the striking actors and writers.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has been on strike against major studios and streaming services since July 14, with Hollywood productions at a standstill.

Meghan Markle attends day two of the Invictus Games 2020 at Zuiderpark on April 17, 2022

A-list stars including Colin Farrell, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jessica Chastain are among those on the picket line calling for increased base pay, streaming residuals and assurances artificial intelligence would not replace their work.

In her Winfrey interview, Meghan described her union membership as something she sorely missed when becoming a royal.

The duchess recalled telling the Palace’s HR department: ‘I just really need help. Because in my old job, there was a union, and they would protect me.’

Mid-interview, SAG-AFTRA came out in support of the tearful duchess in a tweet, saying: ‘We are still here for you, Meghan. Everyone deserves the protection of a union.’

But the duchess has yet to show the same support.

SAG-AFTRA members and supporters walk the picket line as members of the Screen Actors Guild strike in New York on July 19, 2023

It comes as Netflix faced fresh criticism for advertising for an AI product manager amid the strike.

Last month, following the news the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Spotify deal was cancelled, rumours circulated that their Netflix deal, signed in 2020, could meet the same fate.

But the streaming platform spoke out in support of the couple, saying: ‘The bond with Archewell Productions is one we deeply value.

‘Our exciting journey with them isn’t ending any time soon.’

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