Meghan Markle Heartbreak: 'Nauseating' Duchess Accused of Using Barack and Michelle Obama For 'Clout'

Meghan Markle faces heavy backlash after comparing her downgraded Netflix deal to Barack and Michelle Obama's successful production partnership.

Critics say the comparison was 'nauseating', accusing her of using the Obamas in a desperate attempt to spin her latest career setback as a win.

Megan Markle's Botched Netflix Deal

While speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., on October 13, the Duchess of Sussex attempted to defend her and Prince Harry's new, scaled-back arrangement with Netflix.

In a report by Radar Online, Markle explained that she and Prince Harry's exclusive Netflix contract has simply reached its term and transitioned into a 'first-look' deal. This is a setup she claimed was similar to the arrangement Netflix had with the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground.

Since partnering with Netflix, Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground has delivered critically acclaimed projects. Some of these are the American Factory, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2020, Our Great National Parks, an Emmy Award-winning series narrated by Barack Obama himself, and Leave the World Behind, a Netflix hit starring Julia Roberts.

Markle's comment immediately drew attention for appearing to equate the couple's struggling production company, Archewell Productions, with Higher Ground.

Observers noted that while both deals technically fall under 'first-look' arrangements, the Obamas have produced award-winning content, whereas Markle and Harry's post-royal projects have struggled to find similar success.

Social media users were quick to lash out at the Duchess' remarks. One user snarked that she could not resist name-dropping the Obamas to talk about her 'much-downgraded deal', as if she's using their name for 'clout'. Some also compared her and Prince Harry's productions to a school play.

Most comments have said one thing in common: Meghan Markle is simply nauseating to hear.

Harry and Meghan's Netflix Misses

Months after stepping back from royal duties and relocating to the United States, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle signed a £78 million ($100 million) deal with Netflix in 2020.

The Express shared that since the deal began, the Sussexes have released four projects, with one canceled before it aired. Their debut release, Harry & Meghan, remains their most successful effort. Released in 2022, it garnered 4.5 million viewers in its first week, outperforming The Crown's 5th season premiere.

As of mid-2025, it still holds the title of Netflix's most-watched documentary debut.

However, subsequent efforts failed to replicate that success. Live to Lead premiered later that month, featuring interviews with global figures inspired by Nelson Mandela's legacy. It did not reach the same level of attention and viewership as their debut.

In 2022, Netflix scrapped Markle's animated children's series Pearl before it aired. Movie insiders described it as 'devastating' news for the Duchess, who had considered it a personal passion project.

Prince Harry's 2024 docuseries, Polo, fared even worse, as it ranked 3,436th among all titles in early 2025. It only reached 500,000 households.

Meanwhile, Markle's solo project, With Love, Meghan, released in March 2025, performed better but still drew mixed reactions. The eight-episode lifestyle series entered Netflix's Top 10 Global Shows for a brief period, earning 5.3 million views and 12.6 million hours watched. Critics and social media users called it 'out of touch', questioning whether the Duchess could connect with ordinary viewers.

Despite the criticism, Meghan Markle remains optimistic about the couple's creative future. She shared during the summit that their team is doing a lot of 'content development that can meet different rooms', suggesting that more projects may still be on the horizon.