(CNN) — Spotify executive and popular podcaster Bill Simmons has lashed out at Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, calling them “scammers” after their multi-year partnership with Spotify ended on Friday.
“I wish I had been in on the ‘Meghan and Harry leave Spotify’ negotiation,” Simmons said on his self-titled podcast on Friday.
“‘The F**king Grifters’ [Los j*****s estafadores]. That’s the podcast we should have launched with them. I have to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories… Fuck them. The scammers.”
The partnership between Archewell Audio, the couple’s production company, and Spotify was intended to include numerous shows but ultimately only produced a series and a Christmas special.
Her “Archetypes” series was intended to “investigate, dissect, and upend the labels that try to leave women behind,” according to her description, and featured interviews of Meghan with celebrity guests including Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton, and Trevor. Noah.
Archewell Audio and Spotify announced they had “mutually agreed to part ways”, just two weeks after the streaming audio company said it had cut 200 jobs at its podcasts unit, or 2% of its global workforce, in a “strategic readjustment”.
Spotify recently announced layoffs at its podcasting division. Credit: John Nacion Imaging/Shutterstock
CNN has reached out to both Archewell and Spotify for comment on Simmons’ remarks.
Simmons previously criticized Harry in a January 2023 episode of his podcast, saying he was “so embarrassed” to share Spotify with him.
“What does he do? It’s one of those things where he’s like, what’s your talent? Why are we listening to you? So you were born into a royal family and then you left… You live in Montecito and You sell documentaries and podcasts and no one cares what you have to say about anything unless you’re talking about the royal family and complaining about them.”
Spotify acquired Simmons’ sports and culture site “The Ringer,” with its roster of more than 30 podcasts, for more than $200 million in 2020, Forbes reported at the time.
Since then, he has become the head of podcast innovation and monetization at Spotify, where he also hosts multiple podcasts, including “The Rewatchables.”
— CNN’s Max Foster contributed to this report.
