‘Canny’ Meghan Markle is ‘professionally wooing’ Amazon top boss Jeff Bezos after string of Netflix flops, insiders claim 

Netflix bosses are said to be ‘on record’ that the Duchess of Sussex is professionally courting billionaire Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.

Sources across Hollywood say there is ‘a lot of chatter’ at the streaming giant and beyond about Meghan’s decision to return to the screen, where she will have a small role as herself in the upcoming Amazon MGM Studio film Close Personal Friends.

Some have claimed that Meghan, 44, who recently salvaged a ‘first look’ deal with Netflix following the end of her $100 million (£76 million) five-year deal, was a ‘shrewd businesswoman’ who sided with Bezos rather than Netflix to take on the acting gig eight years after she got engaged to Prince Harry and left the cast of legal drama Suits.

But another source pointed out that Bezos is one of the few people with enough money to finance future projects, both on- and off-screen, that Meghan and Harry might want to work on.

A source from rival studio Disney told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The Sussexes have been the subject of a lot of chatter this week.

‘People wonder why Meghan appears to be courting Jeff Bezos professionally, but to be brutally honest, who can blame her?

‘He has all the money in the world and is one of the few people who can finance his future projects.’

Interestingly, Harry and Meghan were also guests at Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party last weekend, held at the $165 million (£123.5 million) mansion in Beverly Hills owned by Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sanchez.

Some claimed Meghan, 44, was a ‘shrewd businesswoman’ who sided with Bezos rather than Netflix to launch an acting gig eight years after leaving legal drama Suits. Picture: Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez

Pictured: Prince Harry with Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos and John Travolta

Bezos, a huge James Bond fan, recently took Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney under his wing and reportedly invested millions in “seed money” to help her launch a lingerie line.

Additionally, Sydney has reportedly been cast as the Bond girl in the next 007 movie, which Amazon will produce after the franchise was sold to Bezos for $1 billion.

A source at William Morris Endeavor (WME), Hollywood’s biggest talent agency, which represents Meghan, told the MoS: ‘The Duchess is an astute businesswoman and is very much in control of her career and where it goes.

‘Of course people talk about her connection to Jeff Bezos and her choice to star in an Amazon movie, but there are very few big players in town and she has two: Netflix and Amazon.

‘She’s a shrewd businesswoman. Underestimate it at your peril.’

The role in the film will mark Meghan’s return to acting for the first time since 2017. The film also stars Parisian actress Lily Collins, Captain Marvel’s Brie Larson and Dennis Quaid, and Meg Ryan’s actor son Jack Quaid.

According to the New York Post’s Page Six column, Meghan had been ‘inundated with offers’ since retiring from acting.

But the project, a comedy about a couple who befriend another celebrity couple during a trip to Santa Barbara, is said to ‘feel right’ for Meghan.

Meghan, 44, recently bailed out a ‘first look’ deal with Netflix after her $100 million (£76 million) five-year deal expired

Meghan’s lifestyle show With Love, Meghan was widely mocked but ran for two seasons

Meghan Markle mentioned her family several times on the lifestyle show, which features cooking, crafting and hosting tips

Last night a source close to Netflix said: ‘Everyone in Hollywood is talking about Meghan returning to acting in an Amazon movie rather than a Netflix project.

‘It’s a bit like when Meghan and Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey to give their first major post-Megxit interview.

‘People all over town are wondering why they aren’t on Netflix? Of course, Netflix will never say anything publicly critical about them.

‘But let’s say this; this has been noted.’

Although Meghan and Harry’s Netflix deal, which ended in September, was widely considered a flop in Tinseltown, Netflix boss Ted Sarandos is said to ‘adore’ Meghan.

2022’s six-part docuseries ‘Harry & Meghan’, which is Sussex’s first project for the streaming giant and shows intimate behind-the-scenes footage of the couple’s exit from the royal family, remains Netflix’s most-watched documentary ever.

But other projects, including Harry’s documentary series Polo and a program about the Invictus Games, both failed to take off.

Meghan’s lifestyle show With Love, Meghan was widely mocked but ran for two seasons and a one-off ‘holiday special’ is set to premiere before Christmas.

Six-part docuseries ‘Harry & Meghan’, Sussex’s first project for the streaming giant, remains Netflix’s most-watched documentary so far in 2022

The streaming service also remains a partner of Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle brand, which launched its first holiday-themed collection, including scented candles, champagne and a warm spice set.

The source added: ‘People criticized the five-year deal but Netflix was happy with the docuseries, which was a huge hit.

‘That’s why they signed a first look deal with the Sussexes when the original deal expired.

‘They both definitely have the right to do other projects with other studios.

‘Ted (Sarandos) doesn’t care – he adores her – but others have pointed it out.

‘Everyone is talking about why Meghan chose Jeff Bezos. He’s a billionaire, idiot.’

Netflix and the Duchess of Sussex have been approached for comment.

Meghan Markle announces holiday special will air on Netflix on December 3

Blow by blow: The Sussexes and the projects that failed

Claims that Meghan was “professionally courting” Bezos come after projects that have yet to get off the ground and a lifestyle series that hasn’t received positive reviews.

The Duchess of Sussex announced her holiday special earlier this week Her show, With Love Meghan, will air On December 3.

He made the announcement on Instagram, sharing a bright promotional photo of himself wearing a festive jersey.

Wearing an emerald green dress, the mother-of-two was photographed placing fancy Christmas decorations for a festive feast.

“Adopt traditions and make new ones this holiday season,” the caption read. ‘With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration on Netflix December 3.’

The streaming giant has already aired two seasons of the show, highlighting a variety of cooking topics and offering ‘tips’ from former working royals – but critics have been less than complimentary in their reviews.

Previous A-lister guests have included the likes of Chrissy Teigen and Mindy Kaling, as well as members of the Sussexes’ ‘Team Montecito’ such as Abigail Spencer.

Model and TV star Chrissy Teigen stars in Markle’s series

In the second season of With Love, Meghan was criticized as ‘a little less crazy but more needy’ than her predecessor, despite attracting millions of viewers in its first season.

The Mail’s Liz Jones described the new season as ‘staged, fake and boring’ but, unlike other critics, praised Meghan for being ‘genuinely serious’.

The Guardian described the show as ‘very boring’ and ‘very contrived’, while The Telegraph described the Duchess as ‘Marie Antoinette of Montecito’.

The Times was equally scathing, describing the eight-episode series as ‘a series searching for meaning, starring a woman in need of some money’.

Despite celebrity guests like Chrissy Teigen, John Legend and Tan France, critics claim the show lacks substance and Meghan is not real.

The Duchess of Sussex has ‘got it all right’ according to a broadcaster’s insider, but Meghan still looks ‘bleak’ in the eyes of Netflix bosses as they watch With Love’s figures.

Meghan’s lifestyle show failed to crack Netflix’s top 300 shows in the first half of 2025 and was even criticized by multiple seasons of Suits.

The second season of With Love Meghan was announced by the Duchess, whose first season debuted in March this year as part of the couple’s $100 million deal with the streaming giant, which expires this year.

But a Netflix source claimed: ‘That deal has ended.

‘Everything was going well – name, platform, press – and the numbers were dismal.

‘They’re just waiting for the loans to roll. They let it expire without drama. There’s no appetite for anything new.’

Meanwhile, Harry’s passion project documentary Polo ranked a disastrous 3,436 out of 7,000 showings and was watched by just 500,000 people in six months.

She and Harry have suffered another blow after signing a new ‘multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects’ with Netflix; this downgraded the previous $100 million megadeal.

The new regulation is a first-look agreement; That means Netflix can accept or reject new movie or TV projects before anyone else.

By putting a positive spin on the renewed agreement, Making the statement with Netflix, the Sussexes said they were “expanding their creative partnership” through Archewell Productions.

But the new terms appear to be less valuable than previous agreements, according to a person familiar with the deal, suggesting Netflix is ​​loosening its ties with the couple.

It was reported earlier this year that an adaptation of the romance novel Meet Me At The Lake was in the balance and “may never happen,” according to sources. PageSix.

The Sussexes announced they would produce the film for the streaming giant in August 2023 – but it’s been two years and Archewell Productions has reportedly yet to hire a director or cast the cast.

A Hollywood source told the publication in July: ‘At this point, you would think a director and cast would be added to the cast. So what is the delay?’

‘And when you do something for Netflix, it takes a long time for it to get to the streamer; There’s a lot to do in post-production to make sure it’s ready for every country. ‘If the agreement is valid this year, when will this movie be made?’

In February 2020, five months after Megxit, the Sussexes bought their Montecito home for $14.65 million (£10,890,000).

The following year, in a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey while Meghan was pregnant with daughter Lilibet, Prince Harry reflected on his money-making activities to date.

He said that the agreements they made with Netflix and Spotify were due to financial necessity.

The prince said he broke off contact with his family in the first quarter of 2020, shortly after he and Meghan announced they would step back as senior members of the royal family.

He added that he still has the money inherited from his late mother, Princess Diana.

“We couldn’t have done this without him,” he said, referring to the family’s move to California.