It may be a new year for Harry and Meghan, but the drama certainly keeps coming – with Vanity Affair publishing what some have described as a ‘blistering takedown’ of the Sussex duo.

The 8,000 piece saw anonymous sources open up about their experiences of working with Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, on their Netflix and Spotify deals – recalling icy encounters and failed ideas. Alongside ex-employees were sources said to be neighbours of the couple, who dubbed them ‘entitled’ and ‘disingenuous,’ ruining the already celebrity-ridden postcode of Montecito by ‘bringing more attention.’

However, the couple have now reportedly hit back at the mammoth takedown – which those close to them have labelled as ‘distressing.’

According to The Times, Harry and Meghan have ‘dismissed’ the allegations made against them. Those close to the Duke and Duchess pointed to comments made by actress Sharon Stone, who is another neighbour of the pair. When speaking to Hello!, Sharon previously revealed, ‘They’re a part of our community, they’ve become a giving, caring, participating part of our community. They’re not here to be like, ‘Would you like to kiss my butt?’

While Sharon’s comments certainly paint a picture that’s far from that of the ‘entitled’ couple, it doesn’t entirely quieten down the article’s fallout. Namely, shocking allegations made from those who claimed to be former employees of Harry and Meghan.

In the article, titled ‘Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Big Business Ambitions, 5 Years After Their Royal Exit,’ Vanity Fair addressed the many challenges faced by the Sussexes since stepping down as senior working royals, saying ‘Leaving the royal family has brought tests for the couple – legal, financial, reputational, personal and practical.’

Indeed, the pair have worked hard to find their feet. Alongside a failed Spotify deal and a multi-million pound Netflix deal – with the latest offering being Meghan’s home-focused show With Love, Meghan – one producer who worked with the couple on their Spotify deal shared, ‘The thing you’re escaping is the reason you’re compelling.’

Harry and Meghan’s deal with Spotify fizzled out in 2023, after the couple failed to meet ‘productivity benchmarks.’ Opening up in VF’s article, one individual who worked with the couple on audio projects now insists there was more to the story than the pair simply ‘failing to have ideas.’

It’s said there were trial runs on multiple potential shows, including one where the Duke and Duchess would take turns interviewing interesting civilian guests. As had been previously reported, the employee confirmed that Harry had also brainstormed a series where he would interview ‘powerful men with complicated stories,’ such as Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

The premise was based on sociopaths – namely, what led these men down such paths. Another concept suggested was having the prince review a hot chocolate each week while chatting to a friend. Recalling that it was a ‘challenge’ to engage with Harry, the former Spotify employee shared, ‘He looks like the kind of guy who would, frankly, happily work for charities for the rest of his life and be very happy if Meghan made all the money.’ The article did note the prince’s impeccable manners, though.

While Harry’s podcast failed to materialise, Meghan made headlines with her offering: Archetypes. The premise of the series was clear: each episode, the Duchess would sit down to talk with impressive women in the public eye, all while dismantling the stereotypes pinned on them.

And indeed, this is what appeared to happen. The podcast saw Meghan dismantle stereotypes with several famous faces. Paris Hilton tackled ‘Bimbos,’ while Mariah Carey chipped away at ‘Diva.’

As for the friends she interviewed, VF allege that there was an expectation from those at Spotify that Meghan would bulk out the roster from her own contact list. This, however, proved difficult. Reports previously surfaced that Taylor Swift had turned down an invite to appear, with the Spotify employee now alleging that they were privy to rumours of Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion also declining.

According to the source, working environments on the podcast weren’t great either. While VF did note that many have described having nothing but pleasant interactions with the Duchess, one source who worked with Meghan and Harry on various media projects recalled how Meghan’s relationships with her staff grew strained.

It isn’t only the couple’s working life that found itself being written about The article also touched on Harry and Meghan’s relationship with each other. Having batted away divorce rumours that have long been doing the rounds, a source close to the couple revealed that there was no trouble when it came to attraction between Harry and Meghan – who share children Archie, five, and Lilibet, two. ‘They are so hot for each other,’ they told VF, adding, ‘Like you know how you meet those couples where you’re like, the way they’re looking at each other, I should probably not be here right now?’

But their tight-knit bond comes with downsides, the magazine claims. As suggested by VF, this closeness created the ideal conditions for ‘a folie a deux emerging,’ where the pair share and reinforce their own beliefs. ‘I don’t want to be like, oh, it’s an Oedipus thing or whatever,’ says the source when discussing Meghan’s caregiving role over Harry, ‘but it kind of feels like she’s reparenting him in a way.’

While Harry and Meghan have dismissed the allegations, it’s no doubt another hit on their revived brand.