Bill Simmons, the Ringer founder and head of podcast innovation and monetization at Spotify, recently ridiculed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on his podcast, labeling the couple as “fucking grifters.” Simmons’ comment follows the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Thursday announcement that their production company, Archewell, had severed ties with the audio company. The pair inked a $20 million deal with Spotify in 2020.
“‘The Fucking Grifters.’ That’s the podcast we shoulda launched with them,” said Simmons on his self-titled podcast. “I gotta 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.”
Simmons’ the Ringer sold to the audio platform for $196 million in 2020, with Simmons gaining to a leadership role at Spotify as a result.
The podcaster also scolded the couple in January 2022 episode of his podcast: “Shoot this guy to the sun… I’m so tired of this guy. What does he bring to the table? He just whines about shit and keeps giving interviews. Who gives a shit? Who cares about your life? You weren’t even the favorite son.”
“You live in fucking Montecito and you just sell documentaries and podcasts and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family and you just complain about them,” Simmons added.
The deals with both Simmons and the Duke and Duchess were a part of Spotify’s expansion into podcasting. However, that emphasis has waned at the company, with the January exit of former chief content and advertising business officer, Dawn Ostroff, as well as the early June announcement, that the company would be laying off 200 employees due to “strategic realignment.”
