Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Named 'F-king Grifters' by Spotify Exec and Podcaster Bill Simmons After Leaving Company

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Bill Simmons, who sold The Ringer to Spotify in 2020 and rose through the tech company’s executive ranks, mocked Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on his podcast on Friday, calling them “f-king grifters.”

The Sussexes and Spotify confirmed on Thursday that they have parted ways after signing a $20 million deal three years ago for their Archewell production company. The agreement was part of Spotify’s increased spending on podcasting, a boost including the nearly $200 million acquisition of Ringer. Recently, the audio giant has been downsizing and laying off employees, consolidating divisions and emphasizing the creator economy rather than big-ticket talent, though it still has Joe Rogan and a few other notable hosts on its podcast roster.

Simmons, who still runs Ringer and is also the head of podcast innovation and monetization at Spotify, provided the comments on the podcast that bears his name.

“The f-cking grifters. This is the podcast we should be shooting with them. “I have to drink one night and tell a Zoom story I got with Harry to try and help him with the podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories.”

The comments appeared on Twitter (see below) and were first reported by The Big Lead.

Among Archewell’s podcasts was archetypes hosted by Markle. The show explored the societal forces that have held back women’s progress and welcomed guests such as Trevor Noah, Mariah Carey, Mindy Kaling and Serena Williams. It hasn’t been renewed for a second season, though it will likely reappear on another platform.

Markle signed last April with WME, with the agency also representing Archewell.

Simmons didn’t keep his tongue about the royal couple even during the time they were under contract with Spotify. Last January, he lashed out at Prince Harry, saying it was “embarrassing” to join the same company.

“Shoot that guy to the sun,” Simmons grumbled, according to Big Lead. “I’m tired of this guy. What does he bring to the table? He just whines about the sh-t and keeps giving interviews. Who gives the sh-t? Who cares about your life? You weren’t even a favorite son. … You live in Montecito and only sell Documentaries and podcasts and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the royal family and just complain about them.”