Dear Gossips,
Prince Harry was in New York yesterday at The New York Times' 2024 DealBook Summit in conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin. The big headline today is what he said when asked about the British tabloids making it a big issue lately that he and Meghan Markle are doing separate events and whether or not their schedules portend divorce.
Harry brushed it off. Per PEOPLE:
“Apparently we've bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We've apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it's just like, what?' " Prince Harry said with a laugh.”
And then he took a shot at the trolls.
"It's hard to keep up with, but that's why you just sort of ignore it. The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls," he continued. "Their hopes are just built and built, and it's like, 'Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,' and then it doesn't happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do."
I like that description of how the haters sustain themselves, clinging to the conviction that, indeed, what they’re hoping will happen (which is the demise of a marriage) will happen and then having to twist themselves into alternate theories when it doesn’t happen. The dates keep moving, kinda like doomsday conspiracy people. The planet will implode in 2012. And when the year came and went they went back to their little charts and made new calculations.
While Harry was on the East Coast, Meghan was in LA last night in support of Tyler Perry at the Paley Center Honors. It’ll be five years next March since the Sussexes moved into Tyler’s home and began their life in California. That friendship, clearly, has been maintained, with Tyler appearing in Harry and Meghan’s docuseries a couple of years ago and Meghan showing up for Tyler at an event recognising his achievements in the industry. His new film, The Six Triple Eight, is in select cinemas tomorrow, December 6, 2024 before its streaming debut by Netflix on December 20. It’s based on the true story of the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of colour. Had no idea about who they were, what they did, and what they achieved until I watched it. Because, of course, their contributions were grossly overlooked. Kerry Washington plays Major Charity Adams, the highest ranking Black female officer during WWII. She said this role was the privilege of a lifetime. If you’re looking for something to watch this weekend, make it The Six Triple Eight. More people should be aware of this battalion!
Kerry was also there to honour Tyler last night. And also Miss Tina Knowles. So these are the connections that Tyler is potentially exposing to Meghan. It’ll be interesting to see if or how she draws on them in the new year as, presumably, she’ll finally be launching her brand… whatever it will be called.
As mentioned last week in What Else?, there have reportedly been delays due to trademark issues over American Riviera Orchard, and I feel like the name will probably change – or perhaps has already changed – and we’ll hear about that in the new year ahead of the press campaign. My point last week was that it’s been done before and one of the most successful example is Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS. So this setback is not unsurmountable, but it likely will require a creative and fresh marketing campaign. I’ll be addressing more about this on our Substack, The Squawk, in the next couple of weeks.
Before the jams and the roast chicken though, Harry and Meghan have Polo, premiering on Netflix next Tuesday. They came out with the trailer recently but there hasn’t been much more since. Will there be any promotion by the Sussexes before the series drops?
Yours in gossip,
Lainey
