Industry Insider Praises Meghan Markle for Delaying Netflix Show
Meghan Markle made the right call when she decided to delay the release of her new Netflix show, an industry insider says.
With Love, Meghan was due to premiere Jan. 15. But the Duchess of Sussex and the streamer agreed it was best to push back the release date of the lifestyle series because of the ongoing wildfire disaster in the Los Angeles area.
Insider says it’s ‘sad’ people are criticizing Meghan Markle’s decision to delay her new show
On Jan. 12, Meghan announced the decision to delay the premiere of With Love, Meghan because of the ongoing crisis in Los Angeles. The eight-episode show, which Netflix describes as “a heartfelt tribute to the beauty of Southern California,” will now debut on March 4.
“I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,” Meghan said.
The choice to hit pause on the new show was simply common sense, an industry insider told People.
“Delaying the release of With Love, Meghan was likely an easy decision for her. I don’t think she could imagine putting out a show centered on joy and hosting when so many people in her home state no longer have homes to host people in,” the anonymous source said. “I think it’s sad that critics are saying she’s only doing this to avoid the fires overshadowing her show. We’re all human, and we’re dealing with a catastrophe.”
Justine Bateman calls Harry and Meghan ‘disaster tourists’
While Meghan has earned praise for her decision to delay With Love, Meghan, others see her and her husband Prince Harry’s recent moves in a less charitable light. Some critics have suggested that the couple’s efforts to help fire victims are not sincere.
In a Jan. 11 post on X, Family Ties actor Justine Bateman slammed the royal couple as “ambulance chasers” and “disaster tourists” after they visited the World Central Kitchen location at the Pasadena Convention Center on Friday. The duke and the duchess handed out food and spoke with evacuees of the Eaton Fire during their Pasadena visit, ABC News reported.
“It’s great people, great personalities and great heart for them to come out here and meet with the first responders, meet with the people who were affected,” Pasadena mayor Victor Gordo said.
“In the last few days, wildfires in Southern California have raged through neighborhoods and devastated families, homes, schools, medical care centers, and so much more – affecting tens of thousands from all walks of life,” Harry and Meghan wrote in a statement shared on their website. The couple directed people to organizations supporting wildfire relief, including World Central Kitchen, the Red Cross, and Baby2baby. The pair – who live in Montecito, about 90 miles north of LA – have also opened their home to friends who’ve had to evacuate the fires.
As of Monday, multiple fires around LA have destroyed more than 12,000 structures and burned more than 40,000 acres. Twenty-four people are confirmed to have died.
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