The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are ending 2025 on such an odd note, especially given that this year was enormously positive for them. With Love, Meghan was a success, they negotiated a new first-look contract with Netflix (and announced several upcoming projects under the new contract), Meghan’s As Ever was launched and repeatedly sold out, and they have a much better communications strategy in place. But in recent weeks, they’ve announced an overhaul and rebrand of their foundation and lost two of their most important senior staffers, Meredith Maines and James Holt. What will 2026 bring? Are they completely overhauling everything? Whatever is going on, I have my doubts that Page Six’s claims of “Sussex catastrophe” are accurate. But still, we should talk about this:
As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s longest-serving staffer prepares to leave — their entire brand is under threat, multiple sources tell Page Six. On Monday, it was announced that James Holt is stepping down as chief of their charity, Archewell.
Now, Page Six can reveal that Holt’s long-time counterpart, Archewell VP Shauna Nep, is not even a full-time employee, but is working on a “consultant” basis. In addition to this, there are just a few employees left on Harry and Markle’s production business — and they could lose more staffers if Markle’s show, “With Love, Meghan,” is not brought back for another season.
“Anyone still there is simply an enabler, enamored with what the couple once was, not who they are today,” claimed one industry source familiar with the Sussexes. “From a year ago, they have decreased their staff by at least 80-85 percent.”
Another person familiar with Archewell added, “They’ve essentially shuttered Archewell.”
As Page Six previously revealed, the Archewell Foundation, which recently rebranded as Archewell Philanthropies, was down to just Holt and Nep. The Sussexes spent the past few months in cost-cutting talks for their charity and even discussed selling the foundation. Holt’s departure follows that of former Archewell senior staffers, Genevieve Roth, Christine Schirmer and Ashley Hansen.
“Every time someone leaves Harry and Meghan say they are staying on in some capacity,” said another source, “But they are never heard from again. Shauna hasn’t been a full-time employee in some time,” added the source, “This is crazy — they have lost their Foundation in a matter of weeks.”
On the production side, the Sussexes still have Chanel Pysnik as head of unscripted, alongside producer Tracy Ryerson. However, the source added, “If Meghan’s Netflix show isn’t picked up for another season then what happens to their staff?”
Over the summer, Harry and Markle also lost their Los Angeles deputy press secretary, Kyle Boulia, and their UK press officer, Charlie Gips. At the time, two additional employees also left the team.
The sourcing on this is so weird. “One industry source familiar with the Sussexes” and a “person familiar with Archewell”??? These are not Hollywood insiders or charitable insiders or Archewell insiders. They are royalist outsiders predicting gloom and doom because they don’t have inside information on what Harry and Meghan are doing. “They’ve essentially shuttered Archewell” – in what way? They’re rebranding it, which means Archewell will no longer be a foundation, so technically, yes, the foundation is being “shuttered”… in service of Archewell Philanthropies. And I don’t buy that Archewell Productions has lost 85% of their staffers either – I think there’s been steady turnover in recent years, but given the recent announcements of upcoming projects, it feels like the production side is well-staffed. As for their philanthropic side, it’s smart to only have a few full-time staffers? You don’t want to spend all of your charity’s money on staff salaries.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
