Bill Simmons, the Bostonian blogger-turned-podcasting mogul, had some choice (and vulgar) words for Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, after the couple’s unceremonious split from streaming service Spotify.
For the unaware, on Thursday, news broke that Harry and Meghan’s much ballyhooed $20 million deal with Spotify was kaput.
While the move was immediately followed by the typical corporate speak one would expect when ten-figure podcast deals go up in smoke after just one episode (of Meghan’s “Archetypes” podcast), just a day later, Simmons offered no such decorum on his wildly popular and self-named podcast.
It’s worth mentioning that, as Awful Announcing reported on back in May 2022, Simmons was promoted to Spotify’s head of global sports content then, so his remarks aren’t those of some rank-and-file employee.
Simmons holds some actual sway with the streaming titan. (Spotify bought Simmons’ “The Ringer” podcast network and has since promoted him within the larger parent company.)
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The Friday episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” featured the usual banter fans have come to expect from the show, which typically covers sports and pop culture.
In the middle of NBA trade value discussion, Simmons launched a salvo at Harry and Meghan.
You can listen to the specific snippet below:
WARNING: The following clip contains language the reader may find offensive
Bill Simmons absolutely HATES Prince Harry
We need to know what Harry said to Bill on that Zoom pic.twitter.com/lsxNoSPaCU
— The r/BillSimmons Podcast (@rBillSimmonsPod) June 16, 2023
“I wish I had been involved in the Meghan and Harry-leaves-Spotify negotiations,” Simmons said, while speaking to his longtime friend Joe House, who you can hear cackling as Simmons prepared his most searing insult.
“The f***ing grifters,” Simmons called the two. “That’s the podcast we should’ve launched with them.”
Simmons also noted how he has to “get drunk one night” to tell a story about an apparently disastrous Zoom call with Prince Harry where he tried to help the British royal with his podcast.
Interestingly, this is hardly the first time that Simmons has taken vicious shots at Harry and Meghan, with the former facing a particularly nasty scorn.
In a snippet from a January episode of his podcast, Simmons eviscerated Prince Harry as someone who wasn’t even “the favorite son.”
“Shoot this guy to the sun. I’m so tired of this guy. What does he bring to the table? He just whines about s***, right, and keeps giving interviews. Who gives a s***? Who cares about your life? You weren’t even, like, the favorite son. The other guy was the king, you’re like the f***ing Fredo (Corleone, a reference to seminal film franchise ‘The Godfather’).”
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After noting that not even his wife cared about Harry, Simmons made it abundantly clear: “I can’t stand him. So tired. I’m so embarrassed that I f***ing have to share Spotify with him. The guy sucks.”
Unsurprisingly, reaction to Simmons’ remarks were split.
Many on social media agreed with Simmons and just as many vociferously defended Harry and Meghan.
