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There are new reports of Meghan Markle allegedly plagiarising UK author Mel Elliott's Pearl Power book series, which debuted in 2014. The controversy suggests that Duchess’ shelved Netflix show "bore striking similarities" to Elliot's published work.
Meghan's Netflix series, titled Pearl, was originally announced in July 2021 and was described as a show that follows a young girl's journey of self-discovery. However, the series was shelved before production began.
Meghan Markle's animated Netflix production would seemingly center on a heroine stepping into her power, learning from influential women throughout history. Marking the Duchess' first major solo creative project, she teamed up with Elton John's husband, David Furnish, to bring this series to life.
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In a recent report from The Daily Mail, Mel Elliott raised concerns surrounding Meghan's concept for Pearl. She claimed the Netflix series mirrored her book which also follows the story of an empowered young girl.
Elliot's book series is the story of a young British girl named Pearl who draws inspiration from female role models throughout history. The author also reportedly planned on adapting her novel into a TV Show in 2019, supposedly set to feature tennis icon Billie Jean King as the protagonist.
The author claims the similarities were difficult to dismiss but acknowledges that she's not sure if anyone from the Duchess' team had directly copied her published work.
"Meghan is a feminist who sticks up for other women, so I was disappointed and confused to see how similar Netflix’s proposed show Pearl was to my own Pearl Power, who had been created seven years earlier," she stated.
Elliot explained that she sent legal notices to Netflix and Archewell Productions, the company behind Markle and Prince Harry’s TV projects, regarding her concerns about plagiarism. She added that she is yet to receive a response from either.
"Of course, I can’t know if anyone on her team had seen it and been inspired by it, but the similarities were too great for me to ignore," she continued.
Elliot's recent claims appear to have sparked several discussions online regarding "creative originality and intellectual property" in high-profile productions. Many appear to be awaiting an official response to the plagiarism allegations from Netflix and Archewell Productions.
Meghan Markle's new podcast Confessions of a Female Founder receives 1 star rating
Meghan Markle released the first episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast on April 8, 2025. The episode featured Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd as a guest.
According to reviews, the podcast's first episode "struggled to stay aligned" with its intended focus of being a platform dedicated to women who successfully launched businesses and brands.
In the episode Meghan Markle and Whitney Herd explored their friendship, balancing being a mother and founder, tabloid scrutiny, and more.
"We became moms in the pandemic, post-pandemic culture where there is so much working from home. I don’t leave the house to go to an office, my office is here," Meghan stated.
The show debuted at No.10 on Spotify's general top podcast chart in the United States but has since reportedly dropped from the streaming giant's list. With the internet's opinion divided on Confessions of a Female Founder podcast's first episode, official reviews suggest the show isn't faring well amongst critics.
The podcast received a one-star review from The Times, with writer James Marriott claiming the show includes "vapid lessons in self-love." The Telegraph and The Guardian also rated Confessions of a Female Founder, giving the podcast a two-star rating.
"Receiving business advice from a Californian multimillionaire who owes her fortune to marrying a prince is as illuminating as you would expect," James Marriott wrote.
According to a report from Daily Mail UK, Meghan Markle's new podcast did not replicate the success of her previous talk show venture - Archetypes. The previous podcast had topped the charts in its launch week in 2022.
Meghan signed with Lemonada Media in 2024 and Confessions of a Female Founder marks the Duchess' first show with the production company. She revealed plans for her new podcast, stating that she was "proud of what we're creating."
"I’m so proud of what we’re creating, and the candid conversations that I’m able to have with other female founders as we unpack the twists and turns of building a business"
Meghan Markle's Confessions of a Female Founder podcast's first season will reportedly include eight episodes, scheduled to drop every Tuesday.
