Netflix Under Face Calls To Postpone Meghan’s New Series Amid L.A. Wildfires

Netflix is currently facing calls to postpone the release of Meghan Markle‘s highly anticipated cookery series due to the wildfires ravaging major parts of Southern California.

The Duchess and her husband, Prince Harry, had earlier pleaded with Americans to “check in” on disabled and elderly persons and for others to donate to the Red Cross as recovery efforts continue.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently visited the razed communities and handed out food to victims.

Meghan has been gearing up to launch her latest project, but the devastating blazes in L.A. have made many question the timing of the show’s debut.

According to the Daily Mail, several PR gurus have raised concerns about the release of her cookery show, which is slated to hit Netflix on January 15.

The Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle series, “With Love, Meghan,” is part of her and Prince Harry’s $100 million (£80 million) deal with the streaming giant. The trailer has already been released, showing her cooking in a Montecito kitchen and picking produce from her garden.

However, due to the ongoing L.A. fires, many publicity professionals think staying on track with the proposed release date would come off as “insensitive” and “tone-deaf,” with many adding that Netflix should hold off on its release.

“I think Netflix bosses will be having to make some big decisions as to whether to air With Love, Meghan in the next week,” UK brand and culture expert Nick Ede shared.

“With the show being so centered on California life, Los Angeles and Montecito, providing a glimpse into aspirational and inspirational living, I suspect it will be pulled from its current schedule and delayed for at least a few months,” he added.

Ede further suggested that should Netflix postpone Meghan’s show, it would be a “positive move” for the royal and the streaming platform, following years of her constantly being scrutinized and embroiled in plagued with bad press.

“A show like Meghan’s isn’t time sensitive, so it means it can be aired later down the line,” the expert said. “We know how important the community is to both Meghan and Harry and the last thing they would want would be a backlash due to the show airing when they are currently going above and beyond to support those in need at this time.”

Phil Dampier, the author of “Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan In Their Own Words,” also shared Ede’s sentiment, saying, “The timing of Meghan’s Netflix show could hardly be worse as hundreds of people have lost their homes in the terrible fires.”

“The last thing anyone is interested in is a program about having friends round to eat canapés or arrange flowers when the city is going up in flames and people have lost everything,” Dampier told the news outlet.

Dampier commended the couple for alleviating the pain of many victims so far but shared that they “can’t really win” because some will say it’s a “PR move.”

He added that it would be “sensible” for Netflix to “pull the show” and “bring it back in the summer” when things are better. However, Dampier noted that due to the degree of damage suffered, this “will take years.”

Dampier also suggested that Netflix “will probably want to carry on with the show, but Meghan would be wise to ask them to postpone it,” especially considering her relationship with the streaming platform.

The royal author also noted that while Meghan isn’t to blame, he can’t see the show “being a success in the current climate. “

Dampier believes the series is the “last roll of the dice” from the company’s point of view, and if it “doesn’t fly,” they’d probably sever ties with the Montecito-based royals.

“It just looks so bad for her to go ahead with it, and no one will be watching in LA,” he added.

According to the news outlet, other royal experts and PR gurus lended their voice to the issue, with Richard Fitzwilliams saying the show “must be postponed” or risks showing the Sussexes as being “out of touch.”

Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan have been supporting the victims of the wildfires in their own way as efforts to contain the fires continue.

The former working royals visited the Pasadena Convention Centre, which is being used as an evacuation center, on Friday. They comforted victims and handed out food and other necessary items.

According to The Telegraph, the couple has already donated to relief efforts through their Archewell foundation, including “clothing, children’s items and other essential supplies to those affected by the fires.”

Harry and Meghan, who live about 90 miles north of the Los Angeles area in the Santa Barbara enclave, have also opened the doors of their Montecito mansion to friends and loved ones affected by the fires as they’re currently not under evacuation orders.

After they departed from the shelter, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo spoke to Fox 11, emphasizing the couple’s genuine commitment to supporting the community.

“They didn’t come out here for publicity; they came out here to work,” Gordo said, per the New York Post. “We went to visit some of the families in the impacted area and view first hand some of the impacted areas.”

The mayor added, “And then they wanted to go visit the first responders and personally thank them for their efforts to help our families and our neighbors. They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders.”