News about Bill Simmons

There was widespread shock last summer when an executive at music streaming platform Spotify publicly described the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (left) as 'f****** grifters'. Bill Simmons (right), who goes by the title Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetisation, used the intemperate putdown last summer, just hours after Harry and Meghan's podcast deal (inset) with Spotify, reported to have been worth £15million, was axed.

Harry and Meghan were blasted as 'f****** grifters' by Spotify executive Bill Simmons after they made just 12 episodes, despite having an £18 million, multi-year deal with the streaming company. But ripping up their contract hasn't put Spotify off linking with Royals - as Harry's cousin Beatrice appears to be building a working relationship with the company without shouting from the rooftops, perhaps in fear of showing up Montecito's jam-makers. I can reveal that last week Beatrice, 35, attended an industry event at Spotify's London office, where she hosted a discussion about the future of technology.

After the Eastern and Western Conference teams played little defense and combined for a whopping 397 points, a record-breaking NBA All-Star Game has been sluggish. The East beat 211-186 in the game's highest-ever score. Damian Lillard was MVP. Many viewers of the game were dissatisfied with the actors' inability defensive effort, as Karl-Anthony Towns led all scorers with 50 points.

Of all the many startling features of the Sussex relaunch this week, from Meghan's coat of arms to its timing as the King fights cancer - perhaps the most surprising has yet to be commented on. It's this: at no point on their latest website, Sussex.com, is there even a single mention of the word 'Netflix.' This includes the section devoted to Archewell Productions, where you will find the following excerpts: "Our company, founded in 2020 by Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and others, is committed to illuminating thought-provoking and rich narratives that highlight our common humanity and honor community, including scripted and non-scripted television, film, documentaries, and podcasting.'

The couple are in Whistler, British Columbia, for a two-day trip from California to Invictus Games next year, the first time winter sports will be involved. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Whistler, British Columbia, for a two-day trip from California to Invictus Games next year, the first time winter sports will be included. And Harry, 39, couldn't avoid trying out some of the sports the disabled athletes - who have all served in the military - will compete in, with the father-of-two filming as he attempted to try sit-skiing. After being told the Duchess that he was not allowed to film Harry, a giddy Meghan is seen filming her husband's attempts with another man's phone. As she hands her phone back, the Suits actress starts laughing and says, 'oh you have to show them.' Harry joked, 'Do I have to sign a waiver before starting off his sit-skiing journey.' After a crowd serenaded the couple with a rendition of 'God Save the King.' When Meghan got into a Jeep, she waved, although Harry may have consulted with them. "He was very kind," one skier said. Despite their rift with the Windsors and an agreement with the Queen not to use their HRH names for business purposes or show off their royal links, they didn't appear at all affected by the controversy over their Sussex.com website row - and criticism of their use of the royal links.

The couple are in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, for a two-day program to celebrate next year's winter Invictus Games, which are taking place in the area. Meghan was glaming in skinny white jeans and a jacket topped with a beige quilted jacket, while Harry was dressed down in jeans and a black Eddie Bauer anorak as he arrived for a training session with athletes preparing to take part in the 2025 games. The pair were seen bending down to speak to athletes at the games, while Harry attempted to perform one of the competitors' sit-skis while being closely followed by a camera crew.

Bennett Levine, the senior television executive, left the company this month and has shifted to a US competitor in a move that has been described as a "significant 'blow' to the couple. Mr Levine's boss, Oscar-winning producer Ben Browning, oversaw the couple's record-breaking Netflix docu-series Harry & Meghan, but he left last year. Bennett, who has been dubbed the industry's youngest recruiter, is expected to be at least the 17th person to have left the Sussexes' service since marriage in 2018. Since they immigrated to California, at least eight people have left. His resignation came as a result of tumultuous discussions over Netflix's £80 million contract - the couple's one remaining major-money streaming contract. It came after the Duchess of Sussex gushed on a Los Angeles red carpet before Christmas that she and Prince Harry had "too many exciting things on the agenda" to announce, promising that it would be projects that make people feel good when they see it. One critic who warned viewers that the series was more like a one-sided promotion of Harry and Meghan's image than a balanced investigation of their lives, sparking mixed reactions.'

Blank is reported to be 'desperately' trying to get Belichick to be his next head coach, eight years after the Patriots defeated the Falcons in the biggest comeback (28-3), in Super Bowl history. That's according to Bill Simmons, the founder of The Ringer, a sports and pop culture website, who said on his eponymous podcast on Monday that "the Atlanta guys are trying to hire Bill Belichick right now, and I'm telling you from so many sources: basically Arthur Blank wants to hire Bill Belichick, and all the front office people in Atlanta are trying to recruit Belichick because it's like microcosms of all large companies.'

Judging by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Archewell Foundation's slick, minute-long video, the past year has been nothing short of a triumph. Harry and Meghan also waited for the good work of their charitable foundation in the form of a glitzy 'impact' film in the New Year. However, this year's offering, which included group hugging, smiling, glamorous selfies, and accompanied by a soaring soundtrack, emerged online just hours after Princess of Wales posted a charming video of herself with her three children assisting at Windsor Baby Bank, a charity for families in need. An unfortunate coincidence? Is it likely? However, at the end of what has unquestionably been a turbulent year for them both, some might even say their 'annus horribilis', the Sussexes have plenty of reasons for wanting to produce a bit of positive press, not least the announcement that Archewell has seen a decrease in annual donations of nearly $11 million (£8.6 million).

According to author Omid Scobie, King Charles' treatment of Megxit prompted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to sign commercial agreements for books, documentaries, and podcasts. The two were 'in a spin' and had reached an agreement that they may have balked at if their funds had not been cut off, leaving them needing'serious money.' The Independent wrote: "Obviously they had money." However, they needed a good roof over their heads and security.'

It's happened quicker than we expected. Harry and Meghan were on everyone's minds at the start of the year. People simply couldn't get enough, owing to the double-barrel onslaught of Netflix's documentary whine-a-thon and Harry's miserable memoir Spare. They were the talk, whether you like them or not. However, in fewer than ten months, it appears that their inevitable implosion in importance, or the descent into the cultural garbage can be tense. And how sad it is. A pair whose revived appearance once more suggested so much, but in the truest sense, they were destined to the butt of a throwaway gag on a comedy cartoon series way beyond its prime. The days of complete takedowns in South Park are long gone. A twenty-second satire of the pair appeared on Sunday in Family Guy, the pair's 22nd film series.

Spotify reported its first quarterly earnings in more than a year after reducing its investment in podcasts and increasing the monthly subscription price. Despite the increased fees, the music streaming service saw 336 million paid subscribers in a year, up 11 percent to $3.56 billion. Despite a modest $34 million budget, reduced costs thanks to reduced spending on marketing and staff, resulting in the company's first positive operating income in more than a year.

After it was revealed that the Archetypes podcast would not be renewed for a second season, Meghan's multi-million-pound Spotify contract was scrapped in June. The step was officially announced to have been a'mutual' decision between the streaming giant and Archewell Audio - the Duchess and Prince Harry's firm. However, reports close to the £15 million contract, which was signed by the couple in 2020, said it was cancelled because the pair did not have enough content to warrant the full payout. Bill Simmons, the CEO of Spotify, went one step farther, describing the couple as 'f****** grifters,' an Americanism for swindlers. However, applications submitted with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) reveal that Archewell'revived' its trademark request for the Archetypes podcast title even before the Spotify agreement was fully dropped. Following an unsuccessful 17-month fight to keep the name safe, the application has now been suspended.

Following the departure of the US women's national team's to Sweden, media mogul Bill Simmons blasted Alex Morgan, saying the striker has 'never been a hero' and referring to her as a 'coach's daughter.' Morgan played in all four games for the United States before being disqualified in the round of 16, and she looked beyond her best when she didn't score. And Simmons, the maker of The Ringer and now a Spotify executive, did not agree with the striker's stay in the team throughout the tournament.

MCCAIN: After attending Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September, MCCAIN revealed exclusively that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a highly unusual request to the White House. The Bidens were in London to mourn the country's deep condolences. What a better time to network! So, the couple allegedly asked Joe and the First Lady if they might hitch a ride on Air Force One to fly them all back home to the United States of A. Yes, Harry and Meghan were turned down from a reception at Buckingham Palace. Some people were booing them, according to some. After their infamous tell-all Oprah interview, in which they accused the Royal Family of all manner of cruelty, from racist microaggressions to neglect, a near-suicidal pregnant Meghan was still a public enemy number one in their home county. But onward and upward. Who were they kidding? And Biden White House, the incompetent, was able to stop this terrible, awful, very bad suggestion.

JAN MOIR: Set your alarm for November - Scobie's latest book Endgame will be out. The blurb says it will be a "penetrating probe" into the Royal Family's 'fight for survival.' We must brace for humiliating revelations about the Windsors, who will no doubt be compared unflatteringly to the saintly Sussexes, who are still scamping around like a puppy eager for a treat. 'Do you know Omid Scobie?' During the hacking trial earlier this month, Prince Harry was asked. 'Yes,' he replied before quickly correcting himself. I'm aware of him.' Scobie's book had intended to be published in August, but it was delayed, perhaps so that titivating information from the Coronation can be included.

Tracy Ryerson, 43, is the new Head of scripted Content at Archewell Productions, amid rumors that the Sussexes are submitting to Netflix to produce a feminist-focused sequel to Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, which focuses on the world's most popular jilted bride Miss Havisham. Tracy (left and inset) is a TV executive who worked with Peaky Blinders' production company. However, she gained notoriety in the United States when she appeared on two seasons of The Real L Word, a comedy team starring her and her stand-up comic partner Stamie Karakasidis (inset), who had three children from her previous marriage. After Tracy discovered she was gay in her mid-twenties and met Stamie, the couple began to work together on film. They still remain together 13 years later. Tracy is a TV producer, occasionally actor, but InstaMom' is the product of her social media. Ms Ryerson, who is affectionately referred to as 'M Ye', might be charged with Netflix, who has paid the couple up to $100 million in 2020. Archewell has been accused of attempting to recruit writers to produce 'feel-good' shows, including romantic comedies for the streaming giant. Since Spotify canceled their contract, Netflix is reportedly considering splitting up with the Sussexes'. Bill Simmons, a Spotify executive and a well-known podcaster, called them "f***ing grifters," and the Duchess of Sussex was dismissed as a talentless broadcaster by one of Hollywood's most influential figures on Monday.

Lawrence auditioned for "Twilight" on Bill Simmons' podcast "The Rewatchables" in June 2023. "I didn't even get a call back," she chuckled, "I didn't even get a callback." But my life would've been completely different. I got 'Hunger Games' I think, a year later.' Kristen Stewart played Bella in the first film in the Twilight franchise in 2008. In the Hunger Games films of 2012, Lawrence appeared as Katniss Everdeen. "I almost didn't do 'Hunger Games' because 'Twilight' had come out and fandom had occurred," Lawrence added on the podcast. "I assumed it would be the 'Twilight' level of fame,' she said, and that was never something I had in mind." I never set out to be the world's most popular person. That's a whole different life than I imagined for me."

As he delivered a scathing verdict of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Tuesday, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith vehemently weighed in on the British royal family. In the aftermath of Sportify's demise, the pundit is the most credible media celebrity to comment on the couple. After the Sussexes split with the music streaming behemoth, top Spotify executive and former ESPN analyst Bill Simmons called Harry and Markle "f***ing grifters." Now, Smith, a self-titled podcast, claimed that no one is interested in the couple unless they are making news over their feud with the Royal family.

Noah appeared on Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show' for seven years before he died in December last year, and he appeared on Archetypes with Meghan Markle. According to the corporation, the former 'Daily Show' host resigned in 2022 and is now expected to host the new series with "some of the world's most influential and interesting celebrities.' Following the company's break from the music streaming behemoth, Bill Simmons, a senior executive, slammed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. On an episode of his own website The Bill Simmons Podcast on Friday, Simmons, 53, Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization at Spotify, called the pair "f***ing grifters." Despite signing a $20 million contract three years ago, he slammed the former Royals because they only produced one 13-episode series of a podcast for the company.

According to sports media personality Bill Simmons, Zion Williamson's tumultuous time with the New Orleans Pelicans will be over by the NBA Draft on Thursday night. Moriah Mills, an adult film actor, is accused of sedate with the former Duke, who is also threatening to broadcast a sex tape of the two couples as he and his girlfriend Ahkeema await the birth of their daughter. The controversy comes after another season of injuries for the former first-overall pick, who has also been chastised for his fitness and work ethic since being drafted in 2019. Simmons says the Pelicans have lost patience with Williamson and are likely to find a trade partner by Thursday night's NBA Draft, but an official contract can't be completed until the league calendar flips next month.

After slamming Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured right) "f***ing grifters," Bill Simmons (left), 53, the Head of Spotify Innovation and Monetization, was spotted on his way to work in downtown LA. On Thursday evening, Spotify and the Sussex production company Archewell Audio announced a joint statement saying they had "mutually agreed to parting and are proud of the work we created together." Simmons blasted the f***ing grifters on an episode of his own podcast The Bill Simmons Podcast on Friday.

The Duchess of Sussex (left) has stated that she is not attempting to become the face of Dior's famous fashion house by signing a'megabucks' contract. Over the weekend, Meghan (right) and Harry were traced to the French clothing company. Any contract, according to the couple, could be worth as much as £15 million.

DAN WOOTTON: Bill Simmons' scathing decision of Harry and Meghan (pictured in Fiji, 2018 left and right) as the streaming giant cut the plug on the couple's potentially disastrous $20 million podcast contract was surprising to anyone working within the British Royal Family. Although the Sussexes' unique term, meaning someone who engages in small-scale swindling, was never used by prosecutors during the three painful years, the Sussexes actually blamed everybody but themselves for their apparent lack of success. Members of the 'Sussex Survivors Club' regularly, 'entitled', 'lazy,'delusional,' and 'afraid of hard work' as H&M continued to search for legitimate reasons to abandon public service obligations that they didn't agree with.