nitially, almost everyone expected that with the move of Prince Harry (41) and Meghan Markle (44) to California after the Megxit, the couple would become the center of attention at all Hollywood events. But they arrived six years ago and this has not happened.
The Sussexes have been working behind the scenes and, after buying their 1,300 square meter mansion in Montecito for 26 million euros, they have not stopped building professional relationships. This Californian town is a decisive power ecosystem.
At this point in the story, it seems that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have lost the battle to become red carpet royalty, but their strategy is different. They work from the shadows to achieve their goals, and for this, they have four influential women, "the fabulous four".
The identity of the first is more than evident from the moment the couple settled in Montecito, as she conducted the first interview. She is Oprah Winfrey (72), the first black female billionaire in history and one of the most powerful and influential people in American television.
As revealed by the Daily Mail, the presenter sends Christmas and birthday gifts to the Sussexes and their children, they meet in private to discuss business, and rarely appear together in public. It was Oprah who advised them to attend the 70th birthday party of Kris Jenner at Jeff Bezos' mansion in Beverly Hills.
The goal of weaving this network is to position Meghan and Harry at a level beyond the flashes because behind the scenes are the compasses that guide the destiny of the chosen ones.
Unfortunately, images of the former royals at the big party could be seen for a few hours because they asked Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian to remove them from Instagram as they did not want to offend the British public, as it was Remembrance Day. They also declined to attend Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding in Venice because they did not want to be labelled as frivolous and opportunistic.
The British newspaper also highlights the presence of one of the most powerful producers today, Shonda Rhimes (56), author of hits like Bridgerton, Scandal, and Grey's Anatomy. According to their sources, this connection would be more about positioning than visibility.
Working in the same line is Nicole Avant (58), producer, activist and former US ambassador to the Bahamas, and most notably, the wife of Ted Sarandos (61), the co-CEO of Netflix and therefore one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry.
Despite the failures of the prince and the former actress on the platform such as the documentary Polo and the lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, as well as the Meghan's Archetypes podcast for Spotify, Harry and Meghan's relationship with Netflix has not deteriorated, as there are projects in progress.
Remember that in 2020, the Sussexes signed a lucrative $100 million deal with the streaming platform to create content.
Nicole is in constant contact with Harry and Meghan, as she has "long been a supporter of Meghan in Hollywood, stabilizing relationships when the couple's reputation has wavered." She is the one behind the future publication of Meghan's autobiography.
The Daily Mail has confirmed that this would not simply be a book publication, but a multi-platform event, with global publishing rights, a special interview and a streaming component. This plan, in addition to increasing the couple's account by several million dollars, would mean strengthening their social position publicly and in the shadows.
Meghan has been taking and recording notes for years, has good archived material, and if it has not been published yet, it is because a possible reconciliation between the couple, King Charles III, and Prince William is still up in the air.
The last member of "the fabulous four" is Mellody Hobson (57), CEO of Ariel Investments, former president of Starbucks, and wife of George Lucas (81), one of Hollywood's most prominent producers, creator of the Star Wars franchises. A source revealed to the Daily Mail that Hobson advises Markle on ownership concepts, intellectual property and long-term content control.
Obviously, there are other personalities who support them to a lesser extent, but they are no less important. On one hand, there is the producer Tyler Perry, who loaned them his mansion in Montecito when the Sussexes arrived in California; also, there is the presenter Gayle King, a close friend of Oprah, and of course, Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother.