British children's author accuses Meghan of 'copying' her creation for cancelled streaming show
20 April 2025, 09:34
Popular British author Mel Elliott has revealed she sent letters to the Duchess of Sussex over what she called “striking similarities” between the royal’s cancelled Netflix show “Pearl” and books of her own creation.
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Ms Elliott alleges Meghan’s cancelled animated show was shockingly similar to her books “Pearl Power.”
The author claims that, despite getting in touch, she received no response from Meghan or the streaming giant.
“Pearl” was announced as part of the Sussexes’ £100m deal with Netflix in 2021.
The series was set to follow a young girl named Pearl "as she learns to step into her power and finds inspiration from influential women throughout history."
The show, which listed Meghan as an executive producer, was promptly cancelled less than a year after it was announced, with Netflix citing dwindling subscriber numbers.
As of 2021, three Pearl Power books had been published in 2014, 2015, and 2016, with the third seeing sizable international success.
According to Ms Elliott, her lawyers wrote to Meghan in 2021 saying: "The similarities between your proposed animation series and my client's work appear to be too many and too striking to be mere coincidence."
Speaking to the MailOnline, Ms Elliott said: “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.
“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.
“The world of arts and media are very competitive and I'm afraid it's quite common for powerful to people to rip off the work of less well-known creatives - although I'm not saying that's what happened here.
“What saddened me most is that, having brought the similarities between my Pearl and Meghan's Pearl to the attention of Netflix and Archewell, my objection was never acknowledged - neither Netflix nor Archewell responded to me when I would have loved to have contributed and collaborated.”
Ms Elliott had begun developing her books into an animated series in 2019, two years before Netflix announced Pearl.
The author said she initially kept her concerns quiet over fears of backlash.
LBC has contacted the Archewell Foundation for comment.
