Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Netflix Show Accused of Ripping off Major MTV Series
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Netflix docuseries certainly hasn't been immune to any backlash. That backlash includes an accusation that it ripped off its title sequence from none other than Laguna Beach. According to the Daily Mail, some believe that the title sequence in Harry & Meghan looks a little too similar to that of the MTV reality series.
The first episode of the docuseries begins with a statement that is shown over a simple black background. It reads, "This is a first-hand account of Harry and Meghan's story, told with never-before-seen personal archive." As it fades to black, another message then pops up, "Members of the Royal Family declined to comment on the content within this series." Apparently, this appeared to be reminiscent of the title card for Laguna Beach, which aired from 2004 to 2006. The reality series began with a message, "The following program was shot over an eight-month period in the city of Laguna Beach, California. The people, the locations and the drama... are real." While the two title sequences do appear to be slightly similar, it seems like a stretch to accuse Harry & Meghan of copying the early 2000s reality series.
The first three episodes of Harry & Meghan dropped on Thursday. The final three episodes are set to drop on Thursday, Dec. 15. Harry & Meghan features a look inside the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's lives like never before. The series specifically focuses on how the couple navigated their royal exit and what led them to make that decision. Meghan explained that it wasn't necessarily a comfortable decision to make the documentary, but one that was necessary so that they could make their voices heard.
"I'm not going to say that it's comfortable," she explained. "But when you feel like people haven't gotten any sense of who you are for so long, it's really nice to just be able to have the opportunity to let people have a bit more of a glimpse into what's happened and also who we are." Harry had something similar to say, as he mentioned that there have been many narratives out there about the couple. However, they're the ones who know the "truth" about the situation.
"This is about duty and service and I feel as though being part of this family is my duty to uncover this exploitation and bribery that happens within our media," Harry said. "This isn't just about our story. This has always been so much bigger than us. No one knows the full truth. We know the full truth. The institution knows the full truth and the media knows the full truth because they've been in on it."