Meghan Markle, once Hollywood’s diva surrounded in glitz and glamour, traded the world of acting for the grand halls of the royal palace after her big wedding. Her journey post her marriage has been one of constant evolution as Markle runs from one front to another, juggling family duties and multiple businesses that are running successfully. However, it has not always been an ascending, smooth ride, as every now and then, a hurdle has been rolled in her way.

And the recent thorn in her path has come in the form of blast from the past with an added headache for her.

Meghan Markle pulled in plagiarism claims over old project

A disappointing attempt by Meghan Markle from the past that unfortunately met with failure then has once again erupted, which might cause her more heartbreak. Markle’s cancelled animated series Pearl, for which she joined hands with Netflix, has been accused of plagiarism by a British author, Mel Elliot. Recently, The Daily Mail has reported that the author has sent a legal letter to Archewell Productions, through which the Duchess was set to produce the children’s series.

Mel Elliot has penned a series of books about Pearl Power, a little British girl, since 2014, and she believes that Meghan Markle’s Pearl children series shared “striking similarities.” The British author shared her thoughts with the outlet, saying that since Markle is a feminist, the former was disappointed to see how similar both versions of the character were. She also clarified that she does not know if anyone on Markle’s team had been inspired by her work, “but the similarities were too great for me to ignore.” Elliott has sent two letters but has not received any reply yet.

This is an added worry for Meghan Markle, whose first attempt with Netflix, Pearl, was terminated.

Why was Meghan Markle’s first Netflix venture cancelled?

In July of 2021, Netflix announced that the animated series Pearl was a part of the reported $100 million development deal between Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and the streaming platform. But a year later, the series was put to an end when Netflix ran its merciless scissor of budget cuts owing to a drop in its subscriptions. 

Pearl was a passion project for the Duchess, who was glad to join hands to tell the world the story of a young girl who learns to step into her power and finds inspiration from influential women throughout history. Though it was cut short in that moment, Meghan Markle made a stunning comeback with another Netflix project, With Love, Meghan. But this new claim by the children’s author is surely a cause for worry for Markle, who is yet to give a response.

What are your thoughts on the plagiarism accusation on Meghan Markle’s discarded past project? Tell us below.