Originally Posted by jet
(Post 11192136)
Extract from Tom Bower book.
The Sunday Times
.....On March 13, 2016, Meghan flew into Montreal for her second Reitmans shoot. As she entered the location — an old restaurant — for the day’s filming, the tension was uncomfortable.
Jeannie Vondjidis-Miller described Meghan as the “National Spokesperson” for Reitmans. “We wanted someone with a point of view,” she said. Very soon, many of the creative team associated with the campaign were exhausted by Meghan’s point of view.
The 35-second commercial was called “The Label”. Meghan, the creative directors employed by the Tank agency and John Grammatico, the film director, disagreed about the “concept” that ended with Meghan delivering the tag-line “Reitmans... Really”.
“Seriously, this doesn’t make sense!” Meghan exclaimed about the storyboard. “I’m a brash American and if my name is going to be on something, I’m going to have my say.”
Tank’s account manager, Emmanuelle Thaon, and creative director Sophie Gaudet were reluctant to make changes. In their opinion, Meghan offered no worthwhile alternative ideas, other than suggesting that a Caribbean location with a Hollywood budget would be better.
On March 14 the arguments reached their climax. After ferocious exchanges a few script changes were made, only to be rejected by Meghan again. “She bulldozed her way through,” complained one of the team. No one stood up to her.
One year after the first campaign, Meghan was less enamoured that her “brand” was attached to Reitmans. Not only was she associated with a downmarket label, but their new clothes were decidedly unappealing.
In addition, her sense of entitlement had grown.
Unhappy that her executive suite for C$1,531 per night at the Place d’Armes hotel in Montreal was only a master bedroom, living-room and powder-room, Meghan demanded that the agency reserve a bigger suite at the more expensive Gault hotel. “She insists,” said her agent. The production team resisted. “She wants photographs of the hotel rooms and the rooms assigned to her on the set,” said her agent.
Next, Meghan demanded that she be registered in the hotel under an alias, Jane Smith. “Her identity must be kept secret,” said her agent, Lori Sale. “Meghan doesn’t want to be hassled by the hotel staff, other guests or photographers.” The production team were flummoxed. No one in French-speaking Montreal really knew Meghan. In the event, the hotel refused the request. No paparazzi gathered outside the hotel.
Inside the hotel room, ignoring the flower displays, bottles of her favourite wine and even a special calligraphy pen carefully laid out on the tables, she criticised the hotel’s Tempurpedic bathrobe and slippers. She wanted Dior. The tea was the wrong blend and the vegan green juice was warm.
“The Princess is coming,” sniggered one assistant as, hard-faced, Meghan arrived on set, avoiding eye contact with the crew. She disappeared upstairs to her dressing-room.
Throughout the day Meghan appeared for her shots escorted by her entourage — Felix the hairdresser and Marco the make-up artist — and then returned to her room. Both were ordered never to leave her side. “She was always fed up,” one crew member noted, “sighing, huffing and rolling her eyes at things. It was heavy-going working with her.” Another claimed that she would be “super sweet” with Felix and Marco and then within seconds turn to the crew and be “super-disagreeable”.
No one dared to contradict Meghan. Keeping their jobs depended on satisfying her demands. The only consolation was Meghan’s actual performance. In front of the lens she transformed herself into a warm, glamorous icon.
The following day, the mood deteriorated. To satisfy another of Meghan’s demands, the wardrobe staff had bought a pair of expensive Aquazzura beige suede shoes chosen by her. From her dressing-room, Meghan was heard complaining about the production, the clothes, the style and the script. In retaliation, members of the team began to speak in French.
During the filming, Meghan was asked: “What Canadian woman inspires you?” She laughed and asked for examples. “None of them inspires me,” she replied. “You can’t make me say something I don’t want to or don’t believe in.”
“It’s a wrap,” shouted the assistant at exactly 7pm. Meghan’s agent had already called to warn that her client would not film one extra minute. There was none of the customary “Thank you” or “See you again”. Meghan departed. To the surprise of the wardrobe staff she forgot to leave behind the Aquazzura shoes.
“She is definitely the meanest person I’ve ever met. Just saying,” Jean Malek, the third director, posted on Facebook.
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Tom Bower, 2022. Extracted from Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors by Tom Bower, to be published by Blink Publishing, on July 21 at £22
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