Meghan Markle accused of ripping off children’s book series for animated Netflix show
NY Post
Meghan Markle is in a copycat crisis.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, is facing plagiarism claims from British children’s author Mel Elliott.
Elliott told the Daily Mail Friday that she sent legal letters to Markle over Markle’s cancelled animated Netflix show “Pearl” bearing “striking similarities” to Elliott’s “Pearl Power” books.
“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,” Elliott told the outlet.
“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 author added.
As part of Markle and Prince Harry’s $100 million deal with Netflix, “Pearl” was announced in development at the streamer in July 2021, with Markle serving as an executive producer alongside Elton John’s husband, David Furnish.
