LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A strange public feud between Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and Jeremy Zimmer, CEO of the United Talent Agency, is currently making headlines. During a weeklong media blitz at the Cannes Lions, Zimmer was questioned about the recent collapse of a $20 million multi-year contract Meghan and Prince Harry struck with Spotify in 2020. The agreement gave rise to a single season of 'Archetypes', which was not extended. On June 15, it was revealed that the contract would end.
One A-list talent manager who preferred to remain unnamed called his remarks "mind-blowing." "As an agent, you never publicly discuss your own talent or anyone else’s." The comment from Zimmer was dubbed "a shocking display of bad taste" by a prominent agent from a UTA rival agency. "Who wants to sign with someone who trashes people like that in public?"
Who is Jeremy Zimmer?
Jeremy Zimmer, a managing director and co-founder of UTA, is one of the six owners of the Hollywood agency. The grandson of renowned Hollywood studio head Dory Schary started his career in the William Morris Agency's mailroom at age 19. He joined ICM after relocating to Los Angeles in 1984, eventually rising to the position of director of both the Motion Picture Packaging and Literary divisions. When Zimmer said that the agency industry was "raping and pillaging" during an industry conference, he was asked to leave ICM in a notorious incident. He was made a partner at the Bauer/Benedek Agency, and in 1991, when Leading Artists Agency and Bauer/Benedek merged to form United Talent Agency, he contributed to its founding.
What did he say about Meghan Markle?
"Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent," Zimmer stated to Semafor at the marketing festival in the South of France. "And, you know, just because you’re famous doesn’t make you great at something."
'They were in serious pursuit'
However, a business insider shot back to Page Six, asking, "So then why did Jeremy have multiple agents trying to sign Meghan? They were in serious pursuit. One of their agents was recently actively pursuing her." Markle never interacted with UTA agents, according to a source with knowledge of the circumstance. Markle, 41, joined the rival WME firm in April under the leadership of renowned Hollywood executive Ari Emmanuel. Brad Slater and Jill Smoller, who also represents Markle's close friend, Serena Williams, are her regular agents. Another source, however, claimed that Emmanuel is "hands-on" with Markle's account and makes daily calls on her new ventures, as per Page Six.
