Does Meghan Markle have a problem of stealing other people’s work or is it just a coincidence

British author Mel Elliott claims Meghan Markle’s cancelled animated series Pearl closely resembled her children’s book series Pearl Power, prompting legal action and this isn’t the first time Meghan’s creative projects have sparked controversy

New Delhi, 22 April ,2025

Meghan Markle’s shelved animated show Pearl is back in the news, but not quite for the reasons she may have wished. British writer Mel Elliott, whose children’s book series Pearl Power had already made its mark, has spoken out, claiming that the concept of Meghan’s show was so similar to her work that she felt compelled to take legal action.

Elliott, who began releasing Pearl Power in 2014, explained she was initially surprised when she heard about Meghan’s venture. The Netflix series, announced in 2021 under the Duchess and Prince Harry’s Archewell Productions label, was meant to follow the journey of a young girl who admires powerful women throughout history — a concept Elliott says is remarkably similar to her book series.

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Elliott claimed that after sending a personal letter to Meghan and Netflix, she never heard back. Her lawyers then issued a formal notice, pointing out the potential copyright problem and stating that the project could have constituted an infringement of her intellectual property.

The series was officially cancelled by Netflix in May 2022 as part of a broader round of content reductions while the streaming giant struggled with falling subscription numbers. However, Elliott suspects that her legal notice may have helped prompt the cancellation of Pearl.

When Pearl Power was first released, it made a strong impression within the children’s book community and even caught the attention of celebrities like Ryan Gosling, Kate Winslet, and Victoria Beckham.

This isn’t the first time Meghan’s creative projects have sparked controversy. Last year Meghan was accused of borrowing ideas for her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan from Pamela Anderson’s concept Cooking with Love.

So far, neither Meghan Markle nor Netflix has made a public comment regarding the plagiarism allegation.