Hollywood Super-Agent Ari Emanuel Reveals Why He Dumped Meghan Markle as a Client: 'I Didn't Want It Occupying My Brain'
Megyn Kelly grilled Ari Emanuel about why he no longer represents Meghan Markle.
Oct. 12 2026, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel doubled down on how relieved he was to have Meghan Markle off his hands as a client, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 65-year-old executive chairman and CEO of WME told Megyn Kelly on her SiriusXM show that he didn't want the Duchess of Sussex "occupying my brain" anymore.
Ari Emanuel Doubled Down on Comments About Meghan Markle
Ari Emanuel previously claimed it was a 'great thing' that he didn't have to 'think about' Meghan Markle's career.
Emanuel's remarks follow his shocking revelation to the Sunday Times that he and Markle parted ways in 2025. When asked about the current direction of her career, he snarked, "Here's the great thing: I don't have to think about that anymore."
"Why, why is that great?" Kelly, 55, asked him.
"Listen, I've got a busy life. She is finding her voice. I'm happy for her," Emanuel claimed about Markle.
"We're...the great thing, I hope, as a partner in starting William Morris Endeavor, is that there are people here who can handle stuff and handle clients," he said.
Ari Emanuel Claimed He Didn't Want Meghan Markle's Needs 'Occupying My Brain'
Ari Emanuel originally signed Meghan Markle to his WME agency in 2023.
The Hollywood heavyweight also sits atop the powerhouse sports and entertainment empire TKO Group Holdings, the multibillion-dollar juggernaut that brought UFC and WWE under one roof, while still handling agent duties to some of Tinseltown's biggest stars.
"And for me, I just had a lot on my plate with — I've started a new company. I run TKO. I have clients. And it was better to let them deal with her and execute against her needs and desires. And I'm happy that everybody's doing it for me," Emanuel explained.
He continued, "I, I couldn't— it couldn't occupy — I didn't want it occupying my brain. And when I'm involved in somebody, it constantly — when I wake up in the morning, clients occupy my brain. But that's what happens. And I just didn't want to do that anymore."
'I Just Needed to Move on to Other Things'
Ari Emanuel said he's 'not involved' with handling Meghan Markle anymore.
Emanuel signed Markle to WME in April 2023, leading a team including Senior Talent Partner Brad Slater and Serena Williams' longtime agent Jill Smoller.
Kelly began to smile and laugh as the Tinseltown Titan continued to be tongue-tied about why he parted ways with Markle.
"Having nothing about her, I just needed to move on to other things I was doing....I think there's a bunch of things that our people are doing for her now. I'm just not involved. I'm not involved," he noted.
Kelly pried into exactly why Emanuel parted ways with accused bully Markle, scoffing, "You did represent her and then somehow you didn't, and clearly you made that decision."
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Megyn Kelly Told Ari Emanuel 'You're So Full of It' When He Pulled Positive Meghan Markle Spin
Ari Emanuel claimed Meghan Markle is getting booked for 'reality stuff and TV stuff.'
Emanuel appeared to squirm as he tried to dodge Kelly's pointed observation, insisting, "I just, I just had to shift my focus to other things that were a priority for me," prompting the smiling host to deliver a savage zinger, "Things that actually could get bookings and make money for it."
Markle seemingly failed to deliver a major payday for WME, having signed with the powerhouse agency years after she and Prince Harry scored their eye-popping Netflix and Spotify deals. Adding insult to injury, Spotify pulled the plug on the Sussexes just three months after the former Deal or No Deal briefcase girl joined Emanuel's roster, with one of the streaming giant's executives later branding the couple "f------ grifters."
When Kelly twisted the knife by observing, "It doesn't seem to be going that well," Emanuel scrambled to defend Markle's career prospects, insisting, "She's actually getting booked, and there's reality stuff and TV stuff," before suspiciously adding, "I don't know about it."
The host wasn't buying his attempted spin, gleefully calling out the power broker. "Oh, really? You are so full of it. This is the first thing I've had you when I got you on the ropes, man. You are full of it," as Emanuel just smiled and laughed.
