Prince Harry's 'Brand' Tanks, Hatred From U.K. Appears to 'Spill Over' to the States After Backlash Over ESPY's Pat Tillman Award
July 10 2024, Published 5:15 p.m. ET
Prince Harry's U.S. "brand" is said to be in the toilet.
The royal renegade has faced backlash since being nominated for the 2024 ESPY's Pat Tillman award, but a leading U.K. commentator now suggests hatred toward the Duke of Sussex has poured over from the U.K. to America, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Arwa Madhawi said in her Guardian column, "Harry has no end of haters in the UK; almost anything he does is bound to be criticised by sections of the British press. But the fact his award nomination is getting so much backlash from Americans speaks volumes about how badly his brand is faring in his new home."
"The novelty of the newlyfleds, it seems, has worn off; America is growing tired of the Sussexes."
Harry and his wife Meghan recently admitted they're in their "flop era" during an interview for the Rolling Stone. While the couple were dropped from their $20 million Spotify deal — and only recently resurrected their Netflix deal — they've still struggled to find their footing in the U.S.
Meghan recently announced her latest venture, lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, though she's only sent out homemade jam to influencers and celeb friends, which faced criticism for having sloppy labels.
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While Harry and Meghan are no strangers to criticism, sources told the Telegraph that this particular bout of backlash over Harry's Pat Tillman award nomination — which is given to "a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of [Tillman]" — hits especially hard.
The Pat Tillman award honors the NFL legend who was killed in friendly fire after turning down a multi-million dollar contract to enlist in the U.S. Army following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Harry received the nomination due to his work with the Invictus Games. Sources noted as recent criticism relates to Harry's own military career, which he is very proud of, is "a particularly bitter pill to swallow."
An online petition was even created to pressure ESPN into rethinking Harry's nomination. The petition argued, "Prince Harry, while a former military officer, has been involved in controversies that call into question his suitability to receive an honor of this magnitude."
"He has faced accusations of endangering his squadron by publicly revealing military kills. The Prince also allegedly targeted his own father, Prince Charles, during a flyover."
As Harry deals with his latest bout of backlash in the States, rumor has it Meghan is still considering launch a rosé wine line soon as she attempts to overhaul her image.