Oh nice... Jacintha Ardern has published a statement that her involvement in the new documentary has nothing to do with H&M. She was already approached in 2019. Before Archewell joined the existing projecting initiated by the Nelson Mandela foundation.
From The Times:
Jacinda Ardern distances herself from Harry and Meghan over Netflix film
It was not so much a snub, more of a diplomatic put-down.
But there was no mistaking the meaning from Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand prime minister, when her office issued a statement saying her involvement in a new Netflix series on “effective leadership” was nothing to do with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The streaming service issued a trailer on Monday for a documentary series called Live to Lead presented by the duke and duchess.
The
documentary, made in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and inspired by the late South African leader, will be released by the streaming service on December 31.
It was made by the New Zealand-based production company Blackwell & Ruth and produced in association with the Sussexes’ production company, Archewell.
The couple are listed as executive producers.
However,
Ardern’s office has issued a statement in response to media questions saying that her involvement had nothing to do with Harry and Meghan, who only joined the production at a later stage.
The statement said: “In early March 2019 the prime minister was approached by the Mandela Foundation to participate in a project to develop accessible resources on key attributes of leadership targeted at aspiring young leaders around the world, based off a one-hour interview.
“Originally we were advised the outputs would be printed and digital books, short films and audiobooks.
“The interview was conducted on November 8, 2019. In March 2020 a short book entitled Jacinda Ardern (I Know This to be True) was published based on the interview. Other participants who also had their contributions published based on their interviews included the late US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the feminist activist Gloria Steinem, the climate campaigner
Greta Thunberg and the American basketball player Stephen Curry.
“In March 2021 the Nelson Mandela Foundation advised the prime minister’s office they had secured an agreement with Netflix to broadcast the series of interviews, including the 2019 interview with the prime minister. “In May this year the prime minister’s office was notified that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would introduce the series; noting this was nearly two and a half years after the interview had been recorded and permission for its use by the Mandela Foundation had already been provided.
“All communication throughout has been with the foundation (there has been no communications with
the Duke and
Duchess of Sussex regarding the project).”
Harry and Meghan appear in the trailer for the series, with Harry saying: “This was inspired by Nelson Mandela, who once said, ‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived’.” Meghan continues: “It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
Why she even talks about that is beyond me. Get over it.
