Will The Joe Rogan Drama At Spotify Sever Harry And Meghan's Streaming Deal?

Comedian Joe Rogan is no stranger to controversy, but in January, he once again found himself at the center of a media firestorm. According to Deadline, Rogan was accused of spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine on his podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience." After featuring Dr. Robert Malone on the platform — who had previously been suspended on Twitter for "spreading misinformation about COVID-19," according to Deadline — a group of healthcare professionals penned an open letter to Spotify in protest. Because Spotify hosts Rogan's podcast content exclusively due to a deal the pair signed in 2020, per The Verge, musician Neil Young also made his displeasure known by pulling his music from the platform. "I want you to let Spotify know immediately today that I want all my music off their platform. They can have Rogan or Young. Not both," the "Heart of Gold" singer wrote in a now-deleted letter on his website, according to Variety.

On January 28, Joni Mitchell threw her support behind Young by removing her entire discography from Spotify. "I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue," she added. But Young, Mitchell, and the healthcare community at large are far from the only ones to be unhappy with Spotify. Sources allege that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have expressed concerns with the streaming giant after the couple signed a reported $25 million deal with them in 2021.

According to Page Six, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first became concerned with Spotify in April 2021, when Joe Rogan alleged that young, healthy people don't need the COVID-19 vaccine (despite scientific evidence to the contrary). After NPR reported that Dr. Robert Malone peddled "baseless and disproven claims" on Rogan's podcast in January, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex issued a statement on the matter. "Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all-too real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platform," a spokesperson for the couple said, via Page Six. "We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis." With that said, Prince Harry and his wife have not split with the company, and instead "are committed to continuing our work together."

Still, Spotify appears to have responded to the high-profile backlash it has received recently. ABC News reported that the streaming service will be adding content advisories to podcasts which focus on COVID-19. "It is important to me that we don't take on the position of being content censor while also making sure that there are rules in place and consequences for those who violate them," Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek said, via ABC News. In the future, the company's advisories will link to a fact-based COVID-19 hub so that customers can arm themselves with the proper knowledge.