The Duchess of Sussex was plunged into a copycat row last night when a British author revealed she had sent a legal letter pointing out what she considered to be ‘striking similarities’ between Meghan’s first children’s TV show and her own work.
‘Pearl’, announced by the Duchess in July 2021, was an animated series about a little girl ‘as she learns to step into her power and finds inspiration from influential women throughout history’.
It was a key title in the $100m deal struck between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the streaming giant in 2020.
Meghan was credited as Executive Producer alongside Sir Elton John‘s husband David Furnish but the show was killed less than a year later, with Meghan swiftly removing all references to it from the website of her production company Archewell.
Now, globally published children’s writer Mel Elliott, 51, from Hastings, has disclosed that she sent a legal letter suggesting a potential infringement of copyright in relation to her own creation – a little British girl called Pearl Power.
The author and illustrator then followed up with two further personal letters.
Last night Mel said: ‘Meghan is a feminist who sticks up for other women, so I was disappointed and confused to see how similar Netflix‘s proposed show “Pearl” was to my own Pearl Power who had been created seven years earlier.
‘Of course, I can’t know if anyone on her team had seen it and been inspired by it, but the similarities were too great for me to ignore.
Pearl was Meghan’s planned Netflix animated series about a little girl ‘as she learns to step into her power and finds inspiration from influential women throughout history’
Mel’s lawyers wrote to the Duchess, care of Archewell, in July 2021: ‘The similarities between your proposed animation series and my client’s work appear to be too many and too striking to be mere coincidence’
By the time Meghan’s new show was announced, Mel had already written three Pearl Power books, published in 2014, 2015 and 2016
‘The world of arts and media are very competitive and I’m afraid it’s quite common for powerful to people to rip off the work of less well-known creatives – although I’m not saying that’s what happened here.
‘What saddened me most is that, having brought the similarities between my Pearl and Meghan’s Pearl to the attention of Netflix and Archewell, my objection was never acknowledged – neither Netflix nor Archewell responded to me when I would have loved to have contributed and collaborated.’
By the time Meghan’s new show was announced, Mel had already written three Pearl Power books, published in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
The third was a runaway success, translated into Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch as well as being published in the UK and America.
The author and illustrator is also well known for her grown up colouring books which have a cult celebrity following.
Fans include Ryan Gosling who took his book onto the Ellen de Generes chat show, Victoria Beckham who bought one for her daughter Harper, and Kate Winslet who was pictured with one in Waterstones.
Her work sells in household name stores ranging from WHSmith and Tesco in the UK, to Bloomingdales and Barnes and Noble in the US.
She started turning her Pearl Power character into an animated TV series in 2019, two years before Meghan’s 2021 Netflix announcement. Pearl’s first encounter was to be with tennis legend and women’s sports equality campaigner Billie Jean King who publicly endorsed the project.
Mel, who has an MA from the Royal College of Art, wrote and illustrated her first Pearl Power book more than a decade ago as a tribute her own daughter Pearl, now 16 (pictured together)
‘Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenges,’ a quote from Meghan promoting her series read
Mel said: ‘The world of arts and media are very competitive and I’m afraid it’s quite common for powerful people to rip off the work of less well-known creatives – although I’m not saying that’s what happened here’
‘The similarities between your proposed animation series and my client’s work appear to be too many and too striking to be mere coincidence,’
Mel’s lawyers wrote to the duchess, care of Archewell, in July 2021.
‘It also appears that there is a risk that your proposed series may infringe intellectual property rights belonging to my client and/or may give rise to a claim in passing off (or in the US, some form of unfair competition’.)
No remedial action was taken, and the duchess did not respond.
Surprisingly however, given the high-profile nature of the show’s launch and the heavyweight team assembled, no further details were shared by Archewell or the streaming platform.
In October 2021 and then again in February 2022, Mel says she sent personal letters to Archewell and Netflix, asking for updates but still heard nothing.
‘Pearl’ was cancelled 10 weeks later at the start of May 2022. Netflix said it was one of several projects – including two other children’s shows – which were being dropped because of falling subscriber numbers which necessitated cutbacks.
The company was said to have decided to pivot away from animation at the time the cuts were announced.
Mel Elliott’s (pictured) revelations shed a new light on the mystery, because by the time Meghan announced her plans in a blaze of publicity, Mel had produced a trio of Pearl Power books and started work on an animation
Pearl always appears in a black dress with a white Peter Pan collar and a red bow, with red bows in her hair and on her shoes
In February, the mayoress of Porres in Majorca complained the logo for Meghan’s new lifestyle brand, As Ever resembled her town’s historic coat of arms, which features two swallows on either side of a palm tree. Pictured: On the show
Mel says: ‘I am glad that Meghan’s ‘Pearl’ show was dropped, and I hope that I had something to do with it.
‘But what I really wanted was for it to have gone ahead, and for me to have been acknowledged or invited to work as a collaborator on the series. Pearl was my dream project and now, annoyingly, if I reprise my own creation, it’s going to look like I have copied the idea from someone else.’
Mel chose not to make her action public for fear of facing the wrath of Meghan’s fans, who style themselves The Sussex Squad and relentlessly troll anyone who criticises the duchess.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, she had recently endured surgery and brutal radiotherapy and felt too vulnerable to face any online attacks.
Today however, she has spoken out after seeing the duchess projects’ being subject to some unfortunate similarities with preexisting content ranging from a TV show to a Spanish coat of arms.
Earlier this year, fans of Pamela Anderson accused Meghan of ‘copying’ the Baywatch legend’s Cooking with Love show for her own cooking and lifestyle show With Love.
Any similarities may have been coincidence and indeed, Jesse Fawcett, the co-creator, co-writer and executive producer of Pamela’s series, shrugged off such concerns.
‘We take pride in planting the first seeds – creating original, distinctive programming that audiences love – and it’s a compliment to see our work with Ms Anderson resonate so strongly,’ he told the Mail.
Mel Elliottt, artist, writer and illustrator who had a legal dispute with Netflix and Archewell, when a story very similar to one of hers was announced as a project by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Mel, whose work sells in stores ranging from WHSmith and Tesco in Britain to Bloomingdale’s and Barnes & Noble in the US, says her test animation for Pearl Power was publicly visible on her website and her social media channels
Then in February, the mayoress of Porres in Majorca complained the logo for Meghan’s new lifestyle brand, As Ever resembled her town’s historic coat of arms, which features two swallows on either side of a palm tree.
The design’s distinct shape was created to be a personal and unique emblem for the brand and, according to reports, was subject to thorough global searches of registered trademarks, conducted during the design process.
Despite this, the mayoress asked the duchess to change the As Ever branding
Meanwhile in March, Meghan’s newly announced ‘Confessions of a Female Founder’ podcast was found to share its title with another podcast which was launched by a female entrepreneur more than a year ago.
Fans pointed out the identical title – even though the host herself, clothing designer Kady Meite, declined to criticise the duchess. Ms Meite said: ‘I completely understand why people are drawing connections, and I truly appreciate the support and understand their intention.
‘But I also understand coincidences as well. It is highly unlikely Meghan even came across my channel but I am flattered by the thought. I know firsthand what it feels like to have my work actually copied… this isn’t that.’
Mel, who has an MA from the Royal College of Art, wrote and illustrated her first Pearl Power book more than a decade ago as a tribute her own daughter Pearl, now 16.
Mel introduced the historical element in January 2019 when she started early work on an animated TV series as a spin off from the print titles
Mel Elliott is still pursuing her own broad arts and media career as a writer, illustrator, designer, web designer, magazine editor and art director
Pearl always appears in a black dress with a white Peter Pan collar and a red bow, with red bows in her hair and on her shoes.
The original books did not feature Pearl meeting women in history, but were about female empowerment and equality, something Meghan has always championed.
Mel introduced the historical element in January 2019 when she started early work on an animated TV series as a spin off from the print titles.
Her idea was for each episode to open with Pearl presenting a project about a famous woman to classmates and then have them heading off on a shared adventure.
The first test animation featuring Billie Jean King was publicly visible on Mel’s website and her social media channels.
After Billie Jean King, Mel planned to feature Pearl Power meeting the poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart, zoologist Jane Goodall, and Madonna, followed by other women from the worlds of science, arts, politics and sport.
Her initial lawyer’s letter stated: ‘My client has been discussing this proposed series with her agent for more than two years.
‘Apart from being mentioned on her website, this is also mentioned on the website voyagemedia.com which is a website that enables creators to connect with film and TV producers.
Her idea was for each episode to open with Pearl presenting a project about a famous woman to classmates and then have them heading off on a shared adventure
‘In that listing, my client says: ‘I would love to turn Pearl Power into an animated series someday, educating children about inspirational women from modern history (as well as a few men).”
The Daily Telegraph reported Meghan was in conversation with Netflix about ‘Pearl’ prior to her departure from royal life and relocation to the US as early as 2018 prior to the Pearl animated series produced by Ms Elliot.
Debuting her own project the duchess said: ‘Like many girls her age, our heroine Pearl is on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to overcome life’s daily challenges.
‘I’m thrilled that Archewell Productions, partnered with the powerhouse platform of Netflix, and these incredible producers, will together bring you this new animated series, which celebrates extraordinary women throughout history.
David Furnish and I have been eager to bring this special series to light, and I am delighted we are able to announce it today.’
Megan Casey, director of original animation at Netflix described the duchess’s project as: ‘An exciting tale that weaves together fantasy and history, ‘Pearl’ focuses on a young girl who learns to step into her own power when she embarks on a heroic adventure and meets important women from history along the way.’
Although Pearl was dropped, the Duke and Duchess are understood to have a strong relationship with Netflix. The streamer’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said in February the company remains ‘excited’ at the prospect of future collaborations.
Mel Elliott is still pursuing her own broad arts and media career as a writer, illustrator, designer, web designer, magazine editor and art director.
She says: ‘I still believe Pearl Power would make a brilliant and inspirational cartoon series for kids so if any producers would like to work on this idea with me do get in touch!’
Her fourth children’s book will be published in May 2026 by Harper Collins while her debut novel ‘Alice and Audrey’, which is written from the perspective of mother and teenage daughter, is coming out soon. It is available to preorder on melelliott.com.
