Harry and Meghan want a private life but are willing to share if the price is right

One of the cool things about my job as an entertainment reporter is that I get advanced copies of movies, TV shows and books.

Earlier this month I received a copy of Prince Harry’s new book, Spare. (By the way, I refer to him as the Harry formerly known as prince since he stepped away from his royal duties.) By the time you read this, the book is available to the public so I’m not writing to give spoilers or leak info.

Judging by the spotlight that Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship has been in over the years, people either feel sorry for them or call them a couple of whiners and complainers.

It was widely reported that Harry and Meghan moved to Vancouver Island, then to the U.S. because they wanted privacy and a life away from prying eyes. So, what did they do? Sit down with Oprah for a tell-all interview to drag the royal family through the mud. Sure, they were speaking their truth but, you know, the whole privacy thing.

They wanted a private life so they inked a three-year podcast deal with Spotify for a whopping $18 million, according to Forbes, where Meghan talks about the family and gives insider info about their lives.

Harry wants to reconcile and make nice with brother, William, and dad, Charles, so, naturally Harry inked a four-book deal worth between $35 million and $40 million, according to Entertainment Tonight.

The topper was the $100-million Netflix deal, according to 60 Minutes, that the couple was paid for their six-part documentary that was released a few weeks ago.

I understand the couple wanting to set the record straight and clear their names because of all the gossip and tabloid fodder but isn’t this, you know, just creating more?

At the end of the day, who cares what people think of you?

Years ago, when I was a video columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press, the comments section of their website had a ton of rude and derogatory posts. I wasn’t aware of them because, quite honestly, I never had an interest to linger in the shadows and see what people thought of me. As long as my pay was deposited on time and my book sales were good, it wasn’t a concern.

Admittedly, I’m not as high-profile as Harry but, let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter what people think as long as you’re happy and you’re a good person.

So, someone thinks Harry was rude to William — yeah, so? So, someone thinks Meghan made Kate Middleton cry and not the other way around — OK, and?

Now, if someone made outrageous claims that Harry was abusing his child or involved in illegal drug rings, sure, take a moment to clear your name. But, it’s family bickering about who said this and who did that. Why does it need to play out publicly? Work it out in your own family and not in podcasts, books and documentaries with one-sided commentary.