Blowback and Backlash: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, Adele, Joe Rogan And More! | The Perez Hilton Podcast - WATCH Here!

DEALSAerosmith have signed a deal with Universal Music’s merch-tastic Epic Rights for global brand management. “We are THRILLED to have Aerosmith, one of the all-time greatest rock icons, on the Epic Rights roster”, says the company’s SVP Global Licensing Lisa Streff. ”In anticipation of the upcoming 50th anniversary activities, we’re excited to be developing a global licensing programme that will celebrate and illustrate the band’s career at retail”.

News broke yesterday that Prince Andrew settled in his sexual assault lawsuit and agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to accuser Virginia Giuffre‘s charity.

Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir has been hanging over the Royal Family for almost a year. But the time has almost come for the anxiety-inducing pages to reach bookshelves around the world.The Duke of Sussex’s £14.7million memoir will be released this year and his friends told the Mirror he’s holding nothing back: “If they think he's gone soft, they are mistaken. Just wait for the book to come out because that will shake the monarchy to the core.” Harry’s publishers, Penguin Random House, describe the explosive read as ‘the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him’.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been written off as “deadbeats” and “grifters" by US talk show hosts following speculation they may exit their deal with Spotify amid recent controversy surrounding the streaming platform. Spotify has received wide bashing from users and celebrities for its association with podcaster Joe Rogan, who has been accused of spreading anti-vaccine propaganda on his show, exclusively produced for the content-sharing service. As Harry and Meghan ­­– who are major supporters of vaccinations – are also tied to the platform through a $25 million podcasting deal, it’s been thought that the couple might now turn their backs on Spotify following many others.

Former Mumford & Sons band member Winston Marshall released a lengthy essay comparing calls for action against Joe Rogan’s podcast on Spotify to Soviet-era censorship.  On Thursday, Marshall released an essay on Substack with the title "When Artists Become the Censors" in which he criticizes artists like Neil Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren and India Arie, all of whom have pulled their music off Spotify until it addresses misinformation on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast.  In his essay, Marshall begins by discussing the state of music censorship in the Soviet Union in 1984 before comparing it to the conditions that Spotify is facing today as calls for it to pull Rogan’s work mount. He even called out Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who previously voiced their "concerns" about misinformation on Spotify.  "Of course, Spotify is a private company; they’re under no obligation to platform anybody.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has defended the streaming platform, saying “it’s too early to know” the impact of the recent Joe Rogan row on the company’s future.Earlier this month, hundreds of scientists and medical professionals asked Spotify to address COVID misinformation on its platform, sparked by comments made on The Joe Rogan Experience.More than 270 members of the science and medical community signed the open letter, which called Rogan’s actions “not only objectionable and offensive but also medically and culturally dangerous”.The situation then made headline news, with Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Crazy Horse member Nils Lofgren and more pulling their music from the service after Young sparked a protest against the misinformation being spread about the virus on Rogan’s Spotify original podcast.Other public figures also weighed in on the debate, with Catherine Mayer – the widow of Gang Of Four‘s Andy Gill – criticising Spotify for platforming anti-vax sentiments. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, meanwhile, said in a statement that they had expressed concerns about misinformation to Spotify last year.

Spotify said monthly active users rose 18% to 404 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 as premium subscribers hit 183 million and revenue grew 24%. It reported numbers as controversy swirls around Joe Rogan.

Have U ditched Spotify over Joe Rogan? Will U? This and more on our latest podcast! CLICK HERE to watch this episode of The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker!

Dwayne Johnson showed his support for Joe Rogan after the podcast host responded to the handful of artists protesting his presence on the Spotify platform.  On Monday, Rogan released a nearly ten-minute video response to critics calling for the platform to remove "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, arguing that he often spreads misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic on the show.  Last week, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and guitarist Nils Lofgren announced that they were pulling their music off the platform until it addresses the issue of misinformation on Rogan’s show. Meanwhile, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also issued a statement noting they had some concerns about misinformation on the platform, where they have an exclusive deal, without mentioning Rogan directly.  In the comments of Rogan’s lengthy video, in which he defended the content of his show as well as the qualifications of the guests he had on, Johnson complimented the UFC commentator and said that he hopes to come on "The Joe Rogan Experience" soon.  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson complimented Joe Rogan on his response to backlash to his presence on Spotify.

The most listened to podcast on Spotify – by people with good taste! Ours! Watch tomorrow on our @PerezHilton YouTube or CLICK HERE to listen NOW! This week: Joe Rogan craziness! Prince Harry & Meghan Markle scamming? More Adele sadness! Cardi B vs Tasha K! Janet Jackson‘s explosive documentary! And so much MORE! Listen to The Perez Hilton Podcast with ChrisBooker on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeart Radio app or directly at PerezPodcast.com

Spotify podcast fans will notice a new content warning will air ahead of any podcast episodes discussing Covid-19, CEO Daniel Ek announced on Sunday.