The day the trailer for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new documentary series was released, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she found out she'd be in it.
Ardern featured prominently in the first trailer for Live to Lead, a new documentary project, which will feature "leaders committed to making a difference in the world share[ing] their inspiring life stories". The show is a follow-up to Harry & Meghan, Netflix's documentary series about the couple that debuted earlier this month.
Given the explosive claims made in the recent series, news of Ardern's involvement in the project sparked interest in New Zealand. The Duke of Sussex claimed that the stress of his wife's miscarriage was caused by the stress of the privacy action against the Mail on Sunday, and that his brother screamed and shouted at him during tense meetings before the pair left their royal duties.
However, Ardern stated on Wednesday that she had no contact with the Sussexes regarding the project, and that the footage they were using was from a November 2019 interview with the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
"They were creating resources for future leaders, with an emphasis on young leaders," she explained. "I've not been involved in the decision-making around what happens next and I have not had direct contact with the Sussexes". She stated that she "stood by" the interview as well as the foundation's right to use the footage however they saw fit.
Ardern stated that her office was informed that the documentary would be released in May, but that she had "not stayed close" to those communications. "So I became aware of what was happening with it yesterday".
The Live to Lead trailer also included excerpts from interviews with climate activist Greta Thunberg, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, feminist activist Gloria Steinem, and South African anti-apartheid activist and judge Albie Sachs.
