The online fan community known as the “Sussex Squad” pushed back against claims that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry failed to fill the theatre for a screening of their latest documentary, after images circulated online showing empty seats inside the venue.
A surprise appearance at Sundance
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made an unexpected appearance in Park City, Utah, on Sunday to introduce Cookie Queens, a documentary executive-produced under their Archewell Productions banner.
The film follows a group of Girl Scouts as they learn about entrepreneurship through cookie sales.
Harry and Meghan attended the screening at the Eccles Theatre, where they posed on the red carpet alongside the film’s director, Alysa Nahamias.
Meghan, who was once a Girl Scout herself, later shared moments from the festival on Instagram, including a photo of her and Harry watching the documentary together.
Questions over empty seats
Although tickets for the screening were listed as “sold out” online, social media footage appeared to show noticeable gaps in the balcony shortly before the film started, prompting claims that the event had not reached full capacity.
According to Page Six, the screening began about 10 minutes late, with “roughly 150 unoccupied spots remained in the balcony, plus some scattered chairs on the ground” when the film started.
That number reportedly “tighted to about 60” once people on the waitlist were allowed to take seats that had originally been reserved for premium pass holders.
The report suggested that many high-level Sundance attendees, whose express badges can cost around USD$7000, chose to skip the early-morning screening despite the Sussexes’ in-person appearance.
By contrast, the same venue had been full the night before for the premiere of Olivia Wilde’s The Invite, starring Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton, with staff reportedly turning away ticket holders due to unassigned seating.
Supporters push back online
Fans of Meghan, 44, and Harry, 41, were quick to reject the suggestion that the documentary struggled to attract an audience, describing the criticism as a coordinated online attack.
Many pointed to the Sundance website, which showed all Cookie Queens screenings marked as sold out.