Quibi staffers are "fuming" as they face layoffs while Reese Witherspoon earns $6 million to narrate one of the struggling platform's documentary programs, according to a report.
The Hollywood star voices the series "Fierce Queens," which showcases female animals atop the social hierarchy in the animal kingdom. However, insiders say the show has failed to perform, and many staff could lose their jobs.
"Quibi may have to implement cutbacks and people are fuming that stars like Reese got paid millions," one source told Page Six. The insider claimed that some "lowest-level staffers" have already been "quietly" let go, while others have been forced to scale back on working overtime.
"The mood is dark," the source added.
Quibi was created for mobile devices and targets commuters and people on the go with shows that are just 10 minutes long or less. A host of A-listers were hired to create content for the platform, and Witherspoon's husband chose to leave his high-profile job at the Creative Artists Agency to work at the startup.
However, the concept is falling short amid the coronavirus pandemic, said co-founder and former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, per Hypebeast.
"It's not up to what we wanted," he said of the number of active users and downloads. "It's not close to what we wanted."
In an effort to stay afloat, the company has revamped its functionality to support Chromecast and Apple AirPlay. It will also soon allow users to share content to social media, whereas in the past, they were unable to do so.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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