Between the frigid cold shoulder King Charles and Prince William continue to give him, Meghan Markle’s well-intentioned attempts that are making Prince Harry’s harder, and his many legal troubles, the Duke of Sussex doesn’t have the attention span left to deduce who is really on his side. And some might be unashamedly using it to their benefit, even at the cost of creating more trouble for Prince and his family.

Harry’s stay in America has been wrought with problems that bypass the Royal drama as he has been found liable of deliberately destroying crucial legal evidence, had to cough up substantial dollars in the same case, and is also currently embroiled in the chaos around his lies and truth on his visa application.

These troubles hit another notch when he was announced as the next recipient of the Pat Tillman Award, which is bestowed upon individuals who have made “remarkable civic contributions” and exhibited “extraordinary fortitude and spirit of service.” And many, along with Tillman’s mother, are bashing Harry getting the award as he is no “unsung hero.” He is being criticized from all sides — from his controversies to his Royal upbringing to all his life decisions being dragged through the mud — with only a small percentage of the American population in favor of him getting the award (via Newsweek).

Reportedly (via The Telegraph), Harry was not anticipating this rapidly worsening backlash and is stunned by this “particularly bitter pill” he has to swallow.

“Harry’s legacy on Invictus, the things he has achieved, that’s his real passion. This is the space in which he truly feels at home, it is something he deeply cares about. The reaction certainly took the shine off the award.”

Now, whether it is true or not that Meghan is the one who unleashed this fresh hell in her husband’s — and by extension, her as well as her children’s — life, someone is certainly benefitting from this negative turn of events.

Prince Harry’s big controversy and ignoring demands of turning down the award is bad publicity but is still publicity

While Harry’s consistent silence which is now being construed as his absolute refusal to turn down the Pat Tillman award will only tarnish his reputation, it is expected to work as a magnet to attract record number of viewers to the live telecast of the ESPY Awards on July 11. Now, this is a victory everyone wants, but as per a TV consultant who works for ESPN, it is a necessary win for the network — that has defended their choice and called it a “cause worth celebrating” — after its profit margin dropped by a worrying 20% last year.

“Prince Harry getting this award has drawn insane eyeballs to this show. They will stand firm on him getting it and also behind closed doors be excited that such a decision has prompted such interest in this night. Like it or loathe it, Harry draws interest and potentially bigger ratings – so they will keep him there.”

So, even as Prince Harry gets shunned and called desperate for attention, the whole drama is guaranteed to be a profitable deal for ESPN as everyone, whether they are in favor of the decision or stubbornly against it is bound to mark their presence as its viewer and will ensure that the controversy [re: attention] doesn’t die with Harry accepting the award and exiting the stage.