Meghan Markle's friends accuse Netflix of 'using' her to promote The Gentlemen as Guy Ritchie gives brutal verdict
Meghan Markle’s pals have said she was ‘used’ by Netflix to promote the second season of The Gentlemen.
Earlier this year, reports began swirling that the Duchess of Sussex had been in talks to appear in the third season of the Guy Ritchie series.
The rumours coincided with the Sussex’s returning to the UK and, of course, Meghan is no stranger to acting having played Rachel Zane in Suits for seven seasons.
However, shortly after the rumours began doing the rounds, they were quickly shut down and it was claimed Meghan had been dropped due to ‘intense’ backlash.
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Tina Brown, the former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, wrote in a column on Substack: “I learned this morning that the casting of Meghan Markle in season 3 of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen has been withdrawn. The backlash in the UK was so intense, it became untenable to go forward. This does not bode well for Meghan’s acting comeback in the UK.”
Several cast members have since addressed the speculation, including Theo James who said: “I think it’s spurious rumours.
“I think she’d fit in well because she’s actually from part of the royal family.
“But no, I think the practicalities of that are impossible.”
Meanwhile, Hugh Bonneville, who plays aristocrat Lord Hawthorne, said: “I think it’s a genius piece of marketing by whoever just dreamt up that idea.
In an interview with The Telegraph, friends of the Duchess have said she was ‘used’ by Netflix to promote the show’s second season.
One said: “Some people in her camp feel she was used to help promote season two, because they knew it wasn’t as good as the first season and had already commissioned a third.
“It’s the oldest marketing trick in the book: get a big name to read a script, then leak that you’re ‘in conversation’ with them when, in reality, nothing is particularly far along.
“The whole thing left a bit of a sour taste in the Sussex camp’s mouth. Needless to say, Netflix got what it wanted: huge viewing figures for season two and a lot of publicity.”
Another friend told the publication that Meghan had since become ‘very cautious’ about reading scripts in case stories about her potential involvement got leaked to the media.
The source said that if and when Meghan does make a return to acting there will be ‘huge interest’ and the chance for one studio to ‘make a lot of money’ from it.
Speaking in 2022, Meghan said she did not plan on returning to acting.
She told Variety: “I’m done. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not.”
Since then, Meghan has appeared back on our screens but as herself in With Love, Meghan, which sees her chatting with her famous friends while also sharing cooking, hosting and gardening tips.
Meghan's friend have spoken out after an insider on the show reportedly revealed Ritchie’s reaction to Meghan being linked to the show.
According to The Sun, a surprised Ritchie asked ‘really?’ when Meghan’s name came up.
When asked if there was any realistic chance of the Duchess being involved, he reportedly replied: “Not a chance.”
A third season of The Gentlemen was announced back in August, before the second had even aired, with an insider telling Variety that the show was in ‘pre-production’ and that no scripts had been finalised.
LADbible has reached out to Netflix for comment.
Topics: Meghan Markle, The Gentlemen, Netflix, TV and Film
Claire Reid