Meghan Markle was allegedly used by Netflix to promote the second series of Guy Ritchie’s crime drama The Gentlemen, according to sources close to the Duchess of Sussex.
It was reported in August that Meghan was in preliminary discussions about a possible role in the show’s third series. The reports emerged two days after she and Prince Harry were said to be returning indefinitely to Britain with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
However, the prospect of her acting comeback was met with public criticism, and the discussions were subsequently abandoned less than a day after they became public.
Friends of Meghan have now claimed that news of her potential involvement was disclosed to generate publicity for the latest series, which stars Theo James and Kaya Scodelario.
One source alleged that Netflix knew the second series was not as strong as the first, while a third had already been commissioned. They claimed the streaming service had “used” Meghan to help attract attention and increase viewing figures.
“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 source said.
The source added that the episode had “left a bit of a sour taste in the Sussex camp’s mouth”, while claiming Netflix had ultimately secured the publicity it wanted.
Audience figures indicated that viewing numbers for The Gentlemen fell by about 15 per cent compared with the first series, which was watched by 3.5 million viewers when it was released in March 2024. The opening episode of the second series attracted around three million British viewers in the week after its release on Netflix.
Meghan has not had a full acting role since leaving the legal drama Suits, in which she played Rachel Zane for seven seasons. Her final episode aired in 2018, before she joined the Royal Family.
She said in 2022 that she had no plans to resume acting, telling Variety magazine: “I’m done. I guess never say never but my intention is to absolutely not.”
More recently, however, the Duchess has taken on smaller screen and film appearances. She has a cameo as herself in the upcoming American film Close Personal Friends and appeared as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia after filming in Melbourne during a four-day visit to the country with Harry.
A separate source said Meghan was now “very cautious” about reading scripts because of concerns that her involvement could be leaked. They added that any project featuring her would attract substantial interest and could generate significant revenue for a streaming service or studio.
Meghan’s previous relationship with Netflix began with a reported 100 million dollar five-year agreement signed in 2020. The deal lapsed last year after her lifestyle programme, With Love, Meghan, received mixed reviews and its second series failed to enter the top ten in either Britain or the United States.
Netflix and the Duchess of Sussex have been contacted for comment.
