The Duchess of Sussex's rumoured role in Netflix series The Gentlemen was leaked as part of a cynical PR strategy, experts have implied.
It had been reported that Meghan was about to make a huge acting comeback in the Guy Ritchie gangster show, but later reports said the contract was off just 24 hours after the news emerged.
Public backlash
Royal author Tina Brown today said the decision was down to public backlash following the reports that Meghan would join the cast. She shared on X: "I have heard that Meghan Markle's role in Guy Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentlemen is OFF. Public backlash was too fierce. This does not bode well for Meghan's acting comeback in the UK."
Meghan was said to be in talks to appear as a temptress character in the third series of the Netflix hit, just days after it was announced Meghan and husband Prince Harry, 41, are returning to live in the UK with their children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five.
Leak explanation
Now, it has been claimed why the news of Meghan's potential Netflix role had been leaked. "You can well imagine her people might take [a conversation] like that and spin it to create a 'build it and they will come' narrative," a source told The Times.
Another industry figure claimed: "It makes her look good and intimates that the relationship with Netflix is ongoing. They like to use Netflix as a way to keep stories about Meghan going."
Acting career
When she got engaged to Harry, Meghan said she was happy to take a break from acting to embrace the royal lifestyle. "What's been really exciting, as we talk about this as the transition out of my career is that the causes that have been very important to me, I can focus even more energy on," she said.
"You realise that as you have access, or a voice that people are willing to listen to, [it comes with] a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously. I don't see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change. It's a new chapter. And keep in mind I've been working on my show for seven years. We were very fortunate to have that sort of longevity on a series."
She added: "For me, once we hit the 100-episode marker, I thought, I have ticked this box and I feel really proud of the work we've done there and now it's time to work as a team with Harry."
Meghan rose to fame with her acting, where she played Rachel Zane in US legal drama Suits before leaving in 2017. She also starred in CSI: Miami and also filmed a cameo in comedy Close Personal Friends with Lily Collins and Brie Larson.
