Meghan Markle's friends believed the Duchess was "used" to promote the third season of Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen after a rumour began circulating this summer.
When it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, alongside their children, were to relocate back to Britain after six years in the US, rumours began to circulate about why this might be. One of the rumours was that Meghan had been offered a role in the third season of The Gentlemen.
It was reported that advanced talks had taken place, and that it was a very strong likelihood. However, just as quickly as this rumour began, another one started that the offer to Meghan had been withdrawn after public backlash. This all happened as the show's second series was being released.
Accusations against Netflix
While Meghan herself has not commented on the matter, her friends have accused Netflix - the streaming giant the Duchess still has a "first look" deal with - of using her name to promote the third season of the show.
The friends believe that the rumours of her joining the cast were in a bid to boost publicity for the series. They told The Telegraph: "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."
They continued: "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."
Possible return to acting
It is still not known whether Meghan will appear in the third series of the show. However, it is believed that a return to acting could still be on the cards for the Duchess, who gave it up to marry Harry in 2018.
New rumours over the weekend suggest that Meghan could return to her role as Rachel Zane in Suits. This would be for a two-hour special reunion episode.
It has been reported that she would receive about £3.74 million for this, with executives of the show also reportedly keen to film it in the UK. A senior production source told The Daily Express that NBC Universal is ready to assign a "substantial budget" to reunite the Duchess of Sussex with her former castmates.
This would be for a "one-off blockbuster that could even, potentially, reignite an eventual reboot of the original series". They added: "Suits is still in syndication in more than 150 countries and boasts millions of fans worldwide. Meghan's character (former paralegal turned hotshot attorney Rachel Zane) has a huge cult following all of her own."
Meghan Markle's representatives have been contacted for comment on the claims against Netflix and the potential for a Suits reunion. The Daily Express has also contacted Netflix for comment.
