The Duchess of Sussex has reportedly lost a potential role in the Netflix series The Gentlemen following significant public outcry in the United Kingdom. Royal author Tina Brown suggests that the backlash made the casting of Meghan Markle untenable for creator Guy Ritchie.
The withdrawn offer for Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen
According to reports from The Mail on Sunday, an offer for Meghan Markle to appear in the third season of The Gentlemen was rescinded after the reaction in Britain became too intense. The series,which is based on Guy Ritchie's 2019 film and centers on an English aristocrat inheriting a marijuana-growing estate, has seen a wave of online hostility toward the prospect of the Duchess joining the cast. Some viewers warned on Netflix's Instagram account that ratings would drop and threatened to boycott the show out of principle due to Meghan Markle's public disputes with the Royal Family.
This development marks a sharp reversal from recent claims that the Duchess of Sussex was in "advanced discussions" to join the production. While the second season of The Gentlemen is scheduled to arrive on Netflix next month, the collapse of these negotiations suggests that the public's perception of the Duchess remains a significant liability for mainstream commercial productions.
From $40,000 Suits episodes to a lapsed $100 million Netflix deal
The struggle to secure a high-profile acting role comes at a precarious financial and professional juncture for the couple. As reported by the MoS, Meghan Markle previously earned approximately $40,000 per episode during her seven-season tenure as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits, a role that established her as a household name before her 2018 marriage. However, the transition from actress to producer has yielded inconsistent results.
The couple signed a $100 million five-year agreement with Netflix in 2020, but that contract lapsed last year without renewal. While the Harry & Meghan docuseries broke viewership records, subsequent efforts—including the lifestyle program With Love, Meghan and Prince Harry's Polo series—failed to capture the same momentum or critical acclaim, leaving a void in their current content pipeline.
Why a Disney source warns that Meghan Markle is 'polarising'
The difficulty in casting Meghan Markle extends beyond a single Netflix show. A source at Disney studios told The Mail on Sunday that while inquiries about available roles for the Duchess still occur, she is viewed as a "polarising choice" who could alienate a large portion of an audience before filming even begins. This sentiment echoes the warnings of Baroness Wheatcroft on BBC Radio 4, who noted that while the Duchess may be a talented actress, she must navigate the inevitable press cycles without further embarrassing the British Royal Family.
This professional friction coincides with the news that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry intend to relocate from the United States to Britain with their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five. The move suggests a desre to reintegrate into British life, yet the professional "toxicity" cited by Tina Brown indicates that the public's appetite for the Duchess's return to the spotlight remains low.
Mark Borkowski's prediction for a West End theatre pivot
Despite the setbacks in television , there are indications that the stage may offer a more viable path for the Duchess of Sussex. West End PR expert Mark Borkowski revealed that multiple theatre managements have approached him to gauge whether Meghan Markle would be a successful draw for ticket sales. Borkowski expressed confidence that the Duchess would indeed sell tickets, suggesting that the live theatre environment may be more forgiving or more lucrative than the risk-averse world of streaming giants.
The silence from Netflix and the Duchess's spokesperson
Several critical details regarding this reported casting collapse remain unverified. Netflix has declined to comment on the status of the casting, and a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex has refused to confirm or deny whether the offer for The Gentlemen was withdrawn. Furthermore, while the Duchess has a small cameo in the upcoming film Close Personal Friends alongside Brie Larson and Lily Collins, a source connected to that project described the appearance as "fleeting," leaving it unclear if she has any substantial acting work currently in production.
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