Meghan Markle’s reported ‘The Gentlemen’ role pulled after UK backlash

The Duchess of Sussex had reportedly been in early talks to join the Netflix series as she prepares to spend more time in the U.K. with Prince Harry and their children.

Meghan Markle’s possible return to scripted television may have stalled before it ever became official.

The Duchess of Sussex had reportedly been in early talks for a role in the third season of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix crime drama “The Gentlemen.” But former Vanity Fair and New Yorker editor Tina Brown now says those plans have been dropped following backlash in the United Kingdom.

“I learned this morning that the casting of Meghan Markle in season 3 of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series ‘The Gentlemen’ has been withdrawn,” Brown wrote Saturday on her Substack, according to The Guardian.

Neither Netflix nor Meghan’s representatives have confirmed that an offer was made or withdrawn.

The report came just a day after reports said Meghan, 45, was in preliminary discussions about appearing on the series. No deal had been signed, and Netflix has not officially announced a third season.

Still, the possibility of Meghan joining the show drew attention because it would have marked one of her most significant acting moves since leaving “Suits,” the legal drama that made her a household name.

Meghan played Rachel Zane for seven seasons before stepping away from acting ahead of her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry. Since then, she has largely focused on producing, philanthropy and lifestyle projects, though she has recently shown signs of easing back in front of the camera.

She is expected to make a cameo as herself in the upcoming comedy “Close Personal Friends,” one of her first acting appearances since leaving the profession.

Her relationship with Netflix is already well established. Meghan and Harry’s Archewell Productions began working with the streamer in 2020 and has produced projects including “Harry & Meghan,” “Heart of Invictus,” “Polo” and Meghan’s lifestyle series “With Love, Meghan.”

In 2025, Netflix extended its partnership with the couple through a multiyear first-look agreement covering film and television projects. The streamer also said “With Love, Meghan” drew 5.3 million views in the first half of that year and reached its Global Top 10.

That existing relationship made reports of a role on “The Gentlemen” feel less far-fetched, even if nothing was finalized.

The series, inspired by Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name, centers on Britain’s aristocratic world colliding with a lucrative criminal enterprise. Theo James and Kaya Scodelario lead the cast, with Giancarlo Esposito among the ensemble.

Season 2 is set to premiere Sept. 3.

The reported casting talks also surfaced as Meghan and Harry prepare to spend an extended period in the United Kingdom with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, adding another layer of interest to whether she might eventually take on more work there.

For now, though, there is no confirmed role and no announced third season.

What remains clear is that nearly a decade after Meghan left “Suits,” speculation around a full-fledged acting comeback still carries plenty of attention, especially when it intersects with her complicated relationship with the British public and press.