Meghan Markle‘s reported casting in Guy Ritchie‘s The Gentlemen has been withdrawn, according to Tina Brown, who reported that the decision came after intense backlash in the U.K.
In a column published Saturday on Substack, Brown, the former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, wrote, “I learned this morning that the casting of Meghan Markle in season 3 of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen has been withdrawn. The backlash in the UK was so intense, it became untenable to go forward. This does not bode well for Meghan’s acting comeback in the UK.”
The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Markle’s representative and WME, which represents both Markle and Ritchie and didn’t receive comment.
THR also reached out to Brown, who said she stands by her reporting. Brown is the author of two bestselling books about the British royal family.
The report comes a day after THR learned that the Duchess of Sussex was in advanced discussions to join season three of The Gentlemen, which films in the U.K. Her role was being written for the third season, which has not yet been renewed.
Season two of The Gentlemen premieres Sept. 3 and stars Theo James. Ritchie, who created the series, which was adapted from his 2019 film of the same name, met Markle through mutual acquaintances, THR was told. Netflix declined to comment.
Markle’s potential role in The Gentlemen would have marked the Suits star’s return to acting after she stepped away from the profession in 2017 when she got engaged to Prince Harry. The couple recently revealed that they are moving back to the U.K., with Brown reporting that Markle’s potential acting role was a significant factor in the decision.
The couple also have a history with Netflix. After moving to California in 2020, Prince Harry and Markle signed an overall deal with the company, resulting in several docuseries, including Harry & Meghan, Polo, and With Love, Meghan. The deal downgraded to a first-look deal last year. Earlier this year, Netflix announced that it was exiting Markle’s lifestyle brand.
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