An alleged offer for Meghan Markle to join the cast of Guy Ritchie's Netflix crime drama "The Gentlemen" for its third season has reportedly been withdrawn.
Royal author Tina Brown stated that the casting of Markle was pulled after the backlash in Britain became "untenable." "I learned that the casting of Meghan Markle has been withdrawn," Brown said in her Fresh Hell Substack newsletter. "The backlash was so intense it became untenable to go forward."
Brown added that this development "does not bode well for Markle's acting comeback."
Four years prior, in 2022, Markle told Variety magazine that she had no plans to return to acting, stating, "I'm done. I guess never say never but my intention is to absolutely not."
However, recent reports have suggested her return to screen was being touted by sources close to the Duchess of Sussex as a potential reason for her and Prince Harry's return to Britain.
Meanwhile, the second season of Ritchie's series, "The Gentlemen," premiered Wednesday at the Guildhall Art Gallery in London. Ritchie, 57, attended the event with his wife, Jacqui Ainsley, 44, and his son Rocco, 26. The new season is set to be released on Netflix on Thursday. The series follows Theo James' character Eddie as he assumes control of his family's estate, which is entangled with a criminal empire. Maya Jama and Kaya Scodelario, who also star in the series, were present at the premiere, as was Hugh Bonneville, who joins the cast for the second season.
The plot of the second season involves Eddie and Susie navigating the complexities of their criminal enterprise and confronting decisions made by kingpin Bobby Glass. The trailer also hints at conflicts with Giancarlo Esposito's character, Stanley Johnston, and introduces Maya Jama as a gangster's moll.
