Meghan Markle's Reported Return to Acting in 'The Gentlemen' Pulled After UK Backlash

Meghan Markle's reported casting in Guy Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentlemen has been withdrawn, according to veteran media commentator Tina Brown — one day after reports placed the Duchess of Sussex in advanced talks to join the show's third season (The Hollywood Reporter).

Brown, the former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker and the author of two bestselling books about the British royal family, wrote in a column published on Substack on Saturday that the casting withdrawal followed intense backlash in the U.K. When reached by The Hollywood Reporter, Brown said she stands by her reporting.

Netflix declined to comment. The Hollywood Reporter contacted Markle's representative and WME, the talent agency that represents both Markle and Ritchie, about the withdrawal. No response from either has been reported.

The rapid reversal caps a whirlwind 48 hours. On 21 August, Deadline reported as an exclusive that Markle might team up with Ritchie for her return to acting in The Gentlemen on Netflix. That same day, Variety confirmed Markle was in talks to join season three, and reported that her move back to the U.K. — described as for an "extended period," with the couple retaining their Montecito, California home — was tied to the potential role. The Hollywood Reporter then learned she was in advanced discussions for the part, which was being written for a third season that had not yet been formally renewed.

For Markle, the role would have marked her first acting work since 2017, when she stepped away from the screen after her engagement to Prince Harry. Guy Ritchie, who created the series adapted from his 2019 film of the same name, reportedly met Markle through mutual acquaintances, according to THR's sources.

The backdrop is a shifting relationship between the Sussexes and Netflix. After moving to California in 2020, Harry and Markle signed an overall deal with the streamer — meaning Netflix got first rights to their projects — which produced the docuseries Harry & Meghan, Polo, and With Love, Meghan. Last year, that overall deal was downgraded to a first-look deal, a narrower arrangement where the streamer gets a right of first refusal on projects before the couple can shop them elsewhere. Earlier this year, Netflix announced it was exiting Markle's lifestyle brand.

Prince Harry and Markle recently revealed they are moving back to the U.K., and Brown reported that the potential acting role was a significant factor in that decision.

The Gentlemen premiered its first season on Netflix to strong viewership and returns for a second season on 3 September, starring Theo James. The season two cast includes Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Vinnie Jones, Ray Winstone, Hugh Bonneville, and Kaya Scodelario. Whether a third season moves forward — and in what form — remains unconfirmed by Netflix.