‘Used’ for Publicity? Meghan Markle Falls Victim to Netflix’s ‘Oldest Marketing Trick’
Meghan Markle is no longer in talks to join Netflix’s The Gentlemen. Now, people close to the Duchess of Sussex have claimed the streaming giant used her name to promote the show’s second season. A source told The Telegraph that some people in Markle’s camp felt she had been “used” for publicity.
They reportedly felt Season 2 wasn’t as good as the first, even though Netflix had already commissioned a third season. “It’s the oldest marketing trick in the book: get a big name to read a script, then leak that you’re ‘in conversation’ with them when, in reality, nothing is particularly far along,” the insider told the newspaper.
The source added, “The whole thing left a bit of a sour taste in the Sussex camp’s mouth. Needless to say, Netflix got what it wanted: huge viewing figures for season two and a lot of publicity.” Reports about Markle’s possible role surfaced in August 2026. She was reportedly being considered for the third season of Guy Ritchie’s crime drama.
But she was never officially cast, and the discussions eventually fell through. On August 22, Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, said the casting plans had been withdrawn. Brown shared her claim on Substack. “The backlash in the UK was so intense, it became untenable to go forward,” Brown wrote.
The claims also come as The Gentlemen recorded opening-week figures in the U.K. According to the BARB, the country’s official ratings agency, Season 2’s first episode drew three million British viewers in seven days. The first season’s opening episode attracted 3.5 million viewers in March 2024.
That’s around 500,000 fewer viewers, or a drop of roughly 15 per cent. Still, these figures don’t prove Markle’s casting rumors affected viewership. A source close to the production also rejected the idea that the show needed publicity from her. “This is not a show in need of stunt casting,” the insider told The Times.
Markle became famous for playing Rachel Zane in Suits. She left acting in 2017, a year after meeting Prince Harry. Now, she’s reportedly reading scripts for television and films as she considers a return. One source told The Telegraph that Markle has become “very cautious” about discussing scripts because details could leak to the press.
Markle also filmed a cameo as herself in Close Personal Friends. Harry and Markle reportedly signed a $100 million Netflix deal in 2020, after stepping back from royal duties. Netflix didn’t renew the original deal in the same way last year. The couple later landed a first-look deal through Archewell Productions.
Their 2022 docuseries, Harry & Meghan, pulled in 23.4 million views in its first four days. Other shows, like Heart of Invictus and Polo, didn’t get the same attention. Netflix also teamed up with Markle on With Love, Meghan and her lifestyle brand, As Ever. Markle also appeared on MasterChef Australia this year as a guest judge.
