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When it was announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were moving back to the U.K., some thought their decision had to do with reports that the Duchess was making her acting comeback and was going to star in a Netflix series shot in England.

In August, rumors swirled that Meghan was planning a TV comeback and was in talks with a casting director about starring in Guy Ritchie’s series The Gentlemen. Then, when she and Harry did return to the U.K., reports intensified that they did so for Meghan to film her scenes on location.

The chatter about Prince Harry’s wife joining the cast was later debunked when royal author Tina Brown had a follow-up report, sharing, “I learned that the casting of Meghan Markle has been withdrawn.” However, the details about why were never shared. Now though, a source connected to the production of the show is sharing the reasons they say Meghan was rejected.

According to the insider, “Nobody wanted her anywhere near the set. The cast has something special. Why destroy it by inviting the Sussex circus into the middle of everything? It’s the baggage. The security, the demands, the publicity machine. Meghan desperately needs a Hollywood comeback but The Gentlemen doesn’t need Meghan. Nobody wants to risk a hit show to rescue her career.”

Because this information came from an anonymous source who spoke to Radar Online, it’s being taken with a grain of salt. Still, the fact remains that after working with Meghan and Harry for years, defending the large contract they were given despite only producing one show that wasn’t a flop, and having Meghan star in her own series for two seasons, Netflix was not interested in getting her cast in The Gentlemen.

The decision hit a nerve with some in Meghan’s circle, who accused Netflix of using the duchess to promote the series, telling The Telegraph, “Some people in her camp feel she was used to help promote Season 2, because they knew it wasn’t as good as the first season and 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 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 2 and a lot of publicity.”

Netflix has since denied that claim. The streaming giant responded to the accusation that it “used” Meghan to promote The Gentleman, saying it is not true, insisting, “This is not a show in need of stunt casting.”

Whatever the case, the former Suits star has not halted her push into a TV comeback. After appearing as a guest judge on Season 18 of MasterChef Australia in July, the Duchess of Sussex is set to return to the franchise as a special guest and mentor on Junior MasterChef Australia, which is scheduled to air in 2027.

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