Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's friends claim she was 'used' to promote The Gentlemen
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's friends believe her name was "used" to promote The Gentlemen when it was reported she was in consideration for a part on the show.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's friends believe she was "used" to promote The Gentlemen.
It was reported in August that the Suits star - who gave up her acting career ahead of her 2019 marriage to Prince Harry - had been in discussions to join the third season of the Netflix show, but her involvement was then said to be in doubt in the wake of the backlash to the news, and insiders have now confirmed the project is completely off the table.
A source told The Telegraph: “Some people in her camp feel she was used to help promote season two, because they knew it wasn’t as good as the first season and had already commissioned a third.
“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 two and a lot of publicity.”
After relocating back to the UK from California with Harry and their two children, Prince Archie, seven, and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, the As Ever founder is said to be planning a full-time return to acting but has become "very cautious" about reading scripts in case her potential involvement is leaked.
A source said: “They’re being very cautious about which scripts they agree to read at the moment.
“Everyone knows that whatever Meghan’s first film or show turns out to be, it’s going to attract huge interest. The prospect of seeing her return to acting will drive big audiences, and ultimately, someone – whether it’s Netflix, Amazon or another studio – is going to make a lot of money from it.”
The Gentlemen lead Theo James previously dismissed speculation about Meghan joining the show.
Asked about the possibility of a royal appearance in the show, Theo - who plays Eddie, the 13th Duke of Halstead, in The Gentlemen - joked to Town and Country magazine: “Yes, Fergie is joining. She’ll be playing my love interest."
He then added: "No, I think that was mainly a lot of hot air.
“At the moment, we’re just trying to get as many eyes on season two, and then season three will happen soon.
“But in terms of story, we have the overarching ambition of where we’re going to go. We’re going to expand the world, go to different countries. But in terms of the minutiae, I mean, it’s still very much up in the air.”
