Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 3 hrs ago
Meghan Markle’s friends say Netflix used casting rumors to promote The Gentlemen
Friends of Meghan Markle say Netflix used casting rumors about her to promote its series The Gentlemen.
The rumors concerned a possible role for Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, in the show’s third season.
Accounts differ on how far talks had gone: one report described preliminary discussions, while another said she had one conversation with a casting director and no formal offer.
A friend said the publicity helped draw attention to the show’s second season, which stars Theo James and Kaya Scodelario.
The allegation has raised questions about how casting rumors can be used for publicity, but Netflix has not publicly responded in the material provided.
Markle previously played Rachel Zane on Suits for seven seasons, ending in 2018, and is reported to have a small part in the upcoming film Close Personal Friends.
Friends of Meghan Markle claim Netflix used rumors of her possible role in The Gentlemen to promote the series’ second season.
A friend told the Telegraph that people in Markle’s camp felt the publicity campaign was misleading.
The source alleged Netflix knew the second season was not as good as the first and had already commissioned a third.
Page Six reported that Markle had no formal offer and had one conversation with the series’ casting director.
Netflix and Markle’s representatives did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
- Who
- Friends of Meghan Markle made the claims about Netflix.
- What
- They said Netflix used rumors of Markle’s possible casting in The Gentlemen to promote its second season.
- When
- The claims were reported on October 17 and 18, 2026. Reports of possible talks surfaced in August.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- The friends alleged Netflix wanted publicity and higher viewing figures for the second season.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Reports said Markle was in preliminary talks about a possible role in the third series.
The Daily Mail said talks were abandoned amid public criticism of the potential casting.
The second season premiered, according to the Daily Mail.
Reports published friends’ claims that Netflix used the casting rumors to publicize the second season.
- Series
- The Gentlemen
- Streaming service
- Netflix
- Potential role
- Third series
- Season two viewers
- Around three million British viewers a week following its release, according to the Daily Mail
- Season one viewers
- 3.5 million viewers in March 2024, according to the Daily Mail
4 sources
Meghan Markle was used to promote ‘The Gentlemen’ season 3?
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What people are saying
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
And ultimately, someone – whether it's Netflix, Amazon or another studio