Meghan Markle's associates accuse Netflix of using her name for publicity

Friends of Meghan Markle have accused Netflix of using her name to generate publicity for the second season of Guy Ritchie’s series, ‘The Gentlemen’. The allegations suggest that the streaming platform leveraged rumors of Markle’s potential involvement in the third season to boost viewership for the second season, which reportedly saw a decline in audience numbers compared to its debut.

Reports from earlier this year indicated that Markle was in discussions for a role in the crime drama. However, sources close to the Duchess claim that these discussions never progressed into a formal offer and that the news was leaked as a marketing tactic. Some insiders described the situation as ‘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.’

While the Sussex camp expressed frustration over the incident, production insiders have denied the claims, stating that the series does not require celebrity casting to succeed. The controversy follows reports that any potential casting deal was withdrawn due to intense public backlash in the United Kingdom.