Markle Netflix Role Withdrawn After UK Backlash

Meghan Markle's reported return to acting has been withdrawn following intense public backlash in the United Kingdom, according to journalist and royal author Tina Brown. The development comes just days after multiple reports indicated the Duchess of Sussex was in advanced discussions for a role in the third season of Guy Ritchie's Netflix series "The Gentlemen."

Brown, a former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, stated in a column published on Saturday, August 22, that she had learned the casting was pulled. "The backlash in the UK was so intense, it became untenable to go forward," she wrote. "This does not bode well for Meghan's acting comeback in the UK." Representatives for Markle and Netflix declined to comment on the reports.

The potential role had been described as a significant return to on-screen work for Markle, who has not held a major acting role since leaving the legal drama "Suits" in 2018. Earlier in the week, sources close to the Duchess confirmed she was in early talks for a part in the Guy Ritchie-created crime series, though no contract was in place and the show had not yet been officially renewed for a third season. The discussions were cited...