London, UK - Meghan Markle's return to acting has taken a major hit, as insiders say that the reaction to her reported role in a popular Netflix series led to her being dropped from the project.
The 45-year-old, who was just revealed to be moving back to the UK with her husband, Prince Harry, will not star in Netflix's The Gentleman, according to a Substack post from veteran journalist Tina Brown.
"I learned this morning that the casting of Meghan Markle in season 3 of Guy Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentlemen has been withdrawn," Brown wrote on Saturday.
"The backlash in the UK was so intense, it became untenable to go forward. This does not bode well for Meghan's acting comeback in the UK."
Meghan's role in the show was never officially confirmed, but reports from outlets like Deadline said that she had been "offered a role" in the show's upcoming third season.
Before becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan was an actor known for her role in the long-running legal drama Suits.
After Meghan tied the knot with Harry in 2018, she settled down in the UK and began official royal duties.
Just two years later, the couple stepped down from their roles as working royals and moved to the US, citing the intense British tabloid scrutiny as part of their decision.
While Meghan hasn't acted since, she hasn't been far from the small screen, thanks to her and Harry's Netflix docuseries and her lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan.
Harry and Meghan are said to be returning to the UK by the end of the month, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, have already enrolled at a British school.