Meghan Markle Skipped 'Suits' Reunion After Being Shunned by Hollywood Heavy Hitters
Meghan Markle quickly became a trending topic at the Golden Globes, but the Duchess of Sussex never made an appearance. Prior to marrying her husband, Prince Harry, the actress was best known for her role in Suits, but she was a no-show for the cast's televised reunion.
"Meghan was invited to the mini-Golden Globes reunion by production," Kinsey Schofield claimed to an outlet. "That is who would have invited her."
Although Meghan's former friends were highlighted during the awards ceremony, the people behind the scenes hoped the American royal would make a cameo alongside them.
"Presenters can’t just bring a plus-one onstage," the podcast explained. "Production and talent bookers would have organized the appearance."
"And yes, the ultimate objective would be a Meghan Markle appearance because that would have been excellent PR for a struggling award show," she noted. "It would take one phone call to [her agent] to secure Meghan onstage, not a group chat."
The Sussexes are rumored to be rebranding their careers, but the negative media attention they've received from respected entertainment outlets would've made the RSVP challenging. The Sussexes were branded a "Hollywood flop" by The Wall Street Journal and were included in the "biggest losers of 2023" list for The Hollywood Reporter, and since then, their peers wonder if they can salvage their reputations.
"While she would have personally enjoyed the spotlight, professionally Meghan and Prince Harry are being advised that the media landscape is oversaturated with the pair and to be extra cautious with their next steps," Schofield continued.
"A chance of a Harry and Meghan roast during the show is low-hanging fruit," she said in reference to host Jo Koy who joked about the duo. "Can you imagine an awkward camera shot on Harry and Meghan’s faces? ... Neither former senior royal has thick enough skin to take that kind of hit in public. It would have been disastrous."
While on the red carpet, Meghan's former costar Patrick J. Adams discussed the mom-of-two's popularity.
"As Patrick pointed out, Meghan is quite well-known now," Schofield stated. "Love her or loathe her, she’s a hot topic and, quite honestly, a much bigger star than she was during her stint on Suits. Today, she considers herself to be on a higher level professionally."
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
After the cancelation of "Archetypes," the Northwestern alum was expected to rebrand herself and hold on to her A-list contacts.
"I think she would rather be seen with A-listers like Oprah [Winfrey] or Kevin Costner than former cable network costars. If she had been asked to present an award with Oprah or Reese Witherspoon … I think her team might have strongly considered it. … That would have given her some credibility in the industry and elevated her," Schofield shared.
"It shows public interest in Meghan outside the royal family," she noted.
Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!
Schofield doesn't think Meghan will participate in the upcoming Suits spinoff, but royal commentator Nick Bullen doesn't think it's impossible
"I guess it’s something she has to give a go," he explained. "The Spotify deal has been canceled. … [The couple’s] documentary about their life did very well for Netflix. But how many times can you allow cameras into your life when you’re saying you want privacy?"
"So, if she’s not returning to acting, what is the obvious next step? Producing has got to be right up there," he theorized. "So, I think you can see that coming. … Production seems to be the next turn of the wheel … and it would make sense."
Experts spoke to Fox Digital.