ROYALSMeghan Markle Was 'Like A Daughter' To In-Laws Before Trevor Engelson Split
Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle’s split from ex-husband Trevor Engelson was a huge shock at the time — especially to Englelson’s parents who "embraced her like a daughter," the Daily Express reported.
Markle was with the producer for almost a decade and was married for two years before their surprise divorce in 2013. The couple met at a bar in Hollywood in 2003 and tied the knot in a beautiful Jamaican wedding in 2011.
Markle’s friend Ninaki Priddy, who was her maid of honor, told the Daily Mail that she "knew they fought sometimes, but it wasn’t anything huge. The only obstacle was the distance because she was living in Toronto and Trevor was based in L.A., but I thought they were maneuvering through it."
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"Trevor would take his work to Canada to be with her and run his office remotely," she added.
"It was such a surprise for Trevor that even at a distance of five years, he can barely contain his anger — the normally laid back New Yorker switching gear from his usual 'hi bro, how’s it going' to a cold fury when her name comes into the conversation," royal biographer Andrew Morton added.
Engelson had "zero to say about her" when asked about Markle and has been tight-lipped to the press about their failed romance.
Engelson went from cherishing his wife to "feeling like he was a piece of something stuck to the bottom of her shoe," another friend said.
Markle and Priddy are no longer friends, which happened following the actress' split from Engelson. "I think Meghan was calculated, very calculated, in the way she handled people and relationships," Priddy spilled.
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"She is very strategic in the way she cultivates friends. Once she decides you're not part of her life, she can be very cold. It’s this shutdown mechanism she has," Priddy added. "There’s nothing to negotiate, she’s made her decision and that’s it. The way she handled it, Trevor definitely had the rug pulled out from under him. He was hurt."
However, not all of Markle’s pals are as critical of the Duchess. Abby Wathen said on ITV's Prince Harry and Meghan: Truly Madly Deeply that Markle simply "took her power back" and moved on once she realized it was not the right relationship for her. The two bonded over their divorces, and Markle felt "empowered" after her split.
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The divorce was largely because the California native moved to Canada to film Suits, while her husband stayed in Los Angeles. Markle’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., said that she even mailed her wedding ring back to Engelson.
"I met Trevor two or three times before my grandmother’s funeral — he’s a really good guy, really nice guy," Markle Jr. told the Daily Express. "But then at my grandmother’s funeral I saw this side of Meghan, like scowling at him and him cowering like a puppy dog and doing what he’s told. And really just treating him like … and he worshipped the ground she walked on."
Engelson has since wed dietitian Tracey Kurland, while Markle moved back to Los Angeles with Prince Harry after they stepped down from their royal duties.
