{
  "id": 2655433,
  "title": "Collective hallucination of Meghan Markle teaming up with Guy Ritchie evaporates as quickly as it came",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/collective-hallucination-of-meghan-markle-teaming-up-with-guy-ritchie",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-22T20:53:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/meghan-markle-guy-ritchie-the-gentlemen-backlash-not-happening"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a whirlwind of media frenzy, the idea of Meghan Markle teaming up with Guy Ritchie for a role in his unannounced third season of The Gentlemen surfaced seemingly out of nowhere. The news, which reportedly came from former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Tina Brown, claimed that Markle was willing to return to the entertainment industry in order to accommodate the couple's recent decision to return to the UK. However, the news did not last long, as reports suggest a \"backlash\" against Markle within hours of its initial publication, leading to the deal being abandoned. Brown confirmed that the intensity of the backlash in the UK made it impossible to proceed with the proposed gig. The show's next installment, The Gentlemen, is set to premiere on September 3, and it remains unclear whether the show's marketing team and Ritchie themselves are pleased to be entangled in this saga. Although it's challenging to ascertain the extent of the widespread \"backlash,\" it's clear that the latest Instagram update for the show has been met with a barrage of skeptical comments. In a matter of days, Meghan Markle went from being a potential cast member on Guy Ritchie's Netflix series to once again being a non-entity, leaving observers wondering what drives such rapid shifts in public opinion.",
  "summary": "The same reporters who previously claimed Markle might appear in Ritchie's The Gentlemen are now saying the role has been yanked due to a \"backlash.\"",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}