Former ESPN host Ryen Russillo shared an amusing anecdote about Meghan Markle turning him down during a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast. Reflecting on their brief interaction, Russillo recalled meeting the now-Duchess of Sussex at a celebrity flag football game in February 2014.
The event featured several high-profile attendees, including Sports Illustrated swimsuit models Chrissy Teigen, Hannah Davis, and Nina Agdal, alongside actors Nina Dobrev and Michael B. Jordan. According to Russillo, Markle didn’t attract much attention at the event, which led him to believe she might be “more obtainable” at the time.
While Russillo didn’t approach Markle during the game, he later reached out via direct message to invite her to his sports show, The Ryan Russillo Show, to promote the upcoming season of Suits. “It was a very soft sell,” Russillo explained, emphasizing that his message was professional but carried an ulterior motive. However, Markle declined his offer with a polite response, stating, “Oh, I don’t know anything about sports, but thanks for the offer.” Russillo humorously described her reply as “ice cold.”
At the time, Markle was starring as Rachel Zane on Suits, a role she played from 2011 until 2018. She left the series shortly before marrying Prince Harry in a widely watched ceremony at St. George’s Chapel in London.
Following their marriage, Markle and Harry stepped back from royal duties in early 2020 and moved to California. They now reside in Montecito with their two children, 5-year-old Prince Archie and 3-year-old Princess Lilibet. Despite their new life in the U.S., the couple remains estranged from Harry’s royal family and reportedly did not receive an invitation to this year’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham.
