- Several outlets have reported that Meghan Markle is considering departing from the show "Suits."
- It's not clear if there will be another season, but unnamed sources told Us Weekly that castmates don't expect her to stay on if there is.
- This would make sense if a royal engagement is as imminent as reports make it seem.
You may know that Meghan Markle is a philanthropist, clothing designer, and blogger, but when she began making international headlines, most people identified her as the actor from the USA Network show "Suits."
But now, Markle is reportedly considering leaving her role on the show behind this season, and may even stop acting altogether.
Several outlets, including E! News, The Daily Mail, and The Daily Star, have reported that Markle is either considering leaving the show or has let producers know that she will be leaving after this season. Markle's publicist and the show's publicist did not return INSIDER's requests for comment.
The show is in its seventh season, and it's unclear as of now if it will be green-lit for an eighth, according to Us Weekly. But even if it is, it seems like her cast-mates are already assuming she won't be onboard.
"If Meghan decides not to come back for season eight, the show will still keep going if everyone else signs on," an unnamed source to Us. "She isn't the main cast member on the show, and quite frankly, everyone already thinks she's not coming back."
Of course, the move would make sense if a royal engagement is as imminent as reports make it seem. Prince Harry obviously would need to stay in London, and typically, members of the royal family are expected to make appearances, so if Markle and Harry got engaged, she'd likely be encouraged to leave Hollywood behind.
In fact, there's precedent: Grace Kelly notably abandoned her acting career when she became Princess of Monaco.
But, sources told E! that her transition away from acting was actually something she wanted to do pre-Harry, because of her other passions.
"Even before Harry, she was starting to think about transitioning out of acting," the source told E! News. "She wants to focus on other worldly endeavors she is passionate about, like her philanthropy."
Whether Markle has made this decision already or not, it's clear that she and Harry are getting serious. If the reports are true, hopefully Markle will be able to pursue her passions — royal or otherwise.