Ryen Russillo, a former host for ESPN, disclosed that Meghan Markle had rejected him in the past, even though he believed her as being "obtainable."
According to PageSix, the television personality recounted meeting her at a celebrity flag football game in February of 2014. This experience occurred on an episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast" aired last week.
"It was all of the [Sports Illustrated] swimsuit models. So, nobody was really paying any attention to Markle," he claimed.
"I was like, 'That's my lane. She's probably doubting herself a little bit right now,'" Russillo, 49, added. "She's never been more obtainable."
According to People, models Chrissy Teigen, Hannah Davis, and Nina Agdal attended the event. Markle, who is 43 years old, and fellow actors Nina Dobrev and Michael B. Jordan were also present.
According to The Express Tribune, even though Russillo did not attempt to gain access to the game, he recalled subsequently sending direct messages to the actress to request that she make an appearance on his sports program, "The Ryan Russillo Show," to promote the premiere of the fourth season of "Suits."
"It was a very soft sell," he further revealed. "It was, 'Hey, I know the new season ... is coming out if you ever want to come on the show to promote it.' It was really professional."
Markle did not take the bait despite Russillo's admission that his communication had a hidden agenda.
"It was ice cold," the sports personality said about her response. "It was, 'Oh, I don't know anything about sports, but thanks for the offer."
Markle played Rachel Zane during the seven seasons of "Suits," which aired between 2011 and 2018.
The Duchess of Sussex resigned from the popular television series before her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018 at St. George's Chapel in London.
Less than two years later, she and her husband announced their decision to step down from their royal roles.
They relocated to California in 2020, where they remained at Tyler Perry's mansion in Beverly Hills for four months before moving into their $14 million residence in Montecito. Markle and Prince Harry, both 40 years old at the time, packed up their possessions and moved to California.
Prince Archie, who is five years old, and Princess Lilibet, who is three years old, are both royal family members.
They were reportedly not invited to this year's royal Christmas celebration in Sandringham, and they continue to maintain a distance from members of Prince Harry's family who live outside the United Kingdom.
As a result of the revelation, opinions arose online.
"Why are men like Russillo so entitled? Meghan handled it professionally and he's still whining!" one netizen said.
"Ryen Russillo spilling his rejection stories is pure cringe. Take the L and move on!" another person wrote.
"Imagine calling Meghan 'obtainable'-what an outdated way of thinking about women. Embarrassing!" a third follower squealed.
"Russillo's 'hidden agenda' says a lot about his intentions. No wonder she shut him down," a fourth person chimed in.
"I was at that game. Meghan was focused and having fun, not looking for suitors. Let her be," another netizen said.
"This is the tea I didn't know I needed. Meghan Markle ghosting Russillo? Iconic!" a follower wrote.
Business Times has reached out to Meghan Markle for comments.
