After her much-talked-about engagement with Prince Harry, rumors that Meghan Markle will be leaving her USA legal drama series have been confirmed. The 33-year-old will not be joining the cast of "Suits" for its eighth season.
The network announced on Tuesday that Markle, who plays paralegal Rachel Zane, would exit the show come season 8. "Meghan has been a member of our family for seven years and it has been a joy to work with her. We want to thank her for her undeniable passion and dedication to Suits, and we wish her the very best," the company and Universal Cable Productions said in the joint statement. They also congratulated the newly-engaged couple.
The statement did not come as a surprise to fans though, as they had gotten a wind of Markle's then unconfirmed departure from the show. The speculations had been heightened prior to the engagement when Markle was seen filming a wedding scene with costar Patrick J. Adams, who plays Mike Ross. The wedding scene was taken to mean that the characters were about to settle down and take a rest from the drama.
News broke out that Markle and Adams would not be joining the eight season after sources claimed that Adams would be focusing on another creative career path, while Markle was set to move to London to be with her boyfriend, Prince Harry, brother to the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William.
Other news divulged that Markle planned to focus on being a philanthropist, an influence of her royal fiance. Her departure also sparked rumors that she will be moving to Nottingham Cottage, where Prince Harry is residing. With the recent announcement of their engagement last Nov. 27, along with the joint interview given by the couple, these rumors have been confirmed.
