A PR expert said: “The timing is what immediately raises questions about whether there is another objective behind this. Meghan has just returned to Britain amid enormous speculation about what she intends to do next, and suddenly she is being linked with one of the country’s most talked-about television productions.
“Even without a deal being confirmed, the rumor alone puts her acting career back into the conversation and generates precisely the kind of attention that would accompany a genuine comeback.”
Addressing suggestions the story could have originated as a deliberate publicity leak, they added: “It is certainly plausible because there has been remarkably little concrete information from the people actually making The Gentlemen.
“Nobody from the production has publicly confirmed negotiations, yet Meghan’s name has been attached to the show repeatedly, and the story has traveled around the world. Whether intentional or not, both sides are receiving an extraordinary amount of free publicity without having to announce a role, sign a contract or commit themselves to anything.”
They added, “Meghan may genuinely want to act again, but that doesn’t mean every role she is linked with is real. Until Ritchie or Netflix confirms something, there will inevitably be suspicions that this particular rumor has achieved its purpose simply by dominating headlines.”
Kaya Scodelario is returning as Susie Glass in The Gentlemen, while Jama makes her acting debut in the new season.