Before Meghan Markle captured the heart of Prince Harry, another suitor tried his luck and failed spectacularly.
TV presenter Ryan Russillo admitted that he attempted to woo Meghan in 2014, but his advances were met with an “ice cold” response, much to the relief of Prince Harry.
Russillo, a former ESPN employee, shared his cringe-worthy tale on the Bill Simmons Podcast, revealing that he first encountered the Duchess of Sussex during the Super Bowl weekend in 2014.
At the time, Meghan was making waves in the hit TV show Suits, and their paths crossed at a celebrity flag football game where Meghan caught his eye, reports the Irish Star.
“We played in a celebrity flag football game together and it was all of the [Sports Illustrated] swimsuit models. So, nobody was really paying any attention to Markle,” Russillo confessed, as reported by US Weekly. “I was like, ‘That’s my lane.”
Post-event, Russillo took a gamble and messaged Meghan, using the upcoming series of Suits as a conversation starter. However, his attempts were firmly rejected – much to Prince Harry’s delight.
“I shot her a DM,” he revealed. “It was a very soft sell…It was, ‘Hey, I know the new season of Suits is coming out if you ever want to come on the show to promote it.’ It was really professional,” he added.
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Russillo admitted that his approach was a subtle way to test Meghan’s interest in him, using the cover of a professional invitation as a low-risk way to express his interest. “It was like a gauging of interest,” the host confessed.
“Like, if I got an emoji back, who knows? ” Unfortunately for the former ESPN presenter, Meghan’s response was polite but firm, turning down the offer and inadvertently dismissing any personal interest he had, even though she may not have been aware his intentions went beyond a work collaboration.
Meghan’s reply was “ice cold,” he claimed. “It was, ‘Oh, I don’t know anything about sports, but thanks for the offer.'” In a candid chat with The Cut in 2022, Meghan discussed the importance she and Harry place on manners in raising their son Archie, teaching him that “manners make the man” Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that she maintained utmost politeness in her rejection of the presenter.
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