Her engagement to Prince Harry confirmed what many fans feared – that the seventh series of Suits would be Meghan Markle’s last.
But now it has been revealed that writers on the US drama had already begun writing her character Rachel Zane out a year ago – just after her relationship with the royal emerged.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Suits creator Aaron Korsh explained he could see that the actress’s romance with Harry was ‘burgeoning’ from the start.
He said the team decided to ‘take a gamble that these two people were in love’ – and make preparations for her potential exit well in advance.
Suits creator Aaron Korsh has revealed how his team started planning for Meghan Markle’s exit a year ago – just after her relationship with Prince Harry first emerged
During an interview with broadcaster Mishal Husain, Korsh said: ‘I knew from a year ago that this relationship was burgeoning.
‘And I had a decision to make because I didn’t want to intrude and ask her, ‘”Hey what’s going on and what are you going to do?”.
‘So collectively with the writers, we decided to take a gamble that these two people were in love and it was going to work out.’
The executive producer explained that he would ‘rather have good things happen to Meghan in her life’ – even if it meant her leaving the show.
The actress’s seventh series of Suits will be her last, after she confirmed she would be retiring from acting. Meghan is pictured here during season five of the show
Korsh said it was clear that Meghan’s relationship with Harry was ‘burgeoning’ from the start
He said this meant planning for her exit in advance, which was ‘much easier to undo’ than ‘plan on her staying forever and then finding out she’s going to go.’
Korsh added: ‘And the only way to write a character out like that would be if they got hit by a bus or something.’
He also said he believed the actress could handle the increased media scrutiny following her engagement to Harry, saying: ‘Meghan has a tremendous amount of poise. If anyone can handle it it’s Meghan.’
Meghan’s character Rachel is widely expected to marry boyfriend Mike Ross, played by Patrick J Adams, (pictured together on the show) in her upcoming final episodes
Korsh (pictured) said he believes that Meghan is well equipped to handle the increased media scrutiny following her engagement to Harry
Meghan, who has starred on Suits since it began in 2011, confirmed that she would be retiring from acting following her engagement to Harry.
This means that the current series of the legal drama, the seventh, will be her last.
Her character Rachel is widely expected to marry boyfriend Mike Ross, played by Patrick J Adams, in the upcoming final episodes.
Following the news of his co-star’s engagement, Adams quipped on Twitter: ‘She said she was just going out to get some milk…’