I love hearing about the Duchess of Sussex’s pre-royal life. Before then-Meghan Markle was cast on Suits, she was a jobbing actress, taking smaller roles wherever she could get them. She was on an episode of Castle, for goodness sake (she was the killer who poisoned herself to look innocent!). But when Suits came, Meghan’s career went to a nice level – she was famous but not too famous, on a popular show but not a network show. Meghan knew there was always room for better press and more networking, which is why she apparently visited the Us Weekly office a year before she met Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex took her publicist on a tour of a US magazine while she was still an aspiring actress in an apparent bid to raise her Hollywood profile, Omid Scobie has revealed. Meghan visited the American offices of US Weekly a year before her relationship with Prince Harry became public “to see if there was something to do”.
The future Duchess was starring in the legal drama Suits at the time, but was not regarded as a major celebrity and the visit is likely to be interpreted as an early publicity drive on her behalf. Mr Scobie, whose new book Endgame has come under the spotlight over revelations in the Dutch edition about the King and the Princess of Wales allegedly making remarks about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s unborn child, suggests the visit was a factor in Meghan later trusting him as a journalist.
Speaking about the moment in 2016 that news broke that Prince Harry was in a relationship with Meghan, Mr Scobie – who worked for US Weekly at the time – told the James O’Brien podcast Full Disclosure: “Suits was a huge thing for our magazine and funnily enough a year or two earlier – I wasn’t in the office at the time – Meghan’s agent or publicist had brought her in to just meet editors and see if there was something to do.”
He added: “She was very much on the radar, even if she wasn’t up there with the big-name celebrities.”
Mr Scobie said Meghan’s visit to his magazine’s offices gave him an advantage when it later came to reporting her romance with Prince Harry and eventual marriage.
“We really had a lead. I had the lead in covering the early days of this relationship and when I left the magazine they were my focus for this [royal] beat.” He suggested that it was this early connection that allowed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to trust him as a reporter who could be sympathetic to her situation as a mixed-race individual marrying into the British monarchy. “She had picked the people she wanted to cover it. I was able to be the one that provided the different perspective,” said Mr Scobie, who is of British-Persian heritage. “I was known as the safe face at least.”
It honestly wasn’t until Meghan joined this mob family that I even understood the despicable practices of the British media, so imagine Meghan’s culture shock when trying to navigate the British press system alone. She was used to the American way of doing things, especially when it came to entertainment media. Entertainment media isn’t like royal media whatsoever – it’s perfectly normal for an actress to, say, visit the Us Weekly office or go to Entertainment Weekly or People Magazine-sponsored events, all in the name of promotion. It’s straight-forward – an actress looking to get her name out there AND promote her show would obviously be friendly with the gossip media and entertainment media. The Telegraph is desperately trying to make Meghan sound like she was conniving, when really she was just… a working actress.
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Meghan Markle attends the NBCUniversal New York Summer Press Day on June 24, 2015 at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City, New York, USA.,Image: 524926184, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Robin Platzer/Twin Images / Twin Images / Avalon 
108416, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Monday November 11, 2013. Meghan Markle arrives for ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ premiere at Leicester Square in London. **UK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONG KONG & TAIWAN OUT** Photograph: © i-Images, PacificCoastNews **FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE** **E-TABLET/IPAD & MOBILE PHONE APP PUBLISHING REQUIRES ADDITIONAL FEES** LOS ANGELES OFFICE: +1 310 822 0419 LONDON OFFICE: +44 20 8090 4079,Image: 528868499, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews / Avalon 
108954, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Tuesday November 19, 2013. Meghan Markle attends The Fourth Annual London Global Gift Gala at the ME Hotel in London. **UK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONG KONG & TAIWAN OUT** Photograph: © i-Images, PacificCoastNews **FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE** **E-TABLET/IPAD & MOBILE PHONE APP PUBLISHING REQUIRES ADDITIONAL FEES** LOS ANGELES OFFICE: +1 310 822 0419 LONDON OFFICE: +44 20 8090 4079,Image: 528999238, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
Meghan Markle attends the USA Network 2013 Upfront event at Pier 36 on May 16, 2013 in New York City.,Image: 544259673, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Dennis Van Tine / Avalon 
Meghan Markle at the NBC-Universal 2014 TCA Winter Press Tour, Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa, Pasadena, CA 01-19-14,Image: 551006415, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Martin Sloan / Avalon 
-West Hollywood, CA – 01/24/2013 ELLE Women In Television Celebration Presented By Hearts On Fire Diamonds And Wella Professionals -PICTURED: Meghan Markle -PHOTO by: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com -SDL_5300 Editorial – Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.startraksphoto.com for licensing fee Startraks Photo New York, NY For licensing please call 212-414-9464 or email sales@startraksphoto.com Featuring: Meghan Markle Where: West Hollywood, California, United States When: 24 Jan 2013 Credit: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com
October 10, 2011: Meghan Markle attending The 2011 Distinguished Entertainment Industry Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Mandatory Credit: INFevents.com Ref: infuslv-07/Orken|sp| Featuring: Meghan Markle Where: Beverly Hills, California, United States When: 10 Oct 2011 Credit: INFevents.com 
North America Rights Only – Toronto, USA – 9/23/17 Meghan Markle attends the Invictus Games opening ceremony sitting 18 rows from Prince Harry in Toronto. -PICTURED: Meghan Markle -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com -VN_Meghan_Markle_At_o_81-16.jpg Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee and rights: North America Inquiries: email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – UK Inquiries: email ben@instarimages.com or call + 7715 698 715 – Australia Inquiries: email sarah@instarimages.com.au or call +02 9660 0500 – for any other Country, please email sales@instarimages.com. Image or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Meghan Markle Where: Toronto, Canada, United States When: 23 Sep 2017 Credit: INSTARimages.com **North America Rights Only** 
North America Rights Only – Toronto, USA – 9/23/17 Meghan Markle attends the Invictus Games opening ceremony sitting 18 rows from Prince Harry in Toronto. -PICTURED: Meghan Markle -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com -VN_Meghan_Markle_At_o_81-14.jpg Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee and rights: North America Inquiries: email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – UK Inquiries: email ben@instarimages.com or call + 7715 698 715 – Australia Inquiries: email sarah@instarimages.com.au or call +02 9660 0500 – for any other Country, please email sales@instarimages.com. Image or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Meghan Markle Where: Toronto, Canada, United States When: 23 Sep 2017 Credit: INSTARimages.com **North America Rights Only**ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcWxnbX1xe9KcppuhlZS6prPHmqWYpZGnuK2xvq2mrqqVmay1tMSYrKyXp5qyrLjYmKafnpmYsqDDx56lmKuYmqy4rdKYpqeXo6q2tb%2BO