Meghan Markle’s Past Re-Surfaces as ESPN Host Recalls Rejection by the “obtainable” Duchess

Binger

Before Meghan Markle

shouldered the royal duties and tied the knot with Prince Harry

, the Duchess had a life that now only seems a distant reality. From dipping her toes in showbiz to venturing into the lifestyle realm, Markle wore many feathers to her hat. While tying herself to royal lineage has only boosted the Duchess’s allure, it turns out her regal flair was inherited, not acquired. Long before she found her knight in shining armor across the pond, Markle reportedly declined the affections of a former ESPN host.

As the host reminisces, some might see the rejection as a spicy tale, but it does not take a PhD in drama to figure it was likely all in good fun.

Former ESPN host hilariously retrieves the royal rejection by Meghan Markle

On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons

Podcast

, Ryen Russillo shared a quirky story

about being gently turned down by Meghan Markle at a celebrity flag football game in February 2014. The event was reportedly teeming with Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, and Russillo joked that, in comparison, the Duchess may have felt a bit lost. He assumed Markle might have been “doubting herself,”

and thought this was his golden opportunity, riffing that she would have never been “more obtainable”

if the stars aligned differently.

While Russillo did not make a move at the game, he jokingly later slid into Markle’s DMs, inviting her onto The Ryen Russillo Show

to promote the premiere of Suit’s

fourth season. “It was a very soft sell,”

he explained, reading the message, which was essentially a promotional invite. Although Russillo admits he had a little ulterior motive, Markle was far from swaying, replying with an “ice-cold”

message about not knowing much about sports but thanking him all the same.

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Markle has made many believe she is “the one”

whether romantically or not,

but it is only in the royal corridors, and of course, the Prince’s arms, where she belongs. But this recent throwback reminds fans of the time before she became a full-time royal.

When Meghan Markle flaunted her athletic side in 2014

Meghan Markle is fully embracing her passion for the lifestyle realm, but a decade ago, she was experimenting with things to go as far as to the sports world. Long before becoming the Duchess, she hit the sand for the 2014 DirecTV Beach Bowl in New York City alongside several other celebrities. Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Tracy Morgan, Guy Fieri, and Aaron Paul also attended the pre-Super Bowl flag football game to join forces with seasoned NFL champs.

The Duchess represented the blue side along with A-lister teammates like Hannah Davis, Nina Agdal, Serena Williams, and Shay Mitchell. Markle had to defend against Nina Dobrev for the game. And although Ryen Russillo may remember the event for hilariously slipping into the soon-to-be Duchess’ DMs, chances are that all she recalls is lifting the trophy with her team since winning irrespective of the game is in her blood.

Read More: 8 Times Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Dropped Truth Bombs for The British Royal Family

What do you think of Meghan Markle’s decade-old rejection of Ryen Russillo? Let us know in the comments below!

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