Meghan Markle ex-husband working on TV show about American man whose ex marries a PRINCE
MEGHAN Markle’s former husband Trevor Engelson is hard at work on – guess what? – a TV series about an American man whose ex marries a British prince.
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Meghan Markle and Trevor Engelson married in September 2011 but divorced a year and a half later
As a sell for a TV drama it certainly has pizzazz. “Divorce is hard. Sharing custody is harder. Sharing custody with the British Royal Family in the unforgiving spotlight of London’s tabloid media is next level.”
So far, so exciting. But when you learn that the man behind the show in question is Trevor Engelson, former husband of Prince Harry’s fiancée Meghan Markle, the whole thing becomes… well, next level, as the Americans say.
The film industry website Deadline Hollywood broke the news that the former Mr Markle has been commissioned by TV giant Fox to produce a pilot comedy drama – with the potential to be expanded into a full series – based on the idea of a recently divorced man whose ex-wife marries into the Royal Family and the custody battles for their children that ensue to, presumably, hilarious effect.
All concerned are anxious to point out that naturally the whole project will be a work of fiction, that the lead characters are in no way based on Meghan or Trevor (who have no children together) and that Meghan herself has no involvement in it whatsoever.
If that sounds disingenuous, it may be because it is.
According to Deadline Hollywood: “The comedy originated with Engelson and fellow producer Dan Farah who, in a conversation, mused about what would have been if Engelson and Markle had had kids and he had to share custody with the British Royal Family one day. The two liked the idea as a potential TV series.”
They were not the only ones. After pitching the idea to American TV networks, Fox bought it up “on the spot, with what is believed to be the biggest commitment for a comedy pitch at the network so far this season.”
They have also attached some impressive names to the project – most notably Danny Zuker, one of the key writers and producers of Modern Family, winner of 22 Emmy awards and widely recognised as the biggest comedy show in the world.
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Meghan Markle and Trevor Engelson were described as having a ‘difficult’ start to married life
I guess they just decided to go their separate ways
Although the pilot was commissioned before the announcement of Harry and Meghan’s engagement this week, the timing could hardly be better – and is set to shine a spotlight on Engelson, a man who has, until now, remained firmly tight-lipped on his ex-wife’s prospects as a princess.
But, perhaps ironically, the idea of Engelson turning his and Meghan’s post-divorce lives into a television show may not be as outlandish as it first appears. TV has defined their relationship.
The 41-year-old has forged a Hollywood career, starting as a production assistant and working his way up to produce films starring Robin Williams, Sandra Bullock and Robert Pattinson.
He is also credited as producer on the drama Snowfall, about the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles, which is being shown on BBC Two. It was very different when he and Meghan first met in 2004.
She was 23 years old and he 28, and they were both struggling to gain a foothold in Tinseltown.
He took whatever work he could, she likewise landed bit parts in TV dramas, and even appeared as a “briefcase girl” on the American version of Deal Or No Deal, in which she was required to do little more than hold an attache case while looking beautiful.
Meghan Markle’s ex makes sly reference to Royal engagement
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Trevor Engelson is working on a TV series about an American man whose ex marries a British prince
They dated for six years before marrying in Jamaica in 2011, with one guest describing the ceremony as “over very quickly, in about 15 minutes. Then everyone hit the dancefloor. It seemed they all just wanted to party”.
The wedding coincided with Meghan’s big break, as she landed the role of Rachel Zane on the hit TV show Suits. It seems that it was this change in fortunes that spelled the end of their relationship.
A source close to the couple was quoted in American magazine Woman’s Day as saying: “Meghan landed her role in Suits just a few months before they were married.
And despite being together for six years before getting hitched, things started to fall apart not long after the wedding. They really battled with long distances.
Trevor was based in LA while Meghan was in Toronto [where Suits is filmed], a five-hour flight away. It was a very difficult way to start married life.”
Just two years after their wedding the couple separated and their divorce was finalised in August 2013 – the official reason cited as “irreconcilable differences”.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement this week
Although it is understood to have been Meghan’s decision, Engelson has, to his credit, remained loyal to her, refusing to discuss either the breakdown of their marriage or her engagement to Prince Harry.
Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr claimed “Hollywood” tore the couple apart. “He was a nice guy,” he said. “I’m not sure what happened with them.
“They were together for a few years but I’m not quite sure what their falling out was. I guess they just decided to go their separate ways. It’s a Hollywood thing I guess.”
As she briefly dated Canadian celebrity chef Cory Vitiello before meeting Harry at a drinks party in London’s exclusive Soho House club last year, Engelson embarked on a romance with Baywatch star Charlotte McKinney, and is now believed to be dating dietician Tracey Kurland.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will marry next year
And until now, it seems, he has kept any lingering regret, remorse or rancour about his ex-wife to himself, with a friend recently revealing: “The split with Meghan hit Trevor pretty hard.
“He went through a rough time during the break-up and that was only made worse when Meghan got together with Harry last year.
“He had to relive it all again – this time in public. It wasn’t the most amicable of divorces and there were hurt feelings on both sides.
“Now he has bounced back and things are looking great for him. He has a new woman and his career is going from strength to strength.”
But with his latest project set to draw parallels with the love triangle between himself, Meghan and Prince Harry, it seems that Trevor Engelson may not be quite ready to put the past behind him just yet. Or maybe it’s just that, as an experienced Hollywood producer, he knows a ratings smash when he sees one.
