‘Suits’ Creator On Writing Meghan Markle Out Of The USA Network Series

While Meghan Markle’s departure from “Suits” was just announced earlier this week, the decision to write the actress out of the USA Network series was actually made a year ago.

During a recent interview with BBC Radio 4’s “Today,” “Suits” creator Aaron Korsh said that he assumed that Markle’s relationship with Prince Harry would work out, so he decided to plan the actress’ exit from the show.

“I knew from a year ago that this relationship was burgeoning,” Korsh said of Markle and Prince Harry’s romance. “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.”

“What we decided to do [was to] say, ‘Look, I would rather have good things happen to Meghan in her life’ — which would likely mean her leaving the show,” Korsh continued. “So let’s plan on that and it’s much easier to undo that, if it came to it, than to just plan on her staying forever and then finding out she’s going to go. And the only way to write a character out like that would be if they got hit by a bus or something.”

Jeff Wachtel, chief content officer of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment and president of Universal Cable Productions, said that Markle’s engagement to Prince Harry came at the right time for the show.

“If this had happened in the first year or two, that would have been a challenge for us because the Mike (Patrick J.Adams) and Rachel (Markle) of it all is so foundational to the show’s success,” Wachtel told The Hollywood Reporter. “When you’re in the seventh season, things evolve. It was the right timing in that way for us. Everybody has known that that was going to happen. And from all signs, they’ve been this delightful, happy couple and their relationship has evolved organically. It was time to take the next step. It’s been fun having a member of your cast be on the front page of the New York Times.”

Unfortunately for fans, it seems that Markle isn’t the only one who is exiting the show at the end of the current season. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month that Markle’s onscreen fiancé Adams will also leave the show as a series regular. But the door will remain open for him to recur or guest-star in the potential Season 8. Adams, who has directed four episodes of the series, may also return as a director next season.

“Suits” is set to return for its last six Season 7 episodes in January.