Meghan Markle Reportedly Declined Golden Globes Invite (But Critics Aren't Convinced)

The 2024 Golden Globes seemed to have made the news for those who weren't there almost as much as those who were there —we're looking at you Travis Kelce, for not joining Taylor Swift. Another big-name no-show was Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. She reportedly got an invitation to attend, according to Page Six, but she couldn't make it because of a pre-existing engagement — no word yet as to what that was. Meghan, who played Rachel Zane for seven seasons, likely would have joined her "Suits" co-stars Sarah Rafferty, Gina Torres, Gabriel Macht, and Patrick Adams to present the award for Best Television Series Drama.

But not everyone thinks that's really what happened, and Meghan's critics came out swinging on social media about the reports that she turned down the Golden Globes invite. "I do not believe she would turn down ANY red carpet opportunity," one person posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Others theorized that Meghan might have asked for too much than could be accommodated, and so didn't go: "She want[s] VVIP royal level treatment that William and Catherine would normally receive when attending event[s] like this. Like clear the red carpet for her, announcement at GG her arrival etc.," wrote one.

There were far fewer Meghan Markle fans posting on social media about her reason for not being at the Golden Globes, but there were some who defended her reported decision to not attend the event by choice. "Every interviewer was talking about her[;] why wouldn't they invite her. But for [Meghan] she knew by just being there it would be overshadowed taking away from the other cast. Everyone would be talking about her and not them," one person posted on X.

Even though Meghan wasn't at the Globes, she still got talked about. We found out from Gina Torres that her "Suits" co-stars don't have her number, so she's not in the cast's group text, which was another reason some people thought that Meghan hadn't actually been invited to the awards ceremony. Then Jo Koy made a joke about Meghan and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex in his monologue — it was about as well received as his joke about Swift, which is to say badly.

Interest in "Suits" has skyrocketed since it started streaming on Netflix in June 2023. For over three months, it was the number one most-watched streaming show since its debut. Meghan commented on the show's renewed popularity at Variety's "Power of Women" event in November 2023, saying, "Good shows are everlasting."