What Meghan Markle's Ex-Husband And Ex-Boyfriends Have Said About Her

When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry's relationship became public, the media began to look into her past relationships. Meghan's first husband was producer Trevor Engelson. They tied the knot in 2011 and divorced in 2014. While Engelson himself hasn't said anything about their marriage publicly, other people have.

Meghan's ambition reportedly led to her divorce from her ex-husband. At first, they allegedly tried long-distance because Meghan's role on "Suits" took her to a different country. Things, however, came crashing down, and Meghan reportedly returned both her marriage band and engagement ring by mailing them to Engelson. In The Sunday Times (via People), biographer of royals Andrew Morton claimed, "Trevor went from cherishing Meghan to, as one friend observed, 'feeling like he was a piece of something stuck to the bottom of her shoe.'" Commentator Megyn Kelly went so far as to claim that Meghan had her eyes on Prince Harry before they even crossed paths. During a conversation with Dave Portnoy on "The Megyn Kelly Show," Kelly said, "I know someone who knows the ex-husband [Trevor Engelson] who said [Meghan] had a vision board with Prince Harry on it."

That said, not every rumored romance from Meghan's past is true. For example, during an appearance on "Spittin' Chiclets," former ice hockey player Michael Del Zotto recalled getting pursued by the paparazzi even though, as he put it, "nothing ever happened" between him and Meghan. On that note, let's get into what Meghan's ex-flames have said about her.

Before Prince Harry came into the picture, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was reportedly close to going on a date with a different famous Brit. Remember Matt Cardle from "The X Factor"? Yes, he's the same guy who went toe to toe with Rebecca Ferguson and One Direction and won. You might be wondering how Meghan and Cardle met. But they never did. Like many young people, they got in touch through social media. As Good to Know reported, an insider revealed that Cardle followed her on X and "was stunned when she followed him immediately back and started messaging him." "She said she was a big fan of his work. ... They chatted a little bit online before she suggested meeting up," the same person shared. The date never really happened, though. According to the same outlet's unnamed source, their conversations didn't amount to anything. In fact, Cardle began seeing a woman named Amber Hernaman.

Cardle actually addressed the situation during his appearance on "Lorraine" in 2019. When his exchange with Meghan was brought up, he downplayed the connection. "It was so little then ... it's nothing now," he said. He added, "It was absolutely nothing. ... It's just funny what can be made of nothing nowadays." More than a year later, he echoed the same tone while discussing the "very weird situation" between him and Meghan during his interview with The Sun. "I really don't know how it came about," he said. He explained, "Life's got a course and I was not on that one. I've laughed about it, but it's amazing thinking back."

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had a relationship with Canadian chef Cory Vitiello that lasted for around two years. Their past relationship doesn't appear casual either. In his book "Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors," author Tom Bower said that Meghan and Vitiello had been in a live-in relationship. That's not all. There allegedly was an overlap between her relationship with Vitiello and her meet-cute with her now-husband Prince Harry. All the juicy details about Prince Harry and Meghan's first dates are wild. "Harry secretly flew to Toronto. He stayed for about one week in the house of a friend of Meghan's ... With Cory still sharing [Meghan's] home, the situation for Meghan was tricky but manageable," Bower wrote in the aforementioned book. According to the same book, when she was sure that things between her and Harry would work out, Meghan "told Cory that their affair was over" and he "was relieved" because "the final months had been unpleasant."

Before Meghan married Prince Harry, the Daily Mail asked Vitiello about her. He said, "I've got a lot of respect for Meghan and, from my end, to make it seem like I'm part of the story [of her elevation into the ranks of royalty] would seem self-serving and opportunistic." He did say nice things about her, though. "She's a great girl. There is no bitterness," he revealed. When the conversation switched to Meghan's then-upcoming royal wedding and the probability of him being invited, he humbly said, "No, I don't think so! ... It's not something I think about." However, he did say he'd "be interested as much as anybody else" to watch the royal wedding live on TV.

Professional golfer Rory McIlroy and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, were said to be romantically involved at one point. Here's the truth about Rory McIlroy and Meghan's relationship. While we don't know if they were a thing or not, what we do know is that they were friendly with each other. In 2014, McIlroy shared a picture with Meghan on X and wrote that it was "awesome to help @meghanmarkle take on the #ALSIceBucketChallenge." He added, "Such a good sport!" Meghan was extremely generous while praising McIlroy on her now-deleted blog The Tig back in the day. "The most endearing quality of this man is his character — as real and honest as they come," she wrote. She added, "He is not just the real deal ... he is real. And perhaps that is what makes him even more cherished." The two of them were reportedly even seen grabbing dinner together in Dublin.

By the time Meghan married Prince Harry in May 2018, McIlroy had nothing but positive things to say about her. When he was questioned about Meghan at the BMW PGA Championship, he admitted (via Express), "I obviously know Meghan a little bit." He also paid the then-newlywed duchess a compliment after revealing that he had tuned in for her wedding on TV like the rest of the world. He said, "I watched the royal wedding and everything went well, and she handled herself with such grace. ... There's no doubt she will embrace the role and all you can do is to congratulate the both of them and wish them well in their lives together," he added.

Before Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, became an actress, she attended Northwestern University. While studying there, she reportedly dated Steve Lepore, who played basketball for Northwestern. Royal expert Andrew Morton shared an inside scoop about their relationship in "Meghan: A Hollywood Princess." He claimed, "Her association with Lepore raised her stock with her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sisters, who were impressed that she had snared such a hottie." Dating expert Annabelle Knight told The Sun, "It feels as though Steve was used as a currency for Meghan's progression, she aimed her sights high and didn't fail to meet her target."

So, did Meghan use her college boyfriend Steve Lepore for star power? We don't know. But things eventually didn't work out between Meghan and Lepore. He reportedly switched colleges and looked at his relationship with Meghan in the rear-view mirror. An insider told Star Magazine (via RadarOnline) that the breakup was hard on Meghan. "He wasn't royalty, but to have your first real, adult romance end suddenly, that's something that stays with you," the same person added. That said, the two of them have moved on with their lives. Lepore went on to work as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky University. He got married to Carrie Mehome in 2011 and has a family of his own. After Meghan got engaged to Prince Harry in 2017, RadarOnline contacted Lepore. He said very little, though. "Best of luck to her and Prince Harry," he said.

When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was a teenager growing up in Los Angeles, she attended the Immaculate Heart Middle & High School. While there, she allegedly dated Luis Segura, who was from a different school, St. Francis. The two of them were reportedly introduced by Luis' sister Maria Segura. But the high school sweethearts Meghan weren't endgame. They called it quits when Meghan left for college. Andrew Morton, the royal expert who authored "Meghan: A Hollywood Princess," said, "Normally, [Meghan] went for well-dressed Latin boyfriends like Luis Segura, but she changed gears during her time at Northwestern."

It's terrifying to think that the media would look into your high school boyfriend and ask them about you years after the fact. That's exactly what happened to Meghan, though. While that sounds scary, Meghan is allegedly still in touch with her ex. When questioned about Meghan by the Daily Mail, Luis was sure to be very mindful with his classy response. He said, "I have no comment to make." Meanwhile, Meghan's then-friend Ninaki Priddy told the Daily Mail what she had learned from Luis about Meghan. He reportedly told Priddy, "I'd like to talk about our good times, but she's a very private person and it's a big deal with the royals." "But she's great, and was always a wonderful actress," he added, she said.

When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, made an appearance on "Larry King Now" in 2013, Larry King asked her about the very first person she kissed. Without skipping a beat, she said, "Joshua Silverstein." She revealed that she was 13 years old at the time and "it was [at] like a summer camp." "I kissed him," she admitted. This is arguably among the many interesting things Meghan has said about her childhood over the years.

Many years later in 2021, Joshua Silverstein was interviewed by Lorraine Kelly on her show "Lorraine." By this point, Meghan was married to Prince Harry, and the two of them had stepped back as senior royals. When Kelly asked Silverstein about the kind of girl Meghan was as a teenager, he said, "Meghan was always a very strong, confident young person ... it was very clear to me at the time that ... she had a very ... clear idea of ... where she wanted her path to take her."

When Kelly questioned Silverstein about what made him pursue her in the aforementioned interview, his response matched what Meghan previously said. "She approached me," he revealed. He explained how her making the first move impressed him. He also went into some more detail later on in the interview, shedding light on their relationship back then, their breakup, and their friendly relationship after that. He shared, "Meghan and I dated when we were kids ... broke up before high school and ... we stayed friends throughout high school, and I would see her every now and then ... at the church we were going to, but I ... mostly stayed in contact with her mom, and her mom would let me know what she was up to."