Meghan Markle's Former TV Series 'Suits' Has Been Axed
The ninth series of the show will be its last
Photo: Getty
Suits patrick-j-adams and meghan-markle
Suits, the slick American legal series that introduced the world to Meghan Markle, has been axed. A statement released by TV network SYFY confirmed that the forthcoming ninth season will be its last, running at 10 episodes long.
Markle, who played legal secretary Rachel Zane, departed the show at the end of the seventh season - ahead of her marriage to Prince Harry - along with co-star Patrick J. Adams, who played her love interest Mike Ross. The pair had been leading characters since the start of the series and were firm fan favourites.
Related article: Prince Harry Is Reported So Protective Of Meghan Markle Because He 'Couldn't Protect' Princess Diana
While no specific reason for the show's axing has been given, many are speculating that Suits struggled to find its footing following their departure; according to reports, season eight averaged at 1.2 million viewers, a drop of 100,000 from season seven. However, viewing figures have been slowly declining since the start of the show; the first series aired with an average of 4.6 million viewers in 2011.
Photo: Getty
Suits Season 1
"Suits has played an instrumental role in our network's DNA for nearly a decade," said Chris McCumber, president of USA Network and SYFY. "I and everyone at USA Network sincerely thank Aaron Korsh, our partners at UCP and the entire Suits family for their tremendous creativity, devotion and support over a truly amazing run."
Related article: 19 Times Meghan Markle Dressed Just Like Princess Diana
Following her departure from the show, Markle appeared to remain close with her Suits co-stars, with several of them attending her royal wedding back in May.
Photo: Getty
Suits Co-Star At Royal Wedding
The new Duchess of Sussex spoke about her time on the show during her first joint interview with Prince Harry in November 2017.
"I see it as new change, a new chapter. I've been working on my show [for] seven years, we were so fortunate to have that longevity, and I feel like I checked that box and am very proud of the work I've done there," she said. Recent reports that the duchess had been offered millions - to donate to a charity of her choice - to film a cameo appearance were swiftly denied.
Related article: Photos of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's New Home Have Been revealed!
Photo: Getty
Suits Female Cast
But there's no need to mourn the show just yet. The second half of the eighth season (which welcomed Katherine Heigl to the firm) starts tonight, with the final series expected to air next year. There's also a spin-off show to look forward to, Pearson, starring former Suits favourite Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson.
This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR UK