From the moment Suits premiered in 2011, Rachel Elizabeth Zane, played by Meghan Markle, became a fan favorite for her intelligence and ambition, making her central to the show’s evolving storyline. Season after season thereafter, Markle enriched her character’s arc while steadily cementing her place in Hollywood. Yet, as her personal life transformed in extraordinary ways, so did her career. This raises the question people still wonder about — when and why did Markle leave Suits, and how much did she earn from it?

Markle traded courtrooms for something grander, but her departure from Suits was not just about love. It was about timing, opportunity, and a paycheck that surprised many.

Meghan Markle’s Suits journey wrapped in 2017, coinciding with the beginning of her real-life fairytale romance with Prince Harry. Her engagement to the Duke of Sussex required leaving Hollywood for royal duties, and the show’s writers gave Rachel Zane a graceful exit alongside her on-screen love interest, Mike, played by Patrick J. Adams. By season 7's end, both actors faced contract expirations, and for Markle, the timing proved just perfect. As for her earnings from the show, according to a March 2025 Sumissura report, her paycheck stood at $50,000 per episode during seasons 5–7, while in earlier seasons she earned $35,000.

Walking away from Suits, which also recently spawned a reboot, notably, was not just the end of a role for Markle; it marked the curtain call for her acting career, as members of the British royal family are forbidden to pursue professions outside the monarchy. Markle stayed away from the showbiz spotlight for that reason until 2020, when she and Prince Harry stepped down from their royal duties and moved to America to start anew. That shift paved the way for Markle's screen comeback, beginning with the Oprah Winfrey interview, then Harry & Meghan, and most recently, her lifestyle show With Love, Meghan, which is set to debut a sophomore season soon.

Meghan Markle Teases Fans With Exciting Instagram Video Promising "goodness" Coming Soon

Anticipation builds around With Love, Meghan season 2 as details emerge regarding its release date and a high-profile guest lineup.

Netflix has scheduled With Love, Meghan season 2 to premiere on August 26, delivering a swift follow-up less than six months after season one’s debut in March. A trailer for the upcoming installment has also been released, offering glimpses of Meghan Markle once again clad in aprons and chatting with various guests in her kitchen. The guests, for the record, include Chrissy Teigen, Tan France, Jay Shetty, José Andrés, and more.

With Love, Meghan season 2 marks the first project under Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s newly inked contract with Netflix, which is said to be priced significantly lower than their five-year-old deal worth $100 million. That detail, however, appears like a minor bump when seen in the context of Markle’s current show, which mirrors her real-life shift, from walking away from Suits at its peak to stepping into a fresh spotlight with stories she now gets to shape.

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What do you think of Meghan Markle’s Suits role and her farewell to it following her engagement to Prince Harry? Let us know in the comments.