What Made California Girl Meghan Markle Return to Acting? Adaptogens, Naturally

Suits fans will have to wait a bit longer for Meghan Markle’s big return to the beloved series. Because while the Duchess did put her acting shoes back on this week, she did so as a “slightly nerdy” digital staffer in the background of an Instagram advertisement for the latte company Clevr Blends. Yes, you read that correctly.

Blink and you might miss Markle’s cameo—she has no lines and the video is narrated by Clevr co-founder Hannah Mendoza who begins by saying “I want to give a huge shout-out to our amazing Clevr team here at HQ.” She adds “Without them, we are nothing,” while backdropped by employees and a sweatshirt-clad Markle who is busy packing orders. The video then pans to the former Royal sitting in an office as part of the “very smart, only slightly nerdy digital team” and later sees her mingle with other employees.

While Markle’s cameo might seem a bit random, she has been a supporter of the latte company, which uses “magical plants to manage stress” in their beverages, since 2017. She was also announced as a private investor just three years later. Oprah and Kim Kardashian co-signed the brand shortly after. “I'm proud to invest in Hannah's commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love and has a holistic approach to wellness,” she said in a statement. “I believe in her and I believe in her company.”

British tabloids, unsurprisingly, are mostly up in arms over the Duchess’ seconds-long cameo. The Evening Standard quipped that “the only way is down from here” while other outlets called it “awkward” and a further sign that Markle is “No longer a working member of the royal family, and [is] very much going down the Hollywood route.”

Well, yes. The Duchess’ cameo comes after months-long rumors of her imminent “Hollywood comeback.” In April, Markle signed for representation with Hollywood agency WME—however, it looks like that acting will take a back seat to behind-the-scenes endeavors with her and Harry’s company, Archewell Productions.

“Things that make people feel something, right?” Markle said of her upcoming projects. “And feel a sense of community. But we have so many exciting things on the slate. I can’t wait until we can announce them, but I’m just really proud of what we’re creating. My husband is loving it, too. It’s really fun.”