Former ESPN Host's Sly Dig At Meghan Markle Hints He's Still Salty About Her Turning Him Down

Ryen Russillo, a former radio host on ESPN, brutally recalled his first time meeting Meghan Markle, who he says is no one to write home about. But the sports enthusiast's repeated bashing of the Duchess of Sussex may just be the sign that he's still hung up on her royal rejection of him.

While guest appearing on a December 5, 2024, episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," Russillo described the day he met Markle, which was during a pre-Super Bowl celebrity flag football game in February 2014, before Markle met her husband, Prince Harry. According to People, many stars were in attendance, including Chrissy Teigen, Serena Williams, Guy Fieri, and other household names. The most notable attendees to Russillo were the Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, an aspect that prompted him to tell Bill Simmons, "Nobody was really paying attention to Markle."

"I was like 'that's my lane,'" he continued. "She's probably down on herself a little bit right now and she's never been more obtainable." He didn't end up shooting his shot at the flag football game, but said he later DMed the royal on Instagram with a casual offer to be on his show. According to Russillo, the conversation with Markle didn't go well.

"It was a very soft sell," Ryen Russillo told Bill Simmons of his DM to Meghan Markle. The host of "The Ryen Russillo Show" said that his message was "really professional," with a simple request that Markle appear on his show to discuss Season 4 of the hit legal drama "Suits," the series that made Markle's Hollywood career a success until she left it in 2018. But her reply back to Russillo wasn't the warm message he was hoping for. "It was ice cold," Russillo said of Markle's message, which he said was, "Oh, I don't know anything about sports, but thanks for the offer." It hardly sounds as chilly as he describes it, but maybe it felt that way because Markle was supposedly so obtainable.

Russillo is only one of the many celebrities who have publicly bashed Markle. Stars like Piers Morgan, Chris Rock, and Donald Trump have all spoken against Markle. Lizzie Cundy, a former friend of Markle's, had a scathing take on her Hollywood career, claiming that much of L.A. has given Markle the cold shoulder since uprooting her life for a chance to be British royalty. According to Russillo, it's Markle who has been frigid all along. But then again, Russillo's wound is apparently still tender from her rejection.