She’s about to marry a prince, but Meghan Markle reportedly came close to a romance with significantly less fairy tale value.
According to the Mail Online’s Katie Hind, Meghan once came close to dating Ashley Cole, after the footballer pursued her online.
The actress was in the UK four years ago to promote what was then a brand new role, on TV’s Suits, when she was interviewed by Katie, and used the opportunity to vet her British beau.
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“Working our way through a bottle of prosecco at the rooftop bar of the Sanctum Soho Hotel,” Katie writes, “something else became clear, too: her keen interest in British men of a certain, well, standing.
“Producing an iPhone from her handbag, she pointed to the picture of a good-looking man on her Twitter account, and said: ‘Do you know this guy, Ashley Cole?'”
Meghan opened up to the journalist about Ashley’s pursuit of her.
“He follows me and he keeps trying to talk to me on Twitter. He’s trying really hard,” she said.
“He wants to go out on a date while I’m over here in London,” she continued. “What do you think? Do you know him?”
At the time, Ashley was playing internationally for England as well as earning six figures a week playing for Chelsea, and had divorced Cheryl Tweedy after repeated infidelities.
Katie claims that as she and Meghan continued to chat, she felt obligated to let the actress know about Ashley’s track record.
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“I set her straight,” Katie writes. “Meghan seemed taken aback, and quietly replied: ‘Thanks, I appreciate it. Some of my friends told me to stay away from him, too.’
“Then she giggled: ‘I think I’ll leave it.'”
The pair continued to drink, bonding over their single status, before calling it a night, although Katie claims that the royal couple owe her a bottle of prosecco for the tip – although really, they could probably spring for champagne.