‘Irreconcilable difference’: Meghan Markle’s first marriage with Trevor Engelson

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s two-hour-long tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey sent social media in a meltdown. Fresh accusations were leveled against the Royal Family, rumours were cleared and the announcement of their second baby – these were the highlights of the interview. While people are talking about the bombshell of an interview, the topic of Meghan‘s first marriage has found its place in the conversation, again. The first time it came to the fore was in 2018 when she tied the knot with Prince Harry.

When both of them started dating, talks of the actor being either “bi-racial” or a “divorcee” started doing rounds on the internet. This prompted Prince Harry to release a statement in defence of Meghan.

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Interest spiked again when the couple announced their engagement. Albeit for a different reason this time. This time they questioned if a divorcee is eligible to marry into the Royal Family. But who was Meghan’s first husband and what did he do, professionally and how did they part ways?

Meghan was married to Trevor Engelson, a film producer, whose famous credit includes Robert Pattinson-starrer Remember Me. Born in New York and based in Los Angeles, Engelson, who is five years older than Meghan, met Meghan in 2006. The couple dated for six years before getting engaged in 2010. A year later, they tied the knot in Jamaica. Reportedly, the wedding was a four-day celebration.

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What was touted to be a great relationship, the marriage lasted for two years, before the couple separated, citing “irreconcilable difference.” While the official reason is unknown, media reports suggest that a crack in their marriage started widening when Meghan was shooting for Suits in Toronto. That time, Engelson was working on some project in Los Angeles. Since the couple couldn’t work long-distance relationship, they separated.

In a quiet affair, Meghan’s divorce with Engelson was finalised in August 2013.

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However, an excerpt from Andrew Morton’s biography – Meghan: A Hollywood Princess – claims that Meghan’s decision to call off the marriage came out of the blue.

“A wealthy entrepreneur friend claimed the marriage ended so abruptly that Meghan sent her wedding and engagement rings back to Trevor by registered post. Another confirmed that the decision to end the marriage was made by Meghan and that it had come ‘totally out of the blue,” the book read.

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After the divorce, Engelson moved on with his second wife Tracey, whom he married in 2019.