ROYAL FAMILY NEWS:Meghan Markle ‘shot down’ former ESPN host as he recalls exact moment after he slide into her DMs

ROYAL FAMILY NEWS:Meghan Markle ‘shot down’ former ESPN host as he recalls exact moment after he slide into her DMs

Former ESPN Host Ryen Russillo has candidly recalled the moment the Duchess of Sussex snubbed his advances after he cheekily slid into her DM’s following a charity flag football match

Meghan Markle and Ryen Russillo
Meghan Markle once shot down Ryen Russillo’s attempts to ask her out
Long before Meghan Markle fell in love with Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex we know today, one former ESPN host has revealed he had hoped to find romance with the star, but things didn’t quite go to plan. Former ESPN host Ryen Russillo once slid into Meghan’s DM’s after running into each other while playing a game of celebrity flag football, but despite his high hopes, Russillo, now 49, revealed that Meghan wasn’t nearly as thrilled about the prospect during Super Bowl weekend 2014, reports UsWeekly.

Recalling their meeting on The Bill Simmons podcast, Ryen revealed: “We played in a celebrity flag football game together and it was all of the [ Sports Illustrated ] swimsuit models. So, nobody was really paying any attention to Markle.”

“I was like, ‘That’s my lane. She’s probably doubting herself a little bit right now,’” Russillo remembered. “She’s never been more obtainable.”

The game took place just before Suits season 4 premiered, and was around two years before Meghan first started dating her future husband Prince Harry. Following the conclusion of the game however, Russillo decided to shoot his shot and send the future-Duchess a cheeky DM.

“It was a very soft sell,” Russillo explained. “It was, ‘Hey, I know the new season of Suits is coming out if you ever want to come on the show to promote it.’ It was really professional.”

Not long after sending the DM, Meghan did respond to the invitation, but it wasn’t quite the warm reception Russillo might have hoped for. “It was ice cold,” Russillo recalled. DM. “It was, ‘Oh, I don’t know anything about sports, but thanks for the offer.’”

Ultimately, Russillo said: “It didn’t work out.”

Although no budding romance ensued from the celebrity flag football game, Meghan did however walk away with a lifelong friendship, as it was the very same match that saw her meet and befriend her new BFF Serena Williams.