It feels like a lifetime ago. Before the royal titles, the Netflix documentaries, and the endless tabloid cycles, Meghan Markle was just Rachel Zane. She was the whip-smart paralegal who eventually became a lawyer, the heart of the firm, and one half of the show’s most beloved power couple. But if you’re binging the show on Netflix right now, you’ve probably hit that wall where things start to feel different. You’re asking: when did Meghan Markle leave Suits exactly?
She didn't just vanish into thin air. There was a wedding, a job offer in Seattle, and a very real-world engagement to a prince that made her exit inevitable.
The Official Departure: Season 7, Episode 16
If you want the "mark your calendar" answer, Meghan Markle’s final appearance as a series regular was in the Season 7 finale. The episode is titled "Good-Bye" (very subtle, right?) and it aired on April 25, 2018.
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This wasn’t just a random Tuesday. It was less than a month before her actual, real-life wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018. The timing was pinpoint. Honestly, watching the episode back then felt surreal. You were seeing Rachel Zane walk down the aisle in a white dress to marry Mike Ross, knowing that in just a few weeks, the actress would be doing the same thing for a global audience of billions.
What happened in her final scene?
The writers didn't go for a tragic "Grey's Anatomy" style ending. Thank god. Instead, Rachel and Mike (Patrick J. Adams) got a "happily ever after." They both decided to leave the high-stakes world of New York corporate law to run a pro-bono law clinic in Seattle.
The episode ends with them getting married in a relatively low-key ceremony (compared to a royal wedding, anyway) to the tune of John Legend’s "All of Me." It was sweet. It was tidy. It gave fans the closure they needed after seven years of "will-they-won't-they" drama.
Why did she actually leave?
You probably know the "official" reason: she was moving to London to become a working royal. But the behind-the-scenes reality was a bit more complex.
Creator Aaron Korsh has since admitted that the writers started planning for her exit before she was even engaged. He basically took a "gamble" that her relationship with Harry was the real deal. He didn't want to get to the end of the season and have no way to write her out if she suddenly moved to the UK.
"I made a decision to take a gamble that these two people were in love and it was going to work out," Korsh told the BBC.
If he hadn't made that call, the Season 7 finale could have looked very different. Imagine if she stayed and they had to explain her absence with a "she's just in another room" excuse for the next two seasons. It would have been a disaster.
The Patrick J. Adams Factor
People often forget that Meghan wasn't the only one who left at that time. Patrick J. Adams, who played the show's lead, Mike Ross, also exited in the same episode.
While Meghan’s reason was obvious, Patrick’s was more about character growth. He felt like Mike had gone from a fraud to a real lawyer and had nowhere left to go. He’s gone on record saying he didn't want Mike to become "just another lawyer" on the show.
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Having them leave together was a stroke of luck for the writers. It made sense for the couple to move to Seattle as a unit. If only one of them had left, the show would have had to break them up or deal with a long-distance marriage subplot that nobody wanted to see.
Did she ever come back for the finale?
Short answer: No.
When Suits finally wrapped up for good with Season 9 in 2019, fans were desperate for a Rachel Zane cameo. Patrick J. Adams actually returned for a few episodes in the final season to help wrap things up. But Meghan? She was already the Duchess of Sussex and knee-deep in royal duties.
Korsh considered asking her to come back, but he ultimately decided against it to respect her new life. There is, however, a tiny nod to her in the very last episode. When someone asks Mike how Rachel is doing in Seattle, he quips, "If I told you how good, you probably wouldn’t believe me." It was a cheeky wink to the audience. Basically: "She's a Duchess now, she's doing fine."
Life After Suits: The "Meghan Effect"
It is wild to think about the "Suits" renaissance we’ve seen lately. In 2023 and 2024, the show absolutely dominated Netflix streaming charts.
People who never watched the show when it was airing on USA Network are now discovering it for the first time. For Meghan, the show was a massive part of her life. She filmed over 100 episodes and was making roughly $50,000 per episode toward the end. She walked away from a multi-million dollar acting career for the royal family.
A few things to keep in mind if you're watching now:
- The "Seattle" firm: In the show's lore, Mike and Rachel are still in Seattle. Whenever Mike returns in Season 9, he talks about her constantly.
- The Wardrobe: Rachel Zane's pencil skirts became iconic. Meghan reportedly had a lot of input into her character's "power dressing" look.
- The Pilot: If you go back to the very first episode, the chemistry between Meghan and Patrick is what sold the show. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in those roles.
What’s next for the Suits universe?
With the show being such a massive hit on streaming, there is a new spinoff called Suits: L.A. in the works. It features a whole new cast, so don't expect a Rachel Zane appearance there either.
Meghan has moved on to producing, launching her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, and her various philanthropic efforts. Acting seems to be firmly in her rearview mirror.
If you're looking to relive the Rachel Zane era, you've got seven solid seasons to get through. Just be prepared for that bittersweet feeling when the Season 7 finale rolls around. It really was the end of an era for cable TV.
Next Steps for You:
If you're curious about the rest of the cast, check out what Patrick J. Adams or Gabriel Macht (Harvey Specter) have been up to since the show ended. Most of the "Suits" family is still quite close—several of them even attended the royal wedding in 2018. You can also look for the "Suits: L.A." casting news to see how the new series will differ from the original New York/Toronto-based drama.