Harry and Meghan on Netflix: who is former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, what did she say about friend?

£100 million Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan charts the tumultuous experiences of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from the start of the relationship to their life in America after they decided to step back from the Royal Family. All of the episodes in the series have now been released on the platform and they feature exclusive interviews with those close to the couple.

Several of Meghan Markle’s friends have spoken in her defence in the series and discussed the problems that she faced entering into The Firm. Claims about the role of the media and of the royal family itself in targeting Meghan have been repeated throughout the series. Abigail Spencer, a longtime friend and former co-star of Meghan’s was one of those who voiced support for her friend in the documentary.

Who is Abigail Spencer?

Abigail Spencer, 41, is an actress who co-starred with Meghan Markle on the legal drama Suits. She played Dana Scott, a partner at her own law firm, and Harvey Spector’s ex-girlfriend. She appeared in 15 episodes of the series, while Markle, who played attorney Rachel Zane, starred in more than 100 episodes over seven seasons.

Spencer’s first screen role came as Becca Tyree in the American soap opera All My Children, and she later had small roles in Bones, Mad Men, Castle, and How I Met Your Mother. She will be recognised for playing Gena Brune in crime series True Detective, Amantha Holden in drama series Rectify, and Doctor Megan Hunt in medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Her film credits include Cowboys & Aliens, and Oz the Great and Powerful.

Spencer was born on 4 August 1981, the exact same day as Meghan Markle. She had been friends with Meghan for a decade before starring alongside her in Suits, having met at an audition. Like Lucy Fraser, another of Meghan’s friends who features in the documentary, Spencer also contributed to Meghan’s lifestyle blog, The Tig. Spencer married Andrew Pruett, co-owner of NRG Esports in 2004, and together they have a son, Roman. Spencer and Pruett divorced in 2013.

What did Abigail Spencer say on Harry & Meghan documentary?

Spencer featured in the fourth episode of the Netflix documentary series - episodes 4-6 were released on Thursday 15 December. She spoke about how she felt unable to help her friend when Meghan was struggling with suicidal thoughts. She said: “That was a really dark... That was a really dark time.

“And I didn’t know what to do. Like, that’s the thing, they are in this complex organism that I don’t know anything about or how to help or what to do. And I’m not allowed.”

Markle had previously discussed how she struggled with suicidal thoughts during her and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. Spencer spoke about how Meghan was affected by the new relationship, suggesting that her experiences during her time in the royal family caused her to be less outgoing and social.

Spencer also discussed the treatment of her friend by the press, saying: “Anything that anybody was printing wasn’t coming from anybody that knew her. There’s all this untruth, there’s all these lies, and it just seemed to be getting worse.”

During the time that the two were filming Suits, Spencer spoke to the series director Silver Tree, asking for help because she felt Meghan was being vilified in the press. Silver Tree reached out to the director of People magazine, and a cover story defending Markle was published.

In the final episode of the documentary, Spencer discussed the moment that Meghan collapsed whilst holding her son Archie, which she beileved to be a result of stress caused by the move out of the UK. Meghan was moving into her new home and Spencer had come to see the property - she said: “She was holding Archie and she just fell to the ground.”