The Truth About Sarah Rafferty's Friendship With Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle starred on the legal drama "Suits" until she left the series after seven seasons in 2018. According to The Los Angeles Times, the actor's on-screen farewell was marked by a special event that mimicked her real life: a wedding. On the show, Meghan's character, Rachel Zane, married Patrick J. Adams' character, Mike Ross, in a bittersweet finale that brought tears to longtime fans of the series. Just a couple months following the on-screen wedding, Meghan gave the world an even bigger performance during her royal wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, 2018. Meghan's departure from the acting world came at the perfect time as she made preparations for the many responsibilities she would be taking on as the Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan's transition from Hollywood star to the Duchess of Sussex hasn't been an easy one, but one thing is for sure: she hasn't forgotten "Suits." In an exchange with fan Fiona Moore in the summer of 2018, the two discussed the show and both professed that they missed it, according to Hello! While Meghan didn't specify what she missed about the show, it's possible that she longed for the excitement of her role as Rachel or, even more likely, the many close friendships she made on-set. One of these friendships was with co-star Sarah Rafferty, known for playing the witty Donna Paulsen on the series. Despite no longer seeing each other on a regular basis, Meghan and Rafferty have fortunately managed to keep their friendship going strong.
Sarah Rafferty and Meghan Markle stayed close after co-starring in 'Suits'
Meghan Markle may have bid farewell to her role as paralegal Rachel Zane on the legal drama "Suits" after seven seasons, but the friendships she made with her co-stars forged on. According to People, Meghan was closest with co-stars Sarah Rafferty and Gina Torres, who plays the formidable Jessica Pearson. Meghan spoke highly of both actors and has kept in touch with them in the years since. In a 2015 blog post uploaded to her now-defunct blog, The Tig, the former actor described the nature of her friendship with Rafferty and Torres, referring to both as her "'Suits' sister wives" (via People). The pair helped the Duchess of Sussex maintain an attitude of self-love, as evidenced by their tendency to "impart their sage wisdom" whenever she said something unkind about herself.
Meghan's love and gratitude for Rafferty, in particular, could also be seen all over her Instagram page, as she frequently posted photos of the two women. While her account has since been deleted, Now to Love reported one specific post that Meghan penned on Rafferty's birthday one year that epitomized their sweet friendship. "The best mama, the bearer of sage advice, and today, she is the birthday girl," Meghan wrote, adding, "My sweet friend, I love your pilgrim soul." For Rafferty's part, it seems that staying in touch with the duchess isn't always easy. In 2019, she told Closer Weekly that Meghan had been "super busy."
Sarah Rafferty attended important events in Meghan Markle's life
It's understandable that the Duchess of Sussex lives a busy life these days and might find it difficult to maintain the close friendships she made during her time on "Suits." However, Meghan Markle's hectic life has not been a deterrent for her good friend Sarah Rafferty to continue showing her support. Rafferty has been seen at many of Meghan's milestone events over the past few years, including her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 and her baby shower for her first-born child, Archie.
Rafferty was one of the few former "Suits" co-stars who attended the royal wedding to show their love for Meghan. Following the ceremony, the "All Things Valentine" actor spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the grand event. She revealed that she was "proud" to watch Meghan say "I do" to the Duke of Sussex, and added, "It was a wonderful moment to get to see [Meghan] on that day ..."
Not one to be left out of yet another important event, Rafferty attended Meghan's two-day baby shower event only a year later, which was held in New York, per Entertainment Tonight. Once again, Rafferty could not have been more enthusiastic for her friend, reporting to the publication that "[The baby shower was] just very exciting." She also wasn't the only "Suits" star in attendance. Patrick J. Adams and Rachael Harris both joined the social gathering as well and were ecstatic for their former co-star's new addition to the family.