Meghan Markle has reportedly requested time off from filming US legal drama Suits after her relationship with Prince Harry went public.
The 35-year-old American actress told bosses at USA Network she needed to skip filming in Toronto this week as she attempts to get her house in order, according to a Page Six report.
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Prince Harry condemns 'harassment' of girlfriend
'A line had been crossed', writes Prince Harry about press coverage of his new American girlfriend, actress Meghan Markle.
Markle will reportedly meet with lawyers to help her navigate her immediate and uncomfortable rise to international fame after Kensington Palace on Wednesday confirmed she was in a relationship with the prince.
In an unprecedented letter issued by the palace, Prince Harry, 32, was said to be "deeply worried" for Markle's safety and fed up with the racist and sexist commentary Markle had been subjected to from the media and online trolls.
The actress has been hounded by paparazzi since speculation of their relationship first surfaced last month. Police and security details now guard Markle's home in Toronto. The palace said photographers and reporters had attempted to gain illegal entry to her home, resulting in the actress calling the police.
According to a report by the Vancouver Sun, journalists from around the globe have descended on the sleepy middle-class neighbourhood of Seaton Village where Markle has lived for years without attention. It is understood Harry has stayed with her a number of times throughout their several-month courtship.
Reporters from three different UK newspapers were sent to Seaton Village earlier this month to try and spot the actress and her new boyfriend. It is unclear whether they remain in Markle's hometown.
Kensington Palace said Markle and her family had been hounded by unwanted attention, with her African American mother having to struggle past photographers outside her front door. Bribes have also been offered to Markle's ex-boyfriends.
![Meghan Markle was "abused and harrassed" by the British press.](/web/20161112133556im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/k/x/n/q/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsmvff.png/1478824912720.jpg)
"He knows commentators will say this is 'the price she has to pay' and that 'this is all part of the game'. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game - it is her life and his," the Kensington Palace statement read in part.
Markle has largely flown under the radar in the five years she has played paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits, primarily shot in Toronto. Before that, she has had smaller roles in shows such as Castle, CSI: Miami and Without a Trace.
![Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in <i>Suits</i>.](/web/20161112133556im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/e/8/7/n/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gsmvff.png/1478824912720.jpg)
She also runs a lifestyle blog called The TIG and is an ambassador for World Vision and a UN Women advocate.