Meet Ryen Russillo, who called Meghan Markle ‘obtainable’: the former ESPN host met the duchess in 2014 at a flag football game with Chrissy Teigen, Nina Agdal and Nina Dobrev, then sent her a DM

Dec 13 , 2024

Unbeknownst to Meghan Markle, podcaster Ryen Russillo was hoping for a date with her after they met at a charity football game. Photos: @ryenrussillo/Instagram, Getty Images

Former ESPN host Ryen Russillo tried to shoot his shot with Meghan Markle years before she married Prince Harry – but her response was apparently ‘ice cold’ after he sent her a DM

Former ESPN host Ryen Russillo once tried his luck with Meghan Markle, years before she married Prince Harry – but her response was apparently “ice cold”.

He recalled meeting the then future Duchess of Sussex during the Super Bowl weekend in 2014. “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,” Russillo said on an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.

Among the models were Chrissy Teigen, Nina Agdal and Hannah Davis, per Us Weekly, and actors Nina Dobrev and Michael B. Jordan also reportedly showed up for the star-studded game.

Ryen Russillo says he decided to hit on Meghan Markle when she was supposedly likely “doubting herself” surrounded by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models. Photo: @ryenrussillo/Instagram

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

He said he later sent her a DM. “It was a very soft sell,” Russillo said. “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.”

He insinuated that he was hoping there might be something more. “It was like a gauging of interest,” he said. “Like, if I got an emoji back, who knows?”

Ryen Russillo is a former ESPN radio host. Photo: @ryenrussillo/Instagram

As for Markle’s response? Well, it wasn’t quite what Russillo had hoped for. “It was ice cold,” Russillo shared. “It was, ‘Oh, I don’t know anything about sports, but thanks for the offer.’”

So who exactly is Ryen Russillo?