A new blind item claims Meghan Markle went through an alleged 'athlete period' in which she hooked up with multiple high-profile sports stars—including a 'foreign-born former A-list athlete' now with the woman credited with helping create One Direction.
The salacious post offers no names or sources, instead relying on coded clues, graphic details and a string of extraordinary claims. One clue appears to point towards former Scotland rugby star Thom Evans and Nicole Scherzinger.
But how much of the story, if any, can actually be backed up?
Decoding the Clues
The post refers to 'the alliterate one', an obvious stand-in for Meghan Markle. It says she hooked up with a 'foreign-born former A-list athlete' who is 'currently with the woman who is responsible for One Direction'. That description appears to point towards Thom Evans, a Scottish international rugby player who has been dating Nicole Scherzinger since 2020 and got engaged to her in 2023.
Evans fits the blind item's code: he was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, raised in the UK and became a well-known Scotland rugby winger before a career-ending neck injury at 24. He later moved into TV and modelling, keeping him in the celebrity orbit. Scherzinger, meanwhile, is widely credited with helping form One Direction as a judge on The X Factor UK.
So the 'foreign-born former A-list athlete ... currently with the woman who is responsible for One Direction' line matches Thom Evans and Nicole Scherzinger.
What Reporting Actually Says About Meghan and Athletes
On the athlete angle, there was a report claiming Meghan was interested in being set up with famous British men, including footballer Ashley Cole, during her 2013 separation from Trevor Engelson.
TV host Lizzie Cundy told outlets that Meghan scrolled through her phone looking for footballers and landed on Cole. Journalist Katie Hind has written that Meghan asked her about Cole and that Hind advised against it due to his reputation.
Ashley Cole turned down idea of date with Meghan Markle, claims Lizzie Cundy https://t.co/onA9cpM9S6 pic.twitter.com/XtCNjt0mQA
— Mirror Celeb (@MirrorCeleb) June 10, 2021
But there is no on-the-record confirmation that Meghan and Cole ever dated, hooked up or stayed at his home. Cole's own circle has pushed back; his brother called the idea 'nonsense' and said Cole 'definitely wouldn't have to beg Meghan Markle for a date'.
The Soho detail also appears to be a real-life fragment repurposed out of context. Multiple royal biographies report that Meghan and Prince Harry had an early date at Soho House in London, where they drank rosé. That is the documented 'Soho + fizz' episode—not a prelude to a football or rugby player's house.
As for the 'pro QB' storyline, there is no credible biography, news profile or authorised account of Meghan's dating history that includes an NFL quarterback, let alone one described as a coke-using, temper-prone 'colour guy' who ghosted her.
The blind item provides additional clues about an unnamed player, but those claims remain unverified.
Pattern of Blind-Item Embellishment
The language in the post — 'alliterate one', 'foreign-born permanent A-list soccer player', 'woman who is responsible for One Direction', 'pro QB... colour guy... love of coke' — is characteristic of the gossip blog Crazy Days and Nights, which specialises in unnamed, sensational blind items.
Meghan Markle 'exchanged messages with Ashley Cole' before Royal engagement to Harry https://t.co/SSbgVsKtLE pic.twitter.com/iE3aUfoUld
— Daily Star (@dailystar) December 3, 2017
These pieces often mix a kernel of truth (Meghan's interest in Cole; Soho House dates with Harry) with unverified or unsubstantiated details that cannot be easily litigated because no one is named.
Royal and celebrity reporters who have interviewed Meghan's friends, colleagues and exes do not corroborate the more extreme claims: the multi-day lock-in at a sports star's house, the phone ban, the 'two very clothed photos' or the week-long NFL fling. Those elements remain firmly in the realm of rumour.
