Meghan Markle to Get $1 Million for Australian Retreat Appearance — Source

Meghan Markleis reportedly preparing for a high-profile trip to Australia that could also turn into a major payday. According to a source, the Duchess of Sussex has secured a lucrative appearance fee for her luxury retreat in Sydney.

The three-day event is expected to bring together hundreds of guests for conversations about personal growth, wellness, and community. While details about Markle's participation are still emerging, insiders claim the appearance is part of her expanding post-royal business ventures.

Meghan Markle 'is being paid extremely well' for retreat appearance in Australia, per source

According to an insider who spoke toNaughty But Nice, Meghan Markle is reportedly receiving a sizable fee to headline the upcoming retreat. The source claimed the duchess "is being paid extremely well," alleging that her appearance fee is around $1 million. The insider also said that nearly every aspect of the trip, from travel to accommodations, is being fully covered by the event organizers.

"Her fee is around a million dollars, and the trip itself is completely taken care of," the source claimed. The insider added that the visit is being organized as a "full VIP operation." They suggested that Markle is expected to travel alongside a small team that could include her assistant, security, and glam squad.

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The event is scheduled to take place at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, a luxury oceanfront hotel. The three-day gathering will host roughly 300 women who will attend a mix of wellness activities and discussions focused on personal growth and connection.

Ticket prices vary depending on the level of access guests choose. Standard packages for the weekend reportedly cost around $1,800, while premium tiers reportedly cost significantly more. Organizers claim those who purchase the highest-tier tickets will receive perks such as preferred seating at the gala dinner and a group photo opportunity with Markle.

The event comes as Markle continues to explore new professional opportunities in the lifestyle and wellness space. "Events like this are incredibly profitable," the source alleged, adding that Markle "can command huge speaking fees."

Prince Harry is also reportedly expected to join Markle during the visit to Australia. However, sources claim their children will remain in California. For Markle, the source suggested, the retreat is more than just a speaking engagement. "For Meghan, this trip is equal parts business and branding," the insider alleged.

The postMeghan Markle to Get $1 Million for Australian Retreat Appearance — Sourceappeared first onReality Tea.

byLiam Oneel

in

March 13, 2026

Meghan Markle to Get $1 Million for Australian Retreat Appearance — Source

Meghan Markleis reportedly preparing for a high-profile trip to Australia that could also turn into a major payday. According to a source,...

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Virgin River’s Marco Grazzini Breaks His Silence on Shocking Exit From the Show Ahead of Season 8

Virgin River'sMarco Grazziniis breaking his silence after Mikewas written off the showbefore season 8.

• Marco Grazzini, who played Mike on Virgin River, has confirmed his departure from the show after six seasons, expressing gratitude for the opportunity and love for the cast and fans.
• Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith hinted at potential cast shakeups in future seasons of Virgin River to ensure characters have enough story engine, with Lauren Hammersley also not expected to return as Charmaine.
• Based on the book series by Robyn Carr, Virgin River follows the lives of residents in a small town in Northern California, with changes in the cast including Grayson Gurnsey and Mark Ghanime in previous seasons.

"Character departures are very common in this business — especially on a long-running and beloved series like Virgin River," Grazzini, 45, who has been on the show since season 2, toldEntertainment Weeklyon Thursday, March 12. "It's been a wonderful opportunity to play Mike for six seasons."

Grazzini said he has "nothing but love for the cast, crew, and especially the phenomenal fans who make the show so special," adding, "I'm excited for this new chapter in my career."

News originally broke on Thursday that Grazziniwon't be returning as a series regular— for now.

Which 'Virgin River' Stars Are — And Aren't — Returning for Season 7 After Surprising Cast Exit

"For me, I'm just trying to look to the longevity of the show and making sure that the characters that we're keeping have enough story engine in them to keep going," showrunnerPatrick Sean Smithtold Deadline. "So I can't say there are any specific cast shakeups planned, but I think we will have to start to — as characters run their course — make some decisions and bring in some new blood."

In addition to Grazzini,Lauren Hammersley, who has been playing Charmaine since the show premiered on Netflix, is also not expected to come back. With the exception of Grazzini,the rest ofVirgin River's season 7series regulars are expected to return in season 8.

Based on the book serieswritten byRobyn Carr, Virgin River centers around the lives of residents living in a small town in Northern California, including Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and her love interest, Jack (Martin Henderson). The series also starsColin Lawrence, Annette O'Toole, Tim Matheson, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Sarah Dugdale, Zibby AllenandKai Bradbury.

This isn't the first time the show has gone through some changes behind the scenes.Grayson Gurnseyleft as Ricky after season 4, andMark Ghanimé, who played Cameron, had a surprising exit once season 6 was released.

Grazzinirecently teased Mike's futureafter his split from Brie (Allen) led to him potentially finding love with Victoria (Sara Canning), exclusively tellingUs Weekly, "I think that Mike falls into the same patterns that he's always been in. She's somebody that he's worked with in the past and she's been in law enforcement."

Meet the Season 7 Cast of Netflix's Hit Small Town Series 'Virgin River' After Surprise Offscreen Exit

Grazzini teased that Mike"definitely has a type."

"Mike definitely falls hard and he falls fast. He's a romantic at heart and he just wants to find love," he noted. "But maybe he needs to exercise a little bit more [caution]. Just wait and see. But obviously he's taken by Victoria."

The actor expressed hope that Mike could "broaden his horizons and maybe find other interests in common."

"It would be somebody that could distract him from his work life and bring him more into other parts of himself. His hobbies and his passions. Because you know that that line of work can weigh on you," he continued. "So when the other person in the relationship is also in that line of work, it can get pretty heavy. As familiar as it is, it would be nice for Mike to step out of his comfort zone."

Virgin Riveris currently streaming on Netflix.

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byLiam Oneel

in

March 13, 2026

Virgin River’s Marco Grazzini Breaks His Silence on Shocking Exit From the Show Ahead of Season 8

Virgin River'sMarco Grazziniis breaking his silence after Mikewas written off the showbefore season 8. M...

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2026 NWSL season preview: Trinity Rodman, expansion teams and more

The NWSL is back.

The 2026 NWSL season kicks off on Friday with a pair of USWNT gold medalists going head-to-head. The Washington Spirit and Trinity Rodman will face off against the Portland Thorns and Sophia Wilson, who is set to make her highly-anticipated return from maternity leave. (More on that later).

Friday's Spirit-Thorns match is one of eight games on the NWSL's opening weekend slate as the league expands to 18 teams with the addition of expansion franchises Boston Legacy FC and Summit FC.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 NWSL season, from the biggest trades and biggest stars returning to the pitch, to the two new teams joining the league in Denver and Boston.

2024: Orlando Pride (defeated Washington Spirit in the 2024 NWSL Championship game)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 2013: Portland Thorns FC (defeated Western New York Flash in the championship game)

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NWSL champions through the years

Recap of 2025 NWSL season

Before we look ahead to the 2026 season, let's take a second to catch up of all the action from 2025:

2025 NWSL Champions: Gotham FC

Gotham FC completed an unlikely underdog postseason run, defeating the Washington Spirit to win the 2025 NWSL championship 1-0 on Nov. 22. Rose Lavelle scored the only goal of the game in the 80th minute. As the No. 8 seed, Gotham became the lowest seed to win an NWSL championship.

2025 NWSL Shield winner: Kansas City Current

The Kansas City Current recorded the winningest regular season in NWSL history. Kansas City claimed the NWSL Shield faster than any other team in league history with five matches left and had the most wins (21), points scored in a single season (65) and clean sheets (16). Despite the record year, the Current were stunned in the quarterfinals by Gotham FC. It's unlikely the Current will replicate the dominant season, but expect them to be at the top of the pack again, with head coach Chris Armas.

2025 NSWL MVP, Golden Boot Winner: Temwa Chawinga

Kansas City Current forwardTemwa Chawingawas named the NWSL's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season, becoming the first player in league history to win the honor back-to-back. Sam Kerr is the only other player to win NWSL MVP twice. Chawinga also picked up her second straight Golden Boot with a league-high 15 goals in 23 matches.

Can Chawinga win the MVP and Golden Boot three consecutive years? She's starting at a slight disadvantage. Chawinga suffered a leg injury late last year and enters this season on the season-ending injury list. Kerr is the only player to win three straight Golden Boots (2017-19) and no player has won three straight MVPs.

Bring on the star power

Trinity Rodman

The biggest offseason question was whether or not Trinity Rodman would remain in Washington DC. That was answered when Rodman signed a deal reportedly worth more than $1 million a year through 2028,making her the highest paid playerin league history. The deal was made possible by thehigh impact player rule, which allows clubs to exceed the league's salary cap by up to $1 million for players that meet certain criteria. (TheNWSLPA filed a lawsuit, saying the league violated federal labor law.)

"We have raised the salary cap. We quadrupled the salary cap in the last three years," NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said on Wednesday during her 2026 Kickoff Address. "If we want to … attract and retain top talent, we believe that having a targeted, tailored mechanism to do that will allow us to better achieve and more quickly achieve that objective."

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Rodman's health will be a big storyline heading into the season. The Olympic gold medalist was limited to a career-low 17 regular-season matches for the Spirit last season due to a lingering back issue.Rodman appeared to reaggravate her back injurylate in the USWNT's2-0 win over Argentinaon March 1, but she went on to start the next two games in the SheBelieves Cup and lead the USWNT to its eighth title in the tournament.

Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson return from maternity leave

The NWSL is getting back a pair of Olympic gold medalists. Portland Thorns' Sophia Wilson and Chicago Stars' Mallory Swanson are expected to return to the pitch following maternity leave. Wilson welcomed daughter Gianna with NFL husband Michael Wilson in September. Swanson gave birth to daughter Josie with MLB husband Dansby Swanson in November.

Wilson, the 2022 NWSL MVP, made her return on March 6 in the Thorns' 5-1 preseason win over C.F. Monterrey, her first match since November 2024. Wilson subbed in the final 15 minutes and received a loud applause from the crowd. Wilson is on the Thorns' active roster ahead of the team's season opener against the Spirit on Friday.

It's not clear when Swanson will rejoin the Stars, but head coach Martin Sjögre confirmed it would happen at some point this season. Swanson didn't make an appearance during the preseason, but she'll give Chicago a much-needed boost whenever she returns after the Stars finished last in the standings with a 3-12-11 record last year.

Key offseason signings, trades

• The Kansas City Current acquired forward Penelope Hocking from Bay FC on March 11 for a $350,000 transfer fee. Hocking led Bay FC with six goals and one assist in 18 regular-season games.

• The Kansas City Current acquired midfielder Croix Bethune from the Washington Spirit in a $1 million transfer on Feb. 11. Bethune was named midfielder of the year and rookie of the year in 2024. "Her elite creativity and passing ability combined with her tactical versatility... make her a great fit for our club," KC Current general manager Ryan Dell said.

• Bay FC acquired midfielder Claire Hutton from the Kansas City Current in a $1.1 million transfer on Feb. 11, marking one of the highest transfer fees between two NWSL teams and one of the highest for any women's player worldwide. Hutton was named to the NWSL Best XI First Team last season.

• Gotham FC acquired veteran midfielder Savannah McCaskill from San Diego Wave FC in a $175,000 transfer on Jan. 2. She appeared in 21 regular-season games least season.

Denver Summit, Boston FC make their debuts

The NWSL is expanding from 14 to 16 teams with the additions of Denver Summit FC and Boston Legacy FC. Expect the expansion franchises to come out of the gate hot.

"We want to be competitive from the very first day," Legacy FC GM Domènec Guasch told USA TODAY Sports.

Both teams assembled their inaugural rosters without the help of the NWSL draft or expansion draft, which were eliminated in the latest collective bargaining agreement following the 2024 season. Summit FC may have landed the biggest offseason signing right from their own backyard. USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps will join Summit FC in June following the conclusion of her 2025–26 season with OL Lyonnes in France. The midfielder played for the Portland Thorns from 2016-2022.

The excitement for both teams is palpable. Summit FC has already sold 50,000 tickets for the team's first home match at Empower Field at Mile High on March 28, which will break the single-game NWSL attendance record of 40,091 and set a record for the highest attended women's professional game in any sport in the U.S., Berman said.

The NWSL isn't done growing. By 2028, the league will expand to 18 teams. The 17th franchise was awarded to Atlanta in November and the 18th team will "be awarded later this year," Berman added.

Reach USA TODAY National Women's Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:2026 NWSL season preview: Denver, Boston expansion teams open play

byLiam Oneel

in

March 13, 2026

2026 NWSL season preview: Trinity Rodman, expansion teams and more

The NWSL is back. The 2026 NWSL season kicks off on Friday with a pair of USWNT gold medalists going head-to-...

Read More