It was a typical lunchtime at Italian restaurant Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills, a hotspot beloved by celebrity agents, hot Hollywood executives and stars like Justin Bieber and Al Pacino.
At a sunny corner table, a robust, handsome man in gold-rimmed sunglasses held court with a group of managers and agents.
While many in the crowded restaurant knew who he was – he was constantly greeting friends and fellow agents – there was one topic that was completely off the table: Meghan Markle.
Because while the Duchess of Sussex has moved on with her life, her ex-husband Trevor Engelson has also moved on with her life.
A friend of Engelson’s who saw him recently told the MoS: “It was difficult for Trevor for a long time.” He is a good guy but Meghan put him down when she demanded a divorce. When she got together with Prince Harry, he was again dejected because he was constantly reminded of her due to the publicity surrounding the wedding and then the drama of the Oprah interview. But that’s all in the past now.
Nine-year romance: Trevor and Meghan, pictured at their wedding in 2011, met in 2004 and split in 2013
“When I saw him recently, he kept talking about how happiest he had ever been, how much he loved being a father and how he had never felt so fulfilled.”
Still, his friend noted, “Everyone in Trevor’s life knows not to mention the ‘M’ word.” He’s moved on, and in some ways you could say he’s living an even better life than Meghan. He probably has more money than she does now, he does what he loves, and he’s out of the spotlight. It’s the ultimate revenge.’
Trevor, 46, has experienced a blossoming of personal and professional happiness in recent years.
Since 2019, he has been happily married to heiress Tracey Kurland, a nutritionist whose late father built a $500 million (£395 million) fortune in the mortgage industry before his untimely death in 2021 from Covid-19 complications, the US claimed , Tracey inherited $250 million.
Trevor and Tracey live with their two young daughters on a sprawling estate in a wealthy Los Angeles enclave and have been hosting a golf tournament together for two years in memory of their father that has raised more than $1 million.
“They are a very close family and a great couple,” the friend continued. “Trevor loves his wife and two little girls. “When he’s with them, he never stops smiling.”
He is also successful professionally. His management and production company, Underground, based in Beverly Hills, created the hit TV crime drama Snowfall, which ran for six seasons and starred British actor Damson Idris. A spin-off show is in the works.
Engelson represents a number of rising stars and, unlike many others in Hollywood, has been an ardent supporter of the current actors’ and writers’ strike.
‘The happiest he’s ever been’: Trevor pictured with his second wife Tracey Kurland
The friend said, “Trevor is this fast-talking guy from Great Neck, New York, and in some ways he’s a typical agent/manager, he’s always talking about his clients and different projects.”
“But he’s also one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. “He’d give you the shirt off his back.” During the Hollywood strike, Engelson was on the picket line handing out coffee and donuts to people. “He’s not someone who’s ever been in the spotlight, and he hides his generosity,” his friend says.
Trevor’s life is now a far cry from the one he shared with Meghan. The couple met in a Hollywood bar in 2004, quickly fell in love and moved in together.
They dated for seven years before marrying on a Jamaican beach in 2011, at an event where guests were presented with hemp gift bags containing samples of the local potent strain of marijuana.
Meghan’s estranged father Thomas Markle, 79, remembers Engelson with great affection. “I really liked Trevor,” he said.
“He met my mother and was always so kind and supportive.” He was a perfect gentleman to my daughter and treated me with great respect.
“When he asked for Meghan’s hand in marriage, I couldn’t have been happier.”
Unlike Prince Harry, who never met his father-in-law, Engelson maintained a warm bond with both Thomas and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland. “He treated Meghan so well and was always so kind and respectful towards Doria and me,” Mr Markle said.
“When she was with Prince Harry he was completely devastated,” a friend of Engelson told The Mail On Sunday
“Meghan loves entertaining, so we were invited to dinner and special occasions.” “I really enjoyed Trevor’s company.”
For most of the marriage, Engelson was the primary breadwinner. Meghan struggled to find her footing as an actress, at one point becoming a “suitcase girl” on the TV show Deal Or No Deal, which she later said left her feeling “objectified.”
Still, Engelson constantly supported his wife, finding her roles in a low-budget film called “The Candidate” and then a role in a film called “Remember Me” with a very young pre-Twilight star, Robert Pattinson. “Trevor has supported Meghan like a rock,” a source told the MoS. “He was the one who paid most of the rent, he was constantly building it up.”
When Meghan finally landed a “decent” role, as paralegal Rachel Zane on the television series Suits, Engelson fully supported her move to Toronto to film the series, which would eventually run for nine seasons. “Trevor was always loyal to Meg,” said a friend who knew them as a couple. “When she got suits, he was her biggest cheerleader.”
Meghan soon built her own circle of influential friends in the Canadian city, including stylist Jessica Mulroney and Sophie Trudeau (estranged wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau).
“No long-distance relationship is easy and Meghan started to move away from Trevor while she was in Canada,” the source told MoS. “When she told Trevor after a few years that she wanted a divorce, he was devastated. He called Meghan’s father without knowing what had gone wrong. He was really taken aback.’
For most of the marriage, Engelson was the primary breadwinner. Meghan struggled to find her footing as an actress
According to the hagiographic book “Finding Freedom” about Meghan and Harry, Meghan was hurt when Engelson was invited to the Oscars and went alone because he only had one ticket.
The source said: “This comment showed a fundamental lack of knowledge about Hollywood.” The Oscars are the toughest ticket in town. Unless you’re nominated or a big name, it’s common for single tickets to be awarded. It’s great that Trevor has a ticket.
“Why Meghan thinks she has the right to accompany him is strange.” “Even big stars can’t take everyone they want to take with them.”
The couple divorced in 2013, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
According to multiple reports, Meghan returned her wedding and engagement rings to Engelson in LA.
“Trevor was heartbroken,” his friend says. “He called their mutual friends and said he didn’t know what went wrong?”
As the MoS revealed earlier this summer, some have coined the phrase “you’ve been marked” to describe how quickly – and some would say coldly – Meghan is able to discard once-close friends. David and Victoria Beckham were famously “flagged” when Meghan allegedly suspected Victoria of leaking stories about them to the press.
The Beckhams vehemently deny this.
Meghan abandoned her childhood best friend Ninaki Priddy for unknown reasons. Some have suggested that Ninaki supported Trevor through the divorce.
“Trevor took a while to recover from Meghan,” the friend said. “He was doing well and then in 2016 it came out that Meghan was dating Prince Harry.”
According to multiple reports, Meghan returned her wedding and engagement rings to Engelson in LA
When Meghan finally landed a “decent” role, as paralegal Rachel Zane on the TV series Suits, Engelson fully supported her move to Toronto to film the show
Meghan abandoned her childhood best friend Ninaki Priddy (pictured right) for unknown reasons. Some have suggested that Ninaki supported Trevor through the divorce
“Poor Trevor had to go through all that – he was approached by the media and even friends and asked how he felt. ‘It wasn’t easy.’ At one point, Engelson even thought about making a TV series about a man whose ex-wife falls in love with a prince. But that project was “quietly shelved.”
When he met his second wife, Tracey, he was ready to settle down. The couple tied the knot in May 2019 at a five-star beachfront hotel – ironically in Montecito, California, not far from the £11 million, 16-bathroom home Meghan and Harry later bought in the exclusive enclave.
One wedding guest said: “It was a joyful occasion.” Trevor looked so happy. So relieved. He is a man who has been through the mill. He loved Meghan, but she hurt him very much. “All of us who love him are happy that he is doing so well.”