Meghan Markle Responds To Serious Allegations Against Father marie claire

NEED TO KNOW

Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., is reportedly under investigation after alleged child sexual abuse material was discovered at his home in the Philippines.
His son, and Meghan’s half brother, Thomas Markle Jr., reported the alleged discovery to authorities.
Thomas Markle Sr., has denied the allegations, telling the Daily Mail, “It’s just a bunch of lies.”
Meghan Markle has broken her silence, revealing she was previously made aware of troubling allegations against her father and explaining that her estrangement was motivated by a desire to protect her children.

Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., is reportedly under investigation after a hoard of alleged child sexual abuse material was allegedly discovered at his home and reported to police by his own son, Thomas Markle Jr. Thomas Markle Sr. has not been arrested or charged.

According to The Sun, Thomas Jr. contacted authorities after discovering “hundreds, if not thousands” of images and videos allegedly depicting child sexual abuse inside several storage boxes at his father’s home in Cebu, Philippines.

The alleged discovery reportedly came after Thomas Sr. returned to the United States following a series of serious health complications. The 82-year-old suffered a stroke and a blood clot, which ultimately led to the amputation of his left leg. Following news of his deteriorating health, the Duchess of Sussex reportedly “reached out” to her estranged father, with whom she has had a fractured relationship for nearly a decade.

It was while searching through boxes his father had left behind, reportedly in an attempt to locate a missing phone, that Thomas Jr. allegedly stumbled upon the material.

Thomas Markle Jr. in 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Image: Getty

The Sun reported that Thomas Jr has alleged that girls: “appearing to be aged no older than ten or 11 appeared in sex acts captured on video along with three still pictures of naked and scantily clad girls of about the same age.”

Following the alleged discovery, Thomas Jr. informed the FBI Hotline, the US-based National Centre for Exploited and Missing Children as well as submitting a sworn statement to authorities investigating child abuse in the Philippines.

Speaking to The Sun, he alleged: “When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad. I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years — but that stops now. I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”

The allegations only compound the tensions surrounding the Markle family’s long-running estrangement. Meghan and her father have been estranged since 2018, following multiple controversies in the lead-up to her wedding to Prince Harry, including when Thomas Sr. was busted staging photographs for paparazzi.

In the years since, he has repeatedly criticised his daughter in the press, while also publicly expressing his desire for reconciliation. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he previously said: “I don’t want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too.”

Has Meghan Markle Commented On The Allegations?

In a statement shared with People, the Duchess of Sussex expressed her distress over the allegations, while revealing that she had previously been made aware of similar claims against her father.

“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” she said.

“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated. I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them.

She continued, “I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families. Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.”

The Metropolitan Police have since responded to Meghan’s statement, clarifying that the letter in question was received in 2019, rather than 2018. Meghan subsequently acknowledged that she had misremembered the date, confirming that the correspondence had taken place in 2019.

“Following a thorough review of Met police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom. It was sent to the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) Protection Command to raise concerns in relation to the security of the Duchess of Sussex,” the statement read.

“The letter was reviewed and a decision was made that it should be passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies. The MPS is reviewing the handling of this matter in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the IOPC is necessary to review our approach.”

Thomas Markle Sr. has adamantly denied the allegations, telling the Daily Mail, “It’s just a bunch of lies. It’s sick.”