‘It’s Traumatic’: Meghan Markle ‘Really Cut Up’ Over Alarming Allegations Against Her Father
Meghan Markle is struggling to deal with the allegations against her dad, Thomas Markle Sr. A friend told People that “it’s been really difficult. She’s really cut up.” The friend added, “She has young children, and I think that, alongside the victims, is just weighing on her mind. It’s traumatic.”
Still, the friend said there was “a slight sense of relief that this is all coming out.” They hope “a proper investigation can take place.” The source also claimed, “There is relief because this is something she’s carried for some time. But I don’t think anyone could have imagined the extent of what’s now emerged.”
The source continued, “There is a lot to process emotionally. But she’s doing okay. She’s holding up. She’s surrounded by loved ones and is feeling supported right now. She has great people around her getting through this moment.” The claims first surfaced on October 22, when Markle’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., reportedly contacted police and the FBI.
He claimed he found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child s–ual abuse images at his dad’s home in Cebu, Philippines. The two reportedly moved there in early 2025. The following day, reports emerged about a letter sent to the Metropolitan Police’s Fixated Threat Assessment Centre in 2019.
It accused Markle Sr. of s–ually abusing a child and claimed he had admitted to traveling to the Philippines and Thailand to abuse children. His ex-wife, Roslyn Markle, reportedly wrote the letter. Markle spoke out on October 23, saying she was “deeply distressed” by the reports. She added that her thoughts “are with any children who may have been harmed.”
She said she’d learned about the allegations through a letter years earlier. The Metropolitan Police confirmed it received the letter in January 2019. It passed the information to Harry and Markle’s office but didn’t share it with other police agencies.
The force is now reviewing how it handled the matter. Markle’s representative told People, “In recalling events from more than seven years ago, without the benefit of a diary entry or contemporaneous record, it is understandable that she may have been mistaken by a few months.”
The Duchess of Sussex also explained why she’s kept her father away from Archie and Lilibet. “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 said.
Markle Sr. denied the allegations in an interview with the Mail on Sunday. He acknowledged paying for s– with adult women in the Philippines but denied having s– with anyone under 18 or possessing child s–xual abuse material.
“I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,” he said. He also called the claims “bullsh–t” and “a bunch of lies.” Markle Jr. pushed back, telling The Sun he’d handed evidence to police.
Meanwhile, Markle and her father have been estranged since the lead-up to her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Markle Sr. missed the ceremony following controversy over staged paparazzi and reported health problems.
