'Shunned' Thomas Markle makes plea to daughter Meghan: 'Please reach out to me'
Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, spoke to Good Morning Britain for nearly 20 minutes on Monday. He said he has been repeatedly and unsuccessfully trying to get in touch with his daughter, who is married to Prince Harry.
“I’ve been trying to reach out for several weeks. Every day I try to text her,” Thomas said. “I just keep asking to respond back to me, and I haven’t gotten any response back. I’ve sent a letter as well.”
Many believe the family problems began when 74-year-old Thomas was accused of staging paparazzi photos in the days leading up to Meghan and Prince Harry’s wedding, which he then announced he was not attending, citing recovery from a heart attack.
“I’ve apologized a hundred times for that,” Thomas said of the photo scandal. “I don’t feel that’s worthy of being shunned or ghosted — that’s ridiculous.” The real reason for the ongoing rift, according to Thomas, is that tabloids are taking past interviews he’s done and writing their own stories filled with “lies,” although he didn’t state any examples.
“The unfortunate thing about my daughter and Harry is that they believe everything they read in the papers,” Thomas said. “And for the first year they were telling me, ‘Never believe those things.’ But now they’re believing it and thinking I’m saying a lot of things that I’m not saying. And I think that might be one of the problems, but I don’t know the answer yet.”
Thomas said he thinks Meghan, who is pregnant, will be a great mom and hopefully will “soften up a little” and allow them to reconnect. “I’m certainly hoping everything goes well and that they produce a beautiful baby. And I’ll get to see a little Meghan or a little Harry. That would be very nice, and I look forward to that happening,” Thomas said. Later in the interview he added: “There has to be a place for me. I’m her father, and I will be the grandfather to her children.”
Good Morning Britain co-host Piers Morgan says he too has been cut off from Meghan after having a friendly relationship. He asked if Thomas thinks Meghan has developed a pattern of rudeness, based on allegedly cutting people out of her life and the ongoing tabloid reports of a rocky relationship between Meghan and Kate Middleton.
“I think they’re gossip, and I don’t really believe them. Meghan’s always been a very polite girl, but she’s never been rude to anyone, to my knowledge,” Thomas said. “She’s always been a very controlling person, and that’s part of her nature, but she’s never been rude.”
Thomas, who said he would “appreciate” anything Queen Elizabeth could do to help repair the rift, also made a plea to Meghan and Prince Harry just in case they were watching the interview.
“I love you very much. You’re my daughter, and I’d really like to hear from you,” Thomas said. “Whatever differences or problems we’ve had, we should be able to work them out — we’re family. So please reach out to me.”
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