Thomas Markle says he will continue to accept money for appearances because Meghan and Harry 'owe' him: 'It's time to look after daddy'
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Thomas Markle said he would continue to accept money for appearances because he believes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "owe" him.
"It's time to look after daddy," he said in the new Channel 5 documentary "Thomas Markle: My Story."
Markle spoke at length about how he had financially provided for his daughter, and he said she gave him "some" money, including $20,000 over two years, after her acting career took off.
"I'm going to defend myself, and I'm going to be paid for it," he said, adding, "What I've been through I should be rewarded for."
Thomas Markle won't stop talking to the press about his famous daughter anytime soon.
Meghan Markle's father said in a new Channel 5 documentary that he would continue to accept money for appearances because she Prince Harry "owe" him.
"It's time to look after daddy," Thomas Markle said in the documentary, called "Thomas Markle: My Story," which aired on Wednesday night.
Channel 5
And Markle, who was paid for his participation in the documentary, said he planned to continue making money by speaking to the press.
"I'm going to defend myself, and I'm going to be paid for it," he added. "I'm not going to refuse being paid for it. I'll do future things, and be paid for it. I don't care. At this point, they owe me.
"The royals owe me. Harry owes me. Meghan owes me. What I've been through I should be rewarded for. My daughter told me that when I reach my senior years she'll take care of me. I'm in my senior years now — I'm 75 years old — so it's time to look after daddy."
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Throughout the one-hour documentary, Markle spoke at length about how he had financially provided for his daughter, and he said she gave him money multiple times after her acting career took off.
"She has given me some money," he said. "She gave me $5,000 for Christmas. Most of the money given to me was gifts. Only on one or two occasions did I ask her for a little help, but it was never more than a couple grand."
Markle, who said he received about $5,600 a month in retirement funds, also said that Meghan gave him $20,000 over two years and that she once brought up when she was angry with him.
"The bottom line here is I paid for her college, I paid for her apartments, I paid for everything to get her where she is," he said. "I'm not saying she has to pay me back, but I'm saying it's awfully picky and awfully small to say 'I gave you all this money' when it's $20,000 over two years."
During the documentary, which was filmed in his home in Mexico, Markle also spoke at length about the scandal that surrounded him after it was revealed that he had staged paparazzi photos before Meghan and Harry's wedding.
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He said he posed for photos that showed him working out or getting measured for a suit because he wanted to change his image, not make money. But he added that he still receives 30% of the sales from the photos.
"You must still be making money off the pictures?" the interviewer asked.
"Absolutely," Markle replied. "Because those pictures will sell forever."
Markle also said that he believes his daughter and Harry are stepping away from their senior royal roles because of money, calling their decision "embarrassing." The couple have said they want to be financially independent.
"She actually got every girl's dream," Markle said. "Every girl wants to be a princess, and she got that, and she looks like she's tossing it away for money."
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"Apparently $3 million and a 26-bedroom home isn't enough for them," he added, referring to taxpayer funds that the couple spent on their Frogmore Cottage home. Harry and Meghan have said they plan to pay it back.
In an August 2018 letter, Meghan told her father that his interviews with the press were causing her pain. He later leaked parts of that letter to the Mail on Sunday.
But Markle said he hoped that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, whom he called "lost souls," would see his new documentary.
"I want Harry and Meghan to see this video and know this is not fair," he said. "To them, I don't exist."
Read more:
Thomas Markle says he had no idea who Prince Harry was when Meghan first told him they were dating
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