Meghan dad’s ire at drug reports

THOMAS Markle has hit back at a stream of “slurs” levelled against him since revealing details of his rift with daughter Meghan and son-inlaw Prince Harry.

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, the 74-yearold retired Hollywood lighting director says he feels compelled to correct “outright lies”.

He says he has been wounded by claims that he is a prescription pill addict, did not attend his daughter’s first wedding, and is “bitter” that Meghan did not repay the money spent on her private education.

“I’ve given just three interviews but there are thousands of stories circulating out there and it’s not right that people should be allowed to make up lies and get away with it,” he said from his home in Mexico.

“I’ve read stories saying I’m a drug addict or alcoholic. I don’t understand where these stories come from. I’ve taken pills when I’ve been in pain but I’ve never abused drugs.

“I’ve taken drugs but have never been addicted to them.

“You couldn’t move in Hollywood in the 1980s without seeing bowls of cocaine everywhere. But I don’t do drugs and I barely drink.”

He also denied reports he did not attend Meghan’s 2011 wedding to Hollywood director Trevor Engelson. The couple divorced two years later.

Published photographs from the four-day celebration in Jamaica show the couple exchanging vows on the beach and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, paddling in the sea. But none show Mr Markle, who was divorced from Doria by then.

“There are no images of me frolicking on the beach because, at the time, I was well into my 60s and not much into frolicking,” he said. “But I was very much there and there were more than 100 people there to witness it. Doria and I walked Meghan down the beach together.

I’VE READ STORIES SAYING I’M A DRUG ADDICT OR ALCOHOLIC. I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHERE THESE STORIES COME FROM THOMAS MARKLE

“Of course I have photographs of Meghan and me at her first wedding but I choose not to share them because I think that would be in poor taste and offensive to Prince Harry. We booked out the whole resort and I was more than happy to contribute to the cost of my daughter’s first wedding. I sold a bunch of Facebook shares at a low price to help pay for my share of it.

“I don’t regret it in the slightest because I was happy to help out, but that stock would be worth a fortune now.

“I’m not broke, I’m not bitter and I never expected Meghan to pay me back for anything. I was happy as a father to give her a great education.”