Thomas Markle’s TRUTH
In the wake of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s legal action against the Mail on Sunday, Thomas Markle has spoken out about the private letter that sparked the dispute. Markle denied he received money to leak the letter, published by the tabloid in February, and claims he only shared its content with the paper after reading an article which implied he’d dismissed his daughter’s attempts at reconciliation.
The letter – sent by Meghan to her father after her wedding – was an attempt to fix their fragile relationship, an unnamed friend told People (WHO’s sister magazine). On October 6, Markle told the Daily Mail he’d intended keeping the letter private but was enraged by reports he only replied because he was interested in staging a photo opportunity between the pair and that he’d asked the Mail for funds to publish the letter.
“I decided to release parts of the letter because of the article from Meghan’s friends in People magazine,” Markle told the paper. “I have to defend myself. I only released parts of the letter because other parts were so painful.” Markle also rubbished claims he’d avoided contacting his daughter after the wedding, reportedly sharing unanswered texts and making an unanswered call to a number he’d previously used to reach her.
Markle believes Meghan’s letter was “a final farewell” and was furious reports suggested he’d rejected her efforts to reconcile. “When I opened the letter, I was hoping it was the olive branch I’d longed for,” he told the Mail. “I was expecting something that would be a pathway to reconciliation. Instead it was deeply hurtful. I was so devastated I couldn’t show it to anyone – and never would have. I had to release portions to defend myself.”