Meghan Markle "deeply distressed" by allegations against estranged father

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has said she is "deeply distressed" by allegations that her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr, possessed child sexual abuse images. The claims surfaced while she was launching her As Ever brand in the UK, the lifestyle business she first launched in the United States in March 2025.

Thomas Markle Sr, 82, is a retired Hollywood lighting director. He has denied possessing child sex images and called the accusations "sick lies." He is being cared for in a home in Florida, according to HELLO! Magazine.

The allegations come from several directions, and some of them are contested. The Sun reported that Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's half-brother, said he found boxes of child sex images at a home in the Philippines and then went to the police. Her half-sister, Samantha Markle, told the Daily Mail that her brother had made up the child abuse claims. The Daily Mail also reported that similar images were found at an abandoned storage unit in Mexico, where Thomas Markle Sr lived before moving to the Philippines.

Police in London have also been involved. The Metropolitan Police confirmed it had received a letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. Meghan has said she was made aware of "disturbing allegations" about her father in a letter sent to Scotland Yard eight years ago, and that she was assured they were being investigated. The Times reported that she wanted to go public with the allegations in 2019, but police advised her not to. In the Philippines, a government minister said Thomas Markle Sr may be a "sex offender of the grossest kind," and PEOPLE reported that he is under investigation there.

Meghan has said that the distance between her and her father, and her decision not to let him have contact with her children, was to protect them. She has been estranged from him since 2018. A friend told PEOPLE that she is "really cut up" by the allegations.

Emily Nash, royal editor at HELLO! Magazine, said on the A Right Royal Podcast that Meghan "doesn't have any option other than to carry on." Nash said Meghan is trying to relaunch herself, run her business and get back into acting. Those are Nash's views, not statements from Meghan or her team.

Meghan moved from California to the UK in August with Prince Harry and their children, Archie and Lilibet. The As Ever UK launch is the brand's first international market, and it will not include two of its signature products. The brand released new homeware in October, including a $98 porcelain teapot.

Thomas Markle Sr has also been unwell in recent months. Earlier reports described emergency surgery and a blood clot in his left leg, and he has said he does not want to die estranged from his daughter.

No charges have been announced against Thomas Markle Sr in any of the reported cases.