WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS DETAILS OF GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING CONTENT.
Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., is reportedly under investigation Friday for possession of child pornography found in his Philippines home.
His son, Thomas Jr., allegedly found the materials inside several boxes and turned it over to local police, according to Thursday’s bombshell report by the Sun.
Thomas Sr., 82, blasted his son’s claims as “sick lies,” while the Duchess of Sussex, 45, told Page Six in a statement that she cut ties with her dad in 2018 — the year she married Prince Harry, 42 — to “protect” their future children when police informed her about “troubling and disturbing” allegations.
Follow Page Six’s live updates on the Thomas Markle child porn investigation for everything we know:
Meghan Markle’s estranged dad Thomas blasts child porn allegations as ‘sick lies’
By Jolie ZennaMeghan Markle‘s estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., broke his silence on his son Thomas Jr.’s claims that he possessed child sex images, denying all accusations.
“I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,” Thomas Sr. told the Daily Mail Friday, slamming the “sick lies.”
“I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of,” he continued.
Meghan Markle finally reveals horrifying reason she cut ties with dad Thomas in 2018 as child porn allegations surface
By Eric Todisco and Sara NathanMeghan Markle revealed she cut ties with dad Thomas Markle in 2018 to “protect” her two children after police informed her about “troubling and disturbing” allegations against him.
The Duchess of Sussex told Page Six in a statement on Friday — after news broke of Thomas’ child porn probe — that she was shown a letter initially sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection with claims about her estranged father, the same year as her and Prince Harry’s wedding.
Meghan, 45, said the allegations, which she claimed she was told “were being investigated” at the time, fueled her decision to end her relationship with Thomas, and forbid him from seeing her son Archie, 7, and daughter Lilibet, 5.
Meghan Markle ‘deeply distressed’ by dad Thomas’ child porn allegations, says they fueled estrangement
By Eric Todisco and Sara NathanMeghan Markle said she’s “deeply distressed” over the child pornography investigation into her estranged father, Thomas Markle.
“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection,” Meghan, 45, told Page Six in a statement on Friday. “That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.
“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them,” the mom of two added. “I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”
Thomas Markle’s daughter Samantha claims brother ‘wants revenge,’ calls child porn accusations ‘lies’ over money
By Wendy Geller and Alex DiazMeghan Markle’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, is standing by their dad, Thomas Markle, as he is being investigated for allegedly possessing child porn.
Samantha claimed their brother Thomas Jr. — who allegedly discovered hundreds of disturbing images in their father’s Philippines home and reported it to authorities — is fabricating things for monetary gain and to get back at their father.
“There is no merit in these disgusting allegations whatsoever and my brother is disgusting for making them up. He wants to destroy our dad. Shame on him,” she told the Daily Mail Thursday.
Meghan Markle’s father was dating much-younger nurse before child porn investigation
By Wendy GellerMeghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., was on the record as dating his much-younger nurse earlier this year, prior to reportedly being investigated over child sex abuse images this week.
Thomas, 82, told the Daily Mail in a March interview that he was involved with Rio Canedo, who was 46 at the time and whom he met while recovering from leg amputation surgery in the Philippines. Canedo was working in the town of Cebu, which is where Thomas and his son, Thomas Jr., moved to in January 2025.
“I never expected to find joy and happiness again at my age. I felt neglected and sad for so many years but now I am enjoying life again,” Thomas told the outlet.