Megyn Kelly has accused Meghan Markle of releasing a “colossally stupid” statement following media reports that her father Thomas Markle Sr. left child pornography at his former home in the Philippines, an accusation which he vehemently denies.
The conservative commentator made the argument on ‘The Megyn Kelly Show,’ which is hosted by SiriusXM.
After stepping down from royal duties in January 2020, an event dubbed ‘Megxit,’ Meghan and her husband Prince Harry have come under criticism from conservative voices in both the United States and Britain. Kelly’s latest comments suggest this will continue, despite her recent statement explaining her estrangement from her father.
Newsweek contacted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment via Archewell, their charitable foundation, on Saturday by email outside of regular office hours.
Thomas Markle Allegations
On Thursday British newspaper The Sun published an article alleging Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan’s half-brother, had found child sexual abuse images at their father’s former home in the Philippines after he moved back to the U.S. earlier this year.
According to the paper Markle Jr. told police he found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child abuse images in four boxes at the property.
The allegations have not been proven and Markle Sr. has not been charged with any offense.
Speaking to The Daily Mail Markle Sr. fervently denied the accusation commenting: “These terrible lies are being made against me with no proof.
“How can you accuse a man of something like this with no proof.”
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After The Sun first published the allegations Meghan released a statement saying she knew concerns about her father had been raised in a 2018 letter sent to the Metropolitan Police, and that this was the reason for her not allowing him access to her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
She said: “In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. 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.”
Megyn Kelly Response
In an episode of ‘The Megyn Kelly Show’ released on Friday Kelly addressed the controversy over Meghan’s statement, commenting: “This was a colossally stupid statement to make. Colossally f****** stupid.
“She rushed to get a statement out to convince us all we said mean things about her estrangement from her dad. Unfairly—she had a really good reason for not wanting to be around him with her children. And she was so determined to prove to the press, in particular the British press which has been raising this point about her estrangement from her dad, she was so determined to show them all how unfair they’ve been that she’s not realized she’s making herself look monstrous on another front. A far more important front.”
Kelly said press criticism of Meghan over her estrangement from her father had “got to her” and in response “she rushed to issue this statement saying ‘argh ha, unbeknown to all you trolls I had a good reason’ without realizing she was telling us all she appears to have sat by for the past eight years doing nothing while she believed her father was potentially participating in the sexual abuse of young children by looking at pictures, videos, and God knows what else.”
Publicly discussing allegations increased legal risks, including potentially affecting a future investigation or prompting legal action.
During her show Kelly also played clips of comments Meghan made during a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which she was asked about reports she fell out with her father after he was involved staging tabloid photographs ahead of her 2018 wedding, which he went on to deny.
Asking if she felt betrayed, Meghan said: “If we’re going to use the word betrayal it’s because when I asked him, when we were told by the comms team this was a story ... we called my Dad and I asked him and he said ‘no, absolutely not.”
The episode of 'The Megyn Kelly Show' was shared on its official X channel and received over 88,000 views and 2,200 likes on the platform.
Markle Sr. didn’t attend his daughter’s wedding which he said was due to a planned heart operation so she was led down the aisle by the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.
Earlier this year Markle Sr. moved back to the U.S. after falling seriously ill in the Philippines, and reportedly having a leg amputated. In December 2025, citing a spokesman for the couple, the BBC reported Meghan had “reached out to her father” during his illness.
UK Police Admit Markle Letter Not Sent to US Authorities
On Saturday the Metropolitan Police, which covers most of London, told the BBC it had received a letter making a “number of claims” regarding Markle Sr. in 2019, but didn’t share this with other law enforcement bodies.
They said: “Following a thorough review of Met Police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom…
“The letter was reviewed and a decision was made that it should be passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.”
Sussex's Return to UK
Harry and Meghan moved back to the UK at the end of August after living in California since stepping down as working line royals in January 2020.
The couple’s children were enrolled at a local school but were removed just two days after starting classes with a Sussex spokesperson telling Newsweek the move was in response to security concerns.
Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.