Meghan Markle has said she is “deeply distressed” by explosive allegations reported by The Sun newspaper that her estranged father, Thomas Markle, has possessed child abuse images.
In a front-page story on Friday, the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid newspaper claimed that Thomas Markle is being investigated over child abuse images after being reported to the FBI by his own son.
Thomas Markle has denied the allegations, telling The Daily Mail that it was “a bunch of lies.” He added: “I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me.”
In her statement, which was shared with Deadline, Markle said she became aware of unspecified allegations against her father in 2018. Markle said she decided at that time to deny him access to her children so she could “protect” them.
The Duchess of Sussex said: “I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.
“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.
“I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families. Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.”
Thomas Markle Jnr told The Sun that he discovered a stash of “hundreds” of images and videos on computers and a cellphone at his father’s home in the Philippines.
“When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad. I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years — but that stops now,” he said. “I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”
Thomas Markle Snr denied his son’s account, claiming that the computers had not been in his possession since he left Mexico in January 2025 and moved to the Philippines.
“Those computers were boxed up in Mexico and put on a cargo ship which took months to get to the Philippines. I kept asking Tom for my computers but he wouldn’t give them to me,” he said.
The Sun story goes into detail about what was discovered and the nature of the images, reporting that they included toddlers “either captured nude or engaged in horrifying sex acts.”
Markle Snr, who won an Emmy for his work in the camera and electrical department on ABC’s General Hospital, is currently in a rehab centre in Florida after having his leg amputated below the knee following a blood clot.
He has regularly given interviews in the British and American press since his daughter became part of the British royal family. Markle Snr appeared in the 2020 feature-length documentary, Thomas Markle: My Story, which aired on Skydance-owned UK network 5.