Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, has admitted to paying for sex workers in the Philippines but insists he never had sexual contact with anyone under 18. The 82-year-old former lighting technician is under investigation by Filipino authorities over allegations that a hoard of child abuse images was found at his home in the country.
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Markle denied any wrongdoing and said he would cooperate with police in the US or Philippines if approached. He said: "I like Asian women but that is not a crime." He also dismissed a specific allegation that a photograph in his collection shows a man resembling him having sex with a young girl, stating: "I have never been in a photograph like that."
Allegations and Response
Regarding the images said to have been discovered, Markle said: "I have not had my computer or phones for nearly two years. If there is anything bad on there it was put there by someone else." He also questioned why his daughter, who cut off contact in 2018, did not reach out to allow him to defend himself when she learned of a letter sent to the Metropolitan Police containing allegations.
Markle was reported to the police by his son Thomas Jr, 60, who said he found the images while caring for his father in the Philippines. On Friday, the Duchess of Sussex said she was "deeply distressed" by the allegations and her thoughts were with "any children who may have been harmed." She added: "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."
Family Background
Meghan also no longer speaks to Thomas Jr or his sister Samantha, who are her half-siblings from Markle Sr's previous marriage to Roslyn Loveless. A report in the New York Post and Page Six claims Loveless was behind the letter to the Met that led to the duchess cutting off her father after her marriage to Prince Harry. Loveless, who was married to Markle Sr before Meghan was born, died in 2024.
