Duchess Meghan’s relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, may not be repairable, a source close to the duchess exclusively tells Us Weekly.
“Meghan is so upset over Thomas. She’s upset for a couple of reasons. She doesn’t even know how to communicate with her dad without knowing he won’t exploit her,” the source explains. “She lives in fear that he’ll leak their communication. If he’s spoken this much already, why wouldn’t he leak their conversation?”
The source adds that Meghan “cares about her dad,” but simply cannot trust him.
“She would like to speak to him, but there is no trust there anymore,” the source reveals. “And it doesn’t seem like it could ever be rebuilt. The damage is done.”
Thomas, 74, first made headlines ahead of his daughter’s May 19 wedding to Prince Harrywhen he was caught staging pictures of himself with the paparazzi. Amid the backlash, the former TV lighting director claimed he could no longer attend the nuptials — and walk Meghan down the aisle — because he had to undergo heart surgery. Two months after missing the wedding, Thomas started speaking poorly about the royal family to press.
“First, he faked this weird heart attack, which he hasn’t admitted was fake, and now he’s doing all these interviews. She has no other choice but to ignore him,” the source tells Us, referring to Thomas’ recent claims that Meghan is “under too much pressure” and looks “terrified” in photos from royal engagements.
Kensington Palace has yet to comment on Thomas’ remarks since before Meghan and Harry’s wedding. At the time, the palace simply asked for “understanding” and “respect”for her dad.
Thomas’ other daughter, Samantha Markle, has also spoke out against Meghan on multiple occasions. Most recently, she tweeted that if their father dies, it’s her half-sister’s fault. According to the source, however, Samantha “isn’t really a concern” to Meghan.
“She hasn’t seen or really spoken to Samantha since she was like 10,” the source tells Us. “They were never close.”
One shining light amid all of the family drama? Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, who attended her wedding and met Queen Elizabeth IIduring her trip to London.
“Her mom has been incredible. She’s encouraging Meghan to ignore any negative press and focus on her new life,” the source tells Us. “Doria is amazing. She’s a total bedrock and always takes the high road. She’s a very elegant woman and Meghan really turns to her for everything.”
