Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, released a private, handwritten letter that she sent to him, to the media.
He claims that he wanted to set the record straight because he felt Meghan’s friends “misrepresented” its contents to an American magazine.
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ICYMI, the Duchess of Sussex has taken legal action against a British newspaper for publishing a private letter that she wrote to her estranged father.
Last week, her husband, Prince Harry released a statement in her defense.
“As a couple, we believe in media freedom and objective, truthful reporting,” Harry wrote.
“We regard it as a cornerstone of democracy and in the current state of the world – on every level – we have never needed responsible media more.”
“Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences,” he continued.
“A ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son.”
“There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious, and though we have continued to put on a brave face”.
“As so many of you can relate to – I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been. Because in today’s digital age, press fabrications are repurposed as truth across the globe. One day’s coverage is no longer tomorrow’s chip-paper.”
“Up to now, we have been unable to correct the continual misrepresentations – something that these select media outlets have been aware of and have therefore exploited on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.”
“It is for this reason we are taking legal action, a process that has been many months in the making.”
“This particular legal action hinges on one incident in a long and disturbing pattern of behavior by British tabloid media.”
“The contents of a private letter were published unlawfully in an intentionally destructive manner to manipulate you, the reader, and further the divisive agenda of the media group in question.”
“In addition to their unlawful publication of this private document, they purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year.”
“There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behaviour, because it destroys people and destroys lives. Put simply, it is bullying”.
“Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right one. Because my deepest fear is history repeating itself.”
“I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces,” he concluded .
Since Harry came forward with that statement, Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, has released a statement of his own — explaining why he released the letter to the media in the first place.
He originally received the letter in 2018 and intended to keep it to himself. But according to Thomas, if not for Meghan’s long-time friend revealing its existence to People in February.
“After the wedding she wrote him a letter. She’s like, ‘Dad. I’m so heartbroken. I love you, I have one father. Please stop victimizing me through the media so we can repair our relationship,'” the friend said.
At the time, fans suspected that Meghan had authorized her friend to tell the publication that.
While her friend made the letter sound very warmhearted, Thomas had a very different understanding of the letter.
“I decided to release parts of the letter because of the article from Meghan’s friends in People magazine. I have to defend myself,” he said .
“I only released parts of the letter because other parts were so painful. The letter didn’t seem loving to me. I found it hurtful.”
“The letter was presented in a way that vilified me and wasn’t true.”
“It was presented as her reaching out and writing a loving letter in the hope of healing the rift, but the letter isn’t like that at all.”
“I have the right to defend myself,” he added .
“There was no loving message in there, nothing asking about my health, nothing from her saying, ‘Let’s get together and heal our differences.'”
“When I opened the letter I was hoping it was the olive branch I’d longed for. I was expecting something that would be a pathway to reconciliation .”
“Instead it was deeply hurtful. I was so devastated I couldn’t show it to anyone,” he went on.
“And never would have, had it not been for the People magazine piece which meant I had to release portions to defend myself. I don’t recognise the person who wrote the letter but I still love my daughter. All it would take is one phone call and most of this craziness would stop.”
