Meghan ‘reached out’ to estranged dad, Thomas Markle Senior, amid emergency hospital dash
Details have emerged about Meghan’s reaction to discovering her estranged father has been hospitalised and been forced to undergo lifesaving surgery.
IN LONDON
Meghan has “reached out” to her estranged father, Thomas Markle Senior, following reports he was forced to undergo lifesaving surgery this week.
In a statement to news.com.au, a spokesman for the Duchess of Sussex said: “I can confirm she has reached out to her father.”
The attempt at contact is understood to have happened on Friday, UK time, although it’s not clear whether they actually spoke.
Thomas, 81, was rushed to hospital in the Philippines after becoming ill, and quickly wound up in the intensive care unit.
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His son – Meghan’s half-brother – Thomas Markle Junior described the situation as a “case of life or death”.
“There was no option. I was told the leg had to be removed and it was a case of life or death,” he told the Daily Mail.
“My dad is being very brave. His foot turned blue and then black. It happened very quickly.
“I took him to a local hospital and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated.”
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Thomas Jr added that his father’s life was in “imminent danger”.
Meghan and her father – with whom she lived between the ages of 11 and 18 – have been estranged since her 2018 royal wedding, after she was left “furious” when he was caught staging paparazzi photos in an apparent bid to generate a positive public image.
He then pulled out of attending the nuptials and walking her down the aisle, claiming he had had a heart attack and was in hospital.
It later emerged that Thomas had become embroiled in a heated phone call with his daughter and Harry over the issue.
“I felt disrespected by them. I was recovering from a heart attack, lying in a bed, having a phone call, and the things were being said that hurt me,” he told The Sun.
“I felt like I was being blamed for my mistakes when I was in my hospital bed recovering from a heart attack.”
Thomas spent years living in Mexico, but had relocated to the Philippines in January.
He’s suffered through a number of health issues recently, including a stroke.
Originally published as Meghan ‘reached out’ to estranged dad, Thomas Markle Senior, amid emergency hospital dash
