Markle family Australian interview: Meghan was ‘hateful and cruel’
The Duchess of Sussex’s estranged family has made explosive allegations and aired previously unseen footage during an Australian TV interview.
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The Duchess of Sussex’s estranged family have spilt family secrets and aired previously unseen footage during an explosive interview, calling her actions “hateful and cruel”.
Airing just days prior to King Charles III’s coronation, the interview with the royal family’s American in-laws Thomas Markle, her half-sister Samantha Markle – who they also call Vonnie – and her half-brother Thomas Markle Jr took place with 7 News Spotlight’s Liam Bartlett on Sunday night.
It was their first reunion since the former Suits star married Prince Harry and, they say, “iced” them out of her life. And they are well and truly threatening to steal the show with their claims.
The trio also shared childhood videos and photos of Meghan Markle while she was growing up in Los Angeles including never-before-seen footage of the star as her high school’s homecoming queen, at dance lessons and enjoying weekends by the lake.
They also accused the Duchess of swapping her regal role for the full-time job of “hurting” her sickly 78-year-old father and allegedly lying about her life before marrying into the monarchy.
Meghan’s father, who has said he is suffering from a stroke, spent most of his time during the segment trying to win back his daughter’s affection. He even made a desperate plea for her to make peace with him before it’s too late.
However, when it came to the topic of the infamous letter she had penned to him, which he then partially leaked to the press years ago, he let loose. All while insisting he was protecting her.
In the letter, the Duchess is said to have written that her father “broke my heart into a million pieces,” accusing him of ignoring her when she tried to help him, lying and instead doing “global interviews,” mostly with tabloids.
“It was a horrible letter. Very insulting and cruel,” he said.
“The other things in that letter is (sic) so hateful and so cruel that I wouldn’t put it out, and that’s more protecting her than myself.”
He said he has not heard from Meghan for four years and seemed baffled as to why she wouldn’t make contact with him, especially since he has had a stroke.
“I wish that we can sit down and talk,” he said. “I wish we could work out our differences.
“She has got to ask herself this every day, why am I doing this to my father?
“She loved me. I’m her hero. And suddenly I was thrown out.”
He said he had never met his grandchildren.
“Well, is it worth dumping me for the rest of my life? Denying my grandchildren?
“Is it worth all of that? Is it worth getting rid of her father?”
He asked: “How can I fix this?”
Ultimately, he wanted to send a message of love.
“Harry, nice guy. I love you for marrying my daughter. Meg, I love you. I love my grandchildren. I love to see them and am open to any kind of conversation.
He also said he regrets those staged paparazzi photos he engaged in exchange for cash before her wedding.
Meanwhile, half-sister Samantha said: “She would still be a waitress if it wasn’t for dad”, while criticising her relationship with Prince Harry.
“They’re really unhealthy for each other. I think it’s a toxic relationship because they’re co-dependent.”
She was also upset about how Meghan seemed to have isolated herself from her family.
“It doesn’t seem like she felt that she was good enough,” she said. “That seemingly in her mind she had to inflate who she was, to garner false admiration and to be accepted by the royals.
“Instead of saying, look, I’ve worked very hard, my family was upper middle class. My dad was amazing, he put me through the best schools, he did the best he could, he loved me, he sacrificed, and for that I’m grateful.
“Instead, what she did was engage in self-glorification and leave everybody else out of the equation as if she existed in a vacuum.”
Bartlett said: “So if I may, can I just paraphrase you there? You are saying that, that Meghan, your sister, by your own description, is a selfish narcissist?’
To which Samantha responded: “World-renowned psychiatrists have been quoted as saying that, and I have a master’s degree in counselling. So I’m going to say with the degree of confidence that I believe and agree with that diagnosis.”
When asked if she would chat to Meghan to put water under the bridge, she said: “I don’t
think she would do it without a motive … I don’t think she’s capable of empathy, remorse, or shame. I don’t think she could feel enough to apologise.”
Meanwhile, Thomas Jr called for an apology from his half-sister.
“Who is she going to have to turn to in the family, that she hasn’t thrown under the bus? Like I said, a simple apology, and it doesn’t have to be in public. But just get it over with and relieve yourself of all that stress.”
Harry will attend King Charles III’s coronation without Meghan, who was invited but reportedly declined to stay in California with the couple’s two children: Lilibet, 1, and Archie, who turns 4 on coronation day.
Originally published as Markle family Australian interview: Meghan was ‘hateful and cruel’
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