Meghan says she is 'deeply distressed' by allegations against her father, who denies them as Philippine authorities investigate

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, issued a rare public statement on Friday, Oct. 23, saying she is “deeply distressed” by allegations that her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., possessed child sexual abuse images. She also said she had been told of “disturbing allegations” against him back in 2018.

Markle Sr., 82, has denied the allegations, calling them “sick lies,” according to multiple outlets citing his interview with Britain’s Daily Mail. No charges have been reported. Authorities in the Philippines say they are investigating.

What are the allegations?

The claims were first reported Thursday by The Sun, a British tabloid. It reported that Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., told police he found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sexual abuse images on computers and phones stored in boxes at the home in Cebu, Philippines, where his father lived until returning to the U.S. in May after a stroke, The Guardian reported.

The Sun published a photo it said showed Markle Jr. signing a sworn statement for police, NBC News reported. CBS News, citing the Daily Mail, said Markle Jr. reported the material in July to an FBI hotline.

These are allegations. They have not been proven, and the account of what was found comes from Markle Jr. as reported by British newspapers.

What did Meghan say?

In a statement through her spokesperson, Meghan said:

“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.”

She said that in 2018 a letter was sent to London’s Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit, and that it was later shared with her. “It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” she said, according to The Guardian and CBS News.

She also addressed years of public questions about her distance from her father, who did not attend her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. “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,” she said. Her children are Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.

“My sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children,” she added.

What has Thomas Markle Sr. said?

He denies it. “I have never downloaded anything like that in my life,” he told the Daily Mail, according to CBS News. Speaking from a rehabilitation center in Florida, where he is recovering after his left leg was amputated because of a blood clot, he said: “I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of,” per The Guardian.

He told the Mail the computers had not been in his possession since he left Rosarito, Mexico, with his son in January 2025. Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, defended their father in the Mail and accused Markle Jr. of making up the claims for money, The Guardian reported. Those are her claims; Markle Jr.’s response to them was not included in the coverage reviewed here.

Who is investigating?

• Philippines: The Department of Justice confirmed through the state-run Philippine News Agency that its anti-trafficking task force is investigating an American in his 80s and that Markle Sr. is the subject, CBS News reported. The interior secretary told the BBC that police had secured his computer for forensic examination, with results expected in about a week, per The Guardian.
• FBI: The bureau said it is aware of the allegations, will support Philippine authorities as appropriate and will investigate any related violations of U.S. law, according to The Guardian.
• London police: The Guardian reported it is understood the Met has not previously investigated Markle Sr. and is not doing so now. The force said it is making internal inquiries into reports that its officers passed on a letter in 2018.

Why is this news?

Meghan rarely comments on her family publicly, and her estrangement from her father has been a tabloid fixture since her wedding. Her statement reframes that distance as a decision to protect her children. The investigation is still at an early stage, and key facts, including what forensic examiners find, are not yet known.