Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s in-depth interview with Oprah may have focused on issues with the Royal Family, but the actress has had her share of difficulty with her side of the family, as well.
During Sunday night’s sit down, Meg acknowledged grieving the “loss” of her dad, Thomas Markle, with whom her relationship deteriorated leading up to the royal wedding. On Monday, CBS This Morning released new clips from the interview that delved further into the estrangement between father and daughter.
Related: Prince Harry Reveals Where He Stands With Royal Family Following Megxit
The Suits alum began:
“There was such an obsession about anything in my world, including tracking down my parents, and I did everything I could to protect both of them in that media frenzy. But for over a year, the UK tabloids were trying to find my dad, offering people so much money to try and find his address. Once they did, I remember being told there was a huge headline like, ‘We Found Him!’ or, ‘We Got Him.’ You’re talking about someone’s father.”
She recalled:
“And from that point, the tabloids, they moved into the apartments next door and across from him, descended on this small town and were giving him gifts. The whole thing brings us to where we are today.”
When Oprah asked if the 39-year-old felt “betrayed” by Thomas speaking to the British press, Meghan had to pause. She finally admitted:
“I’m just trying to decide if I’m comfortable even talking about that… If we’re going to use the word ‘betrayal,’ it’s because when I asked him, when we were told by the comms team that this was going to be a story coming out – which by the way, the tabloids had apparently known for a month or so and decided to hold until the Sunday before our wedding because they wanted to create drama. Which is also a really key point in all of this, they don’t report the news, they create the news.”
She went on:
“We called my dad and I asked him and he said ‘No, absolutely not.’ I said, ‘You know, ‘The Institution’ has never intervened for anything for us but they can try to go in and kill this story, but if they do this once, we’re not going to be able to use that same leverage to protect our own kids one day.’ … I said, ‘So I just need you to tell me, and if you tell me the truth we can help.’ And he wasn’t able to do that. And that, for me, has really resonated, especially now as a mother.”
Meg elaborated on why she was hurt, explaining:
“And also me saying, just full stop, if we use this to protect you we won’t be able to protect our own children one day — well, I’m talking about your grandchildren. I look at Archie, I think about this child and I go, ‘I genuinely can’t imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child. I can’t imagine it.’ So, it’s hard for me to reconcile that.”
While the Duchess of Sussex has condemned the media for how they took advantage of Thomas, she held him responsible for his part in it as well. She told Oprah:
“Everyone has accountability. Look, they’ve hunted my mom down. … You’ve never heard her say a word. She’s remained in silent dignity for four years watching me go through this.”
The Chicago native also brought up Meghan’s half sister Samantha Markle, who earlier this year released a (supposed) tell-all memoir cruelly titled The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister. The expecting mother dismissed the book, sharing:
“I think it would be very hard to tell all when you don’t know me. … This is a very different situation than my dad, right. When you talk about betrayal, betrayal comes from someone that you have a relationship with. I don’t feel comfortable talking about people that I really don’t know. But I grew up as an only child, which everyone who grew up around me knows. And I wished I had siblings. I would’ve loved to have had siblings. That’s why I’m so excited to be pregnant, so that Archie has someone.”
She added:
“I mean, the last time I saw her must’ve been at least 18, 19 years ago, and before that, 10 years before that.”
Related: Former Aide Claims Harry & Meghan’s Royal Rift Similar To Princess Diana’s
Then Meghan shut the whole thing down with this barb:
“She changed her last name back to Markle, I think she was in her early 50s at that time, only when I started dating Harry, so I think that says enough.”
Oop! It certainly says plenty!
Our hearts go out to Meghan that she’s had to experience her own family selling her out, and on such a colossal scale. We’re just glad she finally got to share her own perspective on this after being silenced for so long.
Ch-ch-check out the full clip (below):
"'I just need you to tell me. And if you tell me the truth, we can help.' And he wasn't able to do that." — Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on a conversation she had with her father regarding tabloids #OprahMeghanHarry pic.twitter.com/XhPwGM0Uvl
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 8, 2021
[Image via John Rainford/WENN & ITV/YouTube]
The post Meghan Markle Opens Up About Her Estranged Father & Half-Sister’s Supposed 'Tell-All' Book In New Oprah Clips appeared first on Perez Hilton.
