Thomas Markle Sr., the 81-year-old father of Meghan Markle, is speaking out after a scary false alarm about his safety during a massive earthquake in the Philippines. The retired TV lighting director told TMZ he’s doing just fine, relaxing in his hotel room far from the worst of the damage.
The drama started when Samantha Markle, Thomas’s estranged daughter from his first marriage and Meghan’s half-sister, claimed online that her father was trapped on the 19th floor of a building and couldn’t even walk. She posted on X (formerly Twitter): “My father is stuck on the 19th floor of a building in the Philippines after a massive earthquake and he can’t walk and he is trapped.” Samantha later updated that he was okay and making plans to get out, hoping for no more aftershocks.
But Thomas set the record straight. The earthquake’s epicenter hit about 100 miles from his location, and he wasn’t in any high-rise danger. “I’m currently sitting on the couch in my hotel room, with my feet kicked up and watching Charlie Chan movies. I’m quite comfortable,” he shared with TMZ on Wednesday. He also revealed he hasn’t even talked to Samantha recently and has no idea why she spread the rumor.
Thomas had moved to the Philippines permanently earlier this year with his son, Thomas Markle Jr., as first reported by the New York Post. This quake marked the deadliest in the country in over a decade, killing at least 72 people and injuring more than 290. Rescue teams are still searching collapsed buildings with backhoes and sniffer dogs, though no exact count of missing people has come out yet.
Things got even more heated when Samantha quickly turned her posts into a rant against Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Living in Montecito, California, with Prince Harry and their two kids, Meghan became the target of blame. “Shame on my disgusting evil f–king sister forever putting our father in this position. I hope she is cursed,” Samantha wrote, according to reports from The Independent. She added harsh words for Harry too: “Shame on Harry and Meghan. May they be damned.. he gave her everything and this is how she repays him.”
Samantha has since locked her X account to private, so only approved followers can see her updates. While the family feud grabs headlines, the focus in the Philippines remains on recovery from this devastating earthquake.
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