Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas, is reportedly living alone in a cliff-top house in Rosarito Beach, Mexico as the Sussexes house hunt in Los Angeles.

The 75-year-old has grown increasingly reclusive since the announcement of Meghan's engagement to Prince Harry. According to Tom, the actress' half-brother, Thomas hated the spotlight Meghan's royal romance brought him.

He has been the center of much controversy after giving interviews to various media outlets. His press appearances created a rift between him and his daughter. Experts claim he will never be able to see his grandson due to the ongoing tension.


In the Spotlight

In early April, Thomas accused Meghan of dumping her family. The Markle drama started after the Duchess' half-siblings claimed they were never invited to the wedding.

Thomas was initially scheduled to fly to England to walk his daughter down the aisle. However, the press released staged paparazzi photos of him preparing for the wedding, causing him to suffer health issues at the last second.

Media interest in Meghan's parents skyrocketed since her relationship with Prince Harry was confirmed. The duchess repeatedly requested photographers to stay away from her father. However, her father could not shy away from fame.

According to a news site, Thomas collaborated with a paparazzi to stage a series of pictures. His photographs were sold to newspapers worldwide, earning over $120,000.

The pictures occurred at a local internet cafe where the British paparazzi asked Thomas to sit in front of a computer where news stories about his daughter were shown on screen.

He was also pictured getting measured for a suit. The "tailor" was later revealed to be an assistant at a goods shop who was recruited for the job. He also said Thomas grabbed a measuring tape he brought with him and showed him what to do.

A CCTV video at the internet cafe captured the photographer and the former lighting director setting up for the photos. According to the cafe manager, they only stayed in the establishment for ten to fifteen minutes.

Since then, Mr. Markle claimed Meghan and Prince Harry cut off all connections with him.

The Truth

On Monday, Meghan's legal team shared transcripts of text messages that the royal couple sent Thomas Markle, exposing the 75-year-old's lies.

In multiple interviews, the elder Markle claimed the couple never inquired about his health. He also accused both of admonishing him following the paparazzi incident. The transcripts, however, paint a different story.

In several texts, Meghan and Harry were shown repeatedly calling and contacting Thomas. The Duke of Sussex offered his father-in-law a security team to protect him from press intrusion. He was trying to call Thomas for half-an-hour to no avail.

The following day, Mr. Markle sent a public statement to TMZ to announce he suffered a heart attack, news Harry and Meghan had never heard of until the outlet published the piece. The royal pair tried to contact Thomas, none of which were returned until many hours later, with Mr. Markle declining the help.

Despite reminders about avoiding the press, Thomas appeared in a Channel 5 documentary early this year where he said he would continue to accept money for interviews because the couple "owed him."

"The royals owe me. Harry owes me. Meghan owes me," he said. "It's time to look after daddy."

Watch a sneak peek of the documentary here:


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