At the end of the day, I am laughing about Meghan Markle’s shady relatives. It seems like all of the sketchball relatives are from her father’s side of the family, and there are various half-brothers and half-sisters who are all selling their stories to British and American publications. My guess is that eventually, there will cease to be a market for the “shady Meghan Markle relative talks sh-t about Meghan” stories. It won’t happen this year, but eventually that market will die out. But in advance of the May wedding, expect Peak Shadiness from the Markles. In Touch Weekly spoke to Meg’s half-brother Tom, the same one who has been calling up the Daily Mail on a regular basis to chime in on every royal story. Tom provided email evidence to In Touch Weekly that… like, Meghan doesn’t give a sh-t about him.
In an exclusive interview with In Touch magazine, Meghan Markle’s half-brother Tom Markle Jr. reveals that she ignored his plea for help – whose life has been ‘under a microscope’ since Prince Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in November. Tom, 51, tells In Touch that he and his lawyer have been going back and forth with the palace, trying in vain to connect with the future royal and asking for her help dealing with the international scrutiny.
“My lawyer had a phone meeting with her lawyer, and he emailed me some of [Meghan’s] direct words. She said, ‘That’s distant family and I don’t know those people.’ That’s pretty harsh,” Tom tells In Touch, calling it “a slap in the face” and “below the belt.”
Tom finds it “ridiculous” that Meghan thinks of him as a stranger. “I spent a lot of time with her growing up,” explains Tom, who was 14 and living with his dad, now 73, and Thomas Markle Sr.’s then-wife, Doria Ragland, 61, when Meghan was born.
In the past year, Tom says, he’s lost work and has had to move three times because of all the interest in Meghan. “There was a time where people were following me around at work, taking pictures and posting horrible stories about me and my family saying I’m a white supremacist, a drug addict and a dealer, all this crap that just isn’t true,” he explains. “My attorney was reaching out to her people and the palace to basically [help us] try to get a retraction for all these false stories in [countries] where there are different laws,” he tells In Touch.
But despite his lawyer’s pleas for the palace to “take some action to protect him,” emails show that a rep from Harry’s office simply told him, “I am so sorry to hear you have been having a tough time with the media.”
Surely he could use the money he makes selling out his half-sister to pay for all of these lawyers he needs? And I honestly hadn’t heard that he’s a white supremacist – wouldn’t it be easy enough to clear that up in one of the many interviews he grants on a monthly basis? Just think of the mental gymnastics it takes to get through this article feeling any sympathy for Tom? Few people would have known about him if he had not been giving interviews to British tabloids for the past year. So when people did do some digging on him, then he complains and says it’s all too much and can’t you just leave me alone, and here are all of the emails which you can publish. I love Meghan’s response – “That’s distant family and I don’t know those people.” Cut ties and move on, Meg.
Email image courtesy of In Touch Weekly, additional photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News, Backgrid and WENN.
Family – one thing you don’t have a choice in. Hopefully Meghan can get rid of them and live happily with Harry.
Exactly.
Goodness gracious, her family seems as terrible as mine, it speaks volumes…
Hopefully she won’t hear from them again at some point, although I doubt it (they will want to cash in on their exposure until it lasts).
Her dad and niece Noel seem okay. Noel has only nice things to say about Meghan and her dad appears to want to live his life peacefully in Mexico. It would be nice if just these two could be invited to the wedding. If I was Meghan I think I might take Noel under my wing and help her out a little after the life she’s had with Grant. For someone to show her some kindness at this point would be a really lovely thing to do.
SilverUnicorn,
With the little, you have shared about your hard childhood I must tell you I admire your perseverance. I wish you all the happiness and healing the world in abundance.
Her family is awful. It is a shame for Noel, but Meghan can’t take that on. It opens the door to her vile mother, and that can’t happen. No contact.
Yes, I find this very relatable. I think most people have some family members that you don’t speak to or can’t stand.
What is that old saying—every family has a shady relative and if you claim yours doesn’t, YOU are the shady relative? Lol.
I do find this selfishly reassuring, as I often beat myself up about the dysfunctions and damaged relationships in my family. No one’s family is perfect, we all have our issues.
That is a funny saying.
I have mine. Mostly on one side but there are a few eyebrow raisers on the other too. Not nearly as gnarly but dysfunctional enough to keep them far away.
I have mine, definitely. And I’m sure I’m the big-city dwelling, (previously) living-in-sin black sheep to a few of my cousins. 🙂
That’s funny. I’ve never heard that saying before.
Tom says that people are following him around taking pictures and posting nasty stories about him & his family. Hmmmm. Ya don’t say. Does he not see the irony in his statement?
Their constant need to sell stories bashing Meghan and they’re surprised that she refers to them as distant family? 😂🤣😂
THIS. Sometimes you just gotta stop watering dead plants. Goes for exes, goes for manipulative toxic kin as well.
::insert Mariah Carey gif/meme:: “I don’t know her”—LOL!
I love this kind of piece. So and so wants nothing to do with me, while clearly (and ironically) showcasing why this person distanced themselves. Even he admits that they haven’t spoken since she moved to Toronto back in 2011.
Now, could Meghan be a social climber who ditched anyone of no use to her? It’s possible. However, these people aren’t helping their cases. It seems like everyone is cashing in on their connections to her.
This guy’s got some nerve! He admits they haven’t spoken for the better part of a decade, yet gripes that she refers to him as distant family? News flash, Tom, that’s exactly what you are.
Cutting off ties with family is difficult. I’ve done it. It’s painful and no one does it on a whim. If Meghan doesn’t speak to him, she has her reasons, and this fame-seeking, coattail-riding behavior isn’t going to endear him to her all these years later.
eta: “I just want to be able to go to the county and start a rescue” sounds like he’s shaking her down for cash. So gross.
And he goes to the press because he doesn’t know how to handle press??!?! SAY NOTHING. It’s not that hard.
ITA. It’s a shakedown and I wouldn’t give credit to anything he says about her. Even the comment he claims is a quote (‘That’s distant family and I don’t know those people’) didn’t come directly from her; it was made by his lawyer who allegedly was quoting her lawyer. He’s disgusting and I wouldn’t fault her in the least if she did give this sleaze the Mariah f*ck-off. He needs to use the money he got paid for selling this BS story to open up that rescue. Better yet, start paying his rent ’cause I bet the reason he’s moved so much is ’cause he’s running from his landlords.
Same here with family. And yeah that last part did sound like a cash shakedown.
Might be better to not give these stories any help in spreading, it’s a painful read actually. Family trauma is not fun.
It is a total shakedown! I feel like the world has gone mad because the press doesn’t seem to be picking up on that angle. The lawyer straight up tells the brother that they need “financial assistance” from Meghan because the defamation case they’re pursuing against the press is weak. And I’m baffled by the defamation claims to be honest because I’ve been obsessively consuming Sparkle Markle press coverage all year (lol) and I can’t think of any media outlets that called her brother a drug dealer or a white supremacist, so what is he even talking about?
Your ETA: exactly what I thought.
It sounds as though all of his complaints are of his own making, and *if* he has been pap- harassed at work, let his employer call the cops. Fired? Take them to task for unlawful termination. Hassled at home? Grant no interview, no comment. Wear a hat and shades. Call the cops.
His motives are pretty damn transparent.
So no one thinks it’s a little odd that literally all of her siblings have the same stories of not liking her? Not just her father’s side but that sister from her mother’s side. I mean there isn’t one sibling you get a long with??? And I don’t begrudge her not liking her father because I don’t talk to mine either but I didn’t grow up with mine. She seems to have grown up with hers. It’s all just very, very strange. The only friends she seems to have are celebrities and upper class society people. I mean what was a D list actress from a crappy cable show doing trying to get into England upper class social circles? Her whole thing is just a big side eye from me. It’s all a little off. It’s thrown further off by the fact that everyone in her family, except her mother, seems to be against her. They’re not giving nice interviews about how great she was, they literally all have the same theme in their stories.
Her half sister is a terrible person who called Meghan’s POC mom “the maid” and is/was allegedly abusive to her own child.
Her brother is, by his own words, threatening to embarrass her with further interviews unless she complies with what amounts to extortion demands.
Gotta say, I’ve never met these two but I don’t blame Meghan for keeping her distance.
Actually this sibling talks about his sweet she is & how they haven’t spoken in over a decade. And he make up lies like her dad already meeting harry & lottery. He lies, he is a wife beater & a smooth decade & a half older then her. If anything the siblings sam & Tom hate each other. But sure…go with your assumption.
She has only two half siblings. There is no sister on her “mom’s side.” The two half siblings have well-documented issues with child abuse and substance abuse. The negative pattern is with them, frankly.
And what are they doing?
She doesn’t have a sister from her mother’s side, so who are you talking about? Her father doesn’t seem to be against her. Also you don’t know who all her friends are to make that claim.
@goats on the roof
Here is what sam’s youngest said http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4384654/My-mom-Meghan-Markle-s-sister-hates-Harry-s-girl.html
She had abused her physically & verbally all her life until she got sick. Then her mother’s boyfriend took over. I also think she said that she never met her 2 older siblings. These are nice people…and they didn’t grow up with Meghan.
I am less skeptical because I have a side of the family that if I ever got a windfall of cash landed a high-paying job, I would NEVER tell them.
I find it odd that she doesn’t seem to have any friends in general from her pre-fame days. No one from college, or a childhood friend. However, maybe those people just aren’t talking. Perhaps we will see them at the wedding. Now, if the wedding has no one but famous friends, I’ll be skeptical.
That being said, Meghan made some good money from her show. And once you get successful (enough), people can get jealous. If you’ve ever read about the lottery winners that didn’t go bankrupt, they had a hard time keeping old friends. So many people bond over the struggles of life, bill payments, student loans, saving for kids’ college, the cost of daycare, working long hours, etc. A lot people’s problems revolve around money (or lack thereof) that once that is out of the equation, people can get (understandly) envious. That being said, she went to Northwestern so she should know some successful people. Who knows. It’s all conjecture. Lol.
She’s the only child of her mother. Her half sister and half brother are both from her father’s side, and they are the ones who have been spouting off to the press in the last year. And it’s worth noting that the brother has spoken of Meghan in glowing terms until now. She’s declined to give him money, and quite suddenly, he’s gone negative. Funny, that.
@iseepinkelefants
I see nothing wrong with her life. I thought it was obvious what kind of people her half-siblings are: Relatives who would sell her out for their 15 minutes and some cash. Relatives who have no problem letting the world see how disloyal they are to family, how messy and low-rent their own lives really are? But, you’d rather side-eye Meghan? SMH.
@Hh
Her public pre-fame friend seems to be that Pridy woman–the one who first started talking to the DM about her marriage and ex husband. But probably the ones she is friends with aren’t talking, as well.
@Iseepinkelephants
I’d like to dispute some of the points you’ve made:
1) 3 People so far have *sold* negative stories about her – her half siblings and her ex friend, Ninaki Priddy. Everyone else that have spoken about her have all had extremely positive things to say – her half siblings mother, her niece and nephews, old friends from school, her cast mates, etc.
2) Her sister (Samantha) is and has always been insanely jealous of Meghan – even Sams own mother insists that she’s always been unhappy with the +ve attention Meg gets from her father. The half brother also said exactly the same thing too.
3) the half brother has sold *dozens* of stories, praising Meghan to the skies until now.
Now that it’s become clear that there will be no invites to the royal wedding, these people are coming out with the heavy artillery.
4) Ninaki Priddy sold Meghan’s life to the Daily Mail – every picture she had of Meghan since they were 2 years old until only a couple of years ago. (Of course the DM made sure to publish only the most unflattering ones). Her bitterness was hard to miss from her story. As determined as she was to sell a negative story, she couldn’t even give any specific grievance, other than some vague warning of her being “strategic” or something equally vapid. (Again, I would happily pay MM to come train my staff on “Strategic Networking”.
One thing I noticed with Ninaki…..she’s not married yet and seems in love with Trevor…..my suspicion is that watching Meghan embark on her second marriage before she’s even had her first (to a prince, no less), was the real straw that broke their friendships back.
5) Just because you haven’t heard from her longtime, closest friends, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Perhaps she respects their privacy, and they return the favor.
6) As I said, everyone else who have come forward have only had extremely positive things to say about her…..they testify to her warmth, thoughtfulness and the fact that she’s generally a happy, sweet person.
So, if you have misgivings about her, it’s not because the available proof supports your fears.
@ Iseepink..
First Meghan has NO siblings on her Mothers side , she is the only child for her Mom .in fact her Moms side has kept pretty quiet except for some Uncle who shared some family pics but didn’t have anything negative to say
Meghan’s Dad remarried when his first two kids were in thier late teens, most people will tell u at that age blending famiies can be a nightmare if not managed properly. it seems that it didn’t help much that thier Dads new wife was not only much younger than him but also black, eVen the first wife admits that Meghan sister was racist even referring to Meghan’s Mom her (Dad new wife ) as the ” maid ”
What I see here is a lot of anger and resentment that the little Half black sister, daughter of the “maid ” has gone on to be much more successful than they are, going to a good school, landing a decent TV gig and now marrying a Prince the nerve of her
Considering part of the family is black and the other part white, no, not really. I can see a lot of jealousy and some racism happening. Just being real. Here in Florida, you see mixed family relationships, some are good and some are bad. If some of her white relatives are racist, they could be pissed she can pass for white. To them, she might be “just a n” and be jealous of her success. So now they want a piece of it and if she doesn’t give it to them, they’ll talk shit.
Iseepinkelefants, I don’t know Meghan personally- all I know of her is via articles derived from various sources. The facts are as follows:
1. Meghan’s mom Doria has only one child- Meghan.
2. The mom’s sister has never spoken to the press.
3. The mom’s brother (Meghan’s uncle) who hasn’t had contact with Meghan & his sister Doria in years- he spoke well of Meghan.
4. One of Meghan’s nephews on her maternal side also spoke well of her.
5. Meghan’s childhood friend & now ex-friend spoke about her & gave her side of what happened between Meghan & her ex-husband and the end of their relationship.
6. Meghan’s dad has shunned the spotlight.
7. Through the dad she has a half brother Thomas & half sister Samantha.
8. Thomas has sons that he has no relationship with…those sons (& their mother) have spoken well of Meghan.
9. Thomas initially spoke well of Meghan & has admitted that Meghan & him have had no contact for years.
10. Samantha (Meghan’s half sister) has “flip flopped” on her feelings for Meghan.
11. Samantha has sons, who don’t have a relationship with their mom or Meghan, have spoken well about Meghan (one plans to show up to the wedding even if he isn’t invited).
12. Samantha’s daughter (who accuses her mom of abuse & doesn’t have a relationship with her mom or Meghan) speaks well about Meghan.
13. Samantha & Thomas’ mom speaks well about Meghan.
So to recap everyone who has spoken speaks well about Meghan except Samantha & the ex-friend …
People are entitled to their opinions, but please use facts.
Nope. M might be the only nice one. Think of “Arrested Development” where one brother is nice and the rest are terrible.
It is also the story of my husband’s family. He’s the decent one. We no longer deal with the others.
@iseepinkelephants
I don’t have either (although I do not have half-siblings, my parents never remarried).
Nor friends either.
But thank you for making me feel awful after being abused as a child.
@SilverUnicorn — Hug. 🙂
The OP has a point. Meghan clearly severed ties with her family nearly a decade ago because she just knew she would meet and seduce a prince someday. Luckily her family went along with the plan by trashing her, making her feel like a second class member of the family, calling her mother “the maid” and reminding Meghan that they thought she was racially inferior to this stellar family. It’s a good thing Meghan’s family never strayed from the script because otherwise we would be tempted to believe the countless examples of her hard work, kindness, compassion, intelligence and warmth.
I think she’s a social climber and there’s nothing wrong with that. Men and women alike are ambitious and seek to improve their social standing. She’s also well educated, hard working, philanthropic and charming. She’ll be an asset to the RF. I also think, with the exception of her mother, she has a dismal family of origin, but this lady has hustle and they’re of no consequence to her and haven’t been for years. I don’t think she had her eye on the RF, but she has been upwardly mobile since college and once her acting career slowed down she was smart enough to put her energy elsewhere.
I have friends from childhood but they are few, and I only have one who is my heart sister because our mothers are best friends and families are close. School life was a miserable living hell for me every single day until the bullying went too far and it became a legal matter. I had one friend who was prettier than me, and I was grateful that she was my friend which she let me know I should be as often as she could. Then I blossomed, and she didn’t like me as much anymore and once I started a career that she thought should have been hers she became like Meghan’s old childhood friend. Jealous and vengeful.
The therapist I went to years ago said it was surprising I hadn’t tried to kill myself from the constant abuse when I was younger.
Now, does that make me worthy of a side eye or a victim of cruel children whose bullying reshaped my childhood into something abnormal?
If a newspaper found the nasty bitch ringleader and let’s say I was Meghan, she would have done a number on me followed up by my so-called friend with lots of pictures of me looking awkward with features that earned me the nickname Freak. So they could again feel superior and say You know she may have this career now but look how she USED to look. HAHAHAHA!
What happened to Meghan and continues to happen with these people is a testament to their character. Not hers. It does make me understand her determination and drive better. I know it well.
So when Harry said she had no family. THIS is what he meant, and I believe it is part of their bond.
They are half siblings, and never an active part of her life until now when suddenly they’re the poor, abandoned waifs who love their half-sister so much they run to the press with every kind of salacious, overblown half-lie they can think up. She’s well rid of them.
Agree -it’s never EVERYONE else.
If Meghan were a failure- the white relatives will be denying her like Jesus’ homies did! Bro, she don’t know you period! Real siblings don’t communicate via lawyers .. why don’t you text her?🤔🤔😬 😂😂👏🏿👏🏿 💃🏿💃🏿..Funny that we aren’t seeing her mom’s side acting like this!
If she were flat broke and needing assistance, would they be eager to help her? You find out who is truly in your corner during tough times. Sounds like she has more than a fair share of opportunists in her family tree.
Sounds like this guy wanted to jump on the fame train and didn’t like the scrutiny. But he’ll gladly take any money!
Preach it loud Christin but that there is the truth.
These social climbing accusations are so cliche and tired……when certain people do it, it’s called Networking. When Meghan does it, it’s social climbing.
It hilarious when I think about how much companies budget to train their staff on networking every year. Anyway, I would pay Meghan big $$$ to train my staff on successful “social climbing” skills, any day.
This x 1000!! It’s bad when the people they don’t want to advance do it but a necessary skill for those they like.
I hope you mean “certain people” as in the wealthy because the “social climbing” accusations were lobbed at the Middleton’s for YEARS (and counting). Look up the term “wisteria sisters” it was a name given to Kate and Pippa by British tabloids.
This is so true and a pet peeve of mine. The wealthy and privileged look down their noses on anyone who crashes the party. It reminds them of the fact that they, themselves, are arrivistes and posers if you go back enough generations. What baffles me are the middle and working class who uphold and perpetuate this classist garbage. Just look at the opinions of the women William and Harry have been involved with – the more wealthy their families were the more of a pass the girl gets. The same was true in Charles’ day. He often fell for commoners – secretaries, actresses and more than one woc. Swept under the rug. Hard.
Social climbing is real. People do it, but it is usually either used incorrectly as a slam to put someone down just because of class or because someone is so blatant about it that can’t be described as anything else.
The previous men in Meghan’s life don’t point to social climbing at all. She hasn’t pretended to be grander than she is like Carolyn Bessette did. Carolyn only dated affluent men and a successful male model.
Americans don’t grow up with the royal family or aristocrats or a structured class system that would create actual social mountaineering.
@Hydrangea
I heard that Charles had mistresses that were woc from a poc from London. I never heard anyone else say it though. Interesting.
So he contacted her in 2011 when Suits started and in 2017 when she got engaged to a Prince – hmm seems to be a pattern here and she is not fooled!
🤔
Family, unfortunately we have no choice in choosing some of them. I think her response is perfect and I’m sure that will just infuriate them more. True family would be happy for you, not causing you trouble when you are happy.
Seraphina, I’m not religious but I studied many religions. I say that because what you just said reminded me of a Bible story. The summary goes something like this: Joseph was “sold” by his half brothers into slavery. Joseph ended up in Egypt where he worked hard and succeeded until he was imprisoned (for a crime he didn’t commit). After years in prison he was released & became a form of ruler/leader in Egypt. Along comes his desperate half brothers begging him for help…
Very nicely summarized Tonya.
Tonya, what a perfect example.
Only thing Tonya, Joseph took them all in and helped them so that they all thrived.
Obviously Megan is not Joseph. Not saying she needs to be just didn’t think using a noble bible character to compare to Megan is ok.
Goshhhhh they are the worst. It’s sad and I don’t know anything about why that family broke down and I definitely don’t care.
Meghan run. If they had nothing to do with you while you were working on your acting career they don’t deserve to have anything to do with you now.
Hysterical. He chums the water and expects help when the sharks arrive. Meghan was smart to get distance from this part of her family.
EXACTLY
So the tldr: version is “I am so mad about the press I will keep on selling interviews to the press”
Way to go, Bro. It is a complete mystery why she is not in contact with you, a real puzzler.
If he had laid low would anyone really have hounded him for interviews? I think not.
No one believes you buddy. Team Megan.
Yep pretty much. And isn’t rule number one don’t negotiate with terrorists? And always say no to ultimatums? She’d probably have given him more of a benefit of the doubt if he hadn’t already talked so much. Discretion is always rewarded in the big picture.
^^^^^^^^ x 1000000000
Lol. Her response was on point.
I’m not a social climber or engaged to a prince, yet I have a full brother I don’t have anything to do with. Haven’t been in the same room as him since my sister died in 2013. He is too violent and won’t lay off the drugs. For many reasons, it happens.
What does he expect? They obviously could have contacted Meghan while she was still living in Toronto and if they had kept their mouth shut and ignored the press, they would have stopped some day. But writing to the palace? What is the Palace supposed to do? Adopt them? Invite them to come and live with them in one of the castles?
Just a bunch of bloodsuckers. The Palace knows how to deal with them! 😀
I don’t think she was shading anybody. I don’t believe that Meghan hasn’t had any connections with her half siblings since she was a kid. I’m sure a call here and there but clearly they’re not close. I not sure why they expect her to protect them. Especially considering they keep running to the tabs.
Why can’t this guy say “ no comment” when the news media comes sniffing around? This fool likes the attention ( and a invitation to the wedding. Which he will not get)
She shouldn’t have to explain herself and should continue not to gaf. These half siblings are insufferable.
what does DGAF stand for?
why don’t you google it?
Doesn’t give a F**k 🙂
DGAF=Don’t Give A F*#k
Don’t Give A F**k
Don’t give a f**k
Type any of these initializations into a search bar and you’ll get your answers pretty quickly
Thanks for answering and for the tip, who are these people! I just tried it and It worked!!! any day you learn something is a good day 🙂
harla, there is a website called Urban Dictionary. Just about any slang word or set of initials you can’t figure out can be found there. I found the site when I was trying to figure out what yolo meant. It was being used all over this site and I couldn’t for the life of me work out what it stood for.
@Harla – I am late with answer but yes, both search engines and urban dictionary work. Just found out for example what RME means: rolling my eyes. IDK: I don’t know. IKR: I know, right?
Thanks everyone who helped me understand this!
I’ve never gotten a tattoo and never wanted one but DGAF is one I might like to get. On my forehead. Lol. It’s just so applicable in my life these days.
I mean, she’s basically been living in Canada for the past 7 years…so she probably did lose touch with everyone she knew in America, outside of her mom and dad. She clearly made a lot of great friends that became family to her.
You know Toronto isn’t far away from LA right?
One flight away and there are things called phones.
People can fall out for many reasons but distance isn’t an excuse.
Clearly Meghan and her siblings had no relationship once she became an adult.
Agree, I have dual nationality and distance can be overcome, but assholery and pathology cannot. Still, moving to Toronto and being immersed in a different culture might have helped her get the emotional distance she needed and make it easier to figuratively keep her distance.
Do you need a map? It’s literally the opposite end of that strip of land called North America. It takes hours to fly & days to drive. It’s is different time zones…it’s far.
“Do you need a map? It’s literally the opposite end of that strip of land called North America”
Well, I mean. No. It’s not. It’s a 5ish hour non-stop flight. But Toronto is nowhere near the opposite edge of North America. You still have part of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland/Labrador before you get to the opposite edge. Somewhere around 38 hours driving Toronto to LA, but it’d be somewhere in the ballpark of 75 hours of driving from Newfound Land.
@HeyNessaNessa,
Skype and FaceTime work pretty well, you know?
Not surprising at all since there is a generation between them in age and she didn’t live with her father.
I have half-siblings that I have never met and would not recognize. I think I must have known their names once but have forgotten. They grew up on a different continent. Our parent in common was someone I last saw/spoke to when I was about 14 years old. Heck, I don’t even know the names of my paternal cousins except for one who lived with us while his mom was pregnant – we last had contact when I was maybe 6 years old and the rest weren’t even born then. We lived half a country away from each other and that half of the family pretty much ignored us when we were no longer dragged into their vicinity once a year by dear old dad. Not out of meanness — just out of sight, out of mind. My brother has had a little contact, they seem like nice enough people. My unknown half-siblings are probably nice people also.
So even if her half-siblings were nice people, she could easily feel no connection with them. Families sometimes develop very separate branches. Physical distance is often a factor especially with kids, in addition to age differences. My mother grew up near her cousins, in the same town, and so felt very close to them as an adult also even when separated by long distances. But they were similar in age.
I moved from southern California to San Francisco for 3 years recently.
I talked to my mom a bunch, my dad maybe twice on the phone.
Of my three sisters I texted with two and talked to one on the phone fairly frequently
I didn’t talk to any friends the whole time, but I did make new ones up there
But now that I’ve moved back down I have talked on Facebook messenger to two of them very infrequently, not at all in the last 3 months.
I don’t have any friends from my childhood or highschool or college left, a lot of people don’t
Who I’m close with now as friends is my mom, youngest sister, husband and 22 year old son
I was abused as a kid and raped by two uncle’s, so maybe that has something to do with it
Distance is a huge factor, making a new life takes time. Between trying to make new friends, working, taking care of my husband and two kids I didn’t have much time to talk to anyone from where I used to live
My mom and my youngest sister was who I still talked too.
And FaceTime or Skype? Yeah I don’t ever do that. I hate talking on the phone at all. Texting is life
Canada does have phones and internet, though, so you’d be able to keep in touch with those you want to. Although yes, any time I’ve changed locations or jobs (even a matter of an hour or so travel time) it becomes more work to maintain relationships. But you do it if you really care about the people.
Why would Meghan want to keep in touch with hateful, abusive family members?
Have you ever migrated?
I have been a globetrotter since my 20ies. I don’t have long-term friendships as it is very difficult to maintain relationships when there is too much distance. I do phone my mum (and another relative) but I haven’t seen some of them in 30 years.
Furthermore… some friends I tried to contact seemed well beyond uninterested.
I think some of Meghan’s friends and relatives only came out of the woods because she made the headlines.
We even have cars and planes! It’s ALMOST a modern world up here in America’s hat.
We’ve legit had tourists from the US ask us how we get to the “mainland” in the winter from Nova Scotia. And if they could bike the length of the province in a couple of hours. And have inquired about dogsleds. Nova Scotia is I think comparable in size to Virginia – and around double the size of Massachusetts. it’s both hilarious, and sad.
I hear ya Erinn! I have been asked by Americans if I live in an igloo and have a dog sled. I’m from Toronto FFS!
@SilverUnicorn – I lived for a couple of years in South America and Asia – I have friendships that I’ve managed to maintain despite distance, although admittedly the really long lasting ones are from my childhood. I agree that it’s harder to keep up strong relationships with distance, but the original poster said that as Meghan had been living in Canada for 7 years, she probably lost touch with everyone she ever knew in America. My point was that you don’t have to lose touch with anyone, unless you want to. Canada is not a technological wilderness 🙂
Girl_ninja said it all, regardless of distance and technology, ‘Why would Meghan want to keep in touch with hateful, abusive family members?’
Igloos? Dogsleds? Omfg I am so embarrassed to be an American (even more than usual). 🤦🏻♀️
I’ve lived across the country from my parents, brother, sister, and friends I grew up with for 10 years now. We all text regularly, are friends on Facebook and Instagram, and all travel to see each other for vacations, weddings, baby showers, etc. It’s easier now than ever to keep in touch wth people far away. If Meghan stopped talking to her half-brother, there’s a good reason and distance isn’t it, I’m afraid. They guy sounds like a total dirtbag leech.
Exactly.
I left so many years ago that I have only kept in touch with people I really wanted to (and vice versa, they were interested in being contacted too)
My immediate family is bicoastal with regular stops in Florida and Europe. Add in cousins etc., and through marriage, we are including places on other continents. We see each other because we want to make an effort.
Some more than others but with Meghan why in the world would she bother.
Wow this comment set it off! All I mean is that if you’re not there day-to-day, it can get easy to start fading out with people…especially people you want to fade out.
*shivers*
They’re such leeches, did you see the part where he was basically implying that he was gonna blackmail Meghan if she didn’t help, and why did he call Samantha Vonnie…
Anyway, I’m sure Meghan keeps in touch with her dad, and I know you shouldn’t expect parents to reprimand their grown ass children, but come on …I kind of wish Meghan wouldn’t invite her father to the wedding, it has become obvious that other than being half related to Meghan, the siblings are using her still functioning relationship with her father to spotlight themselves and also make things happen.
Like they sold out their father’s location, kept telling the press that the father will walk her down the aisle (when Meghan is closest to her mom) which had the father agreeing and saying he will, like come on Thomas get your kids.
We don’t know anything about her relationship with her siblings, it seemed like she did keep in touch with them in some capacity even in her late teens (maybe) but then all communication slowed down to a stop.
What I do know is Samntha stopped being amusing after learning she abused her own child and told people Meghan’s mother was the house maid. And Thomas Markle Jr. involvement with the press was never funny b/c of the whole gun thing and drunken abuse issue that came out before the press started courting him.
Which is what I found the most disturbing, the press especially the UK press being willing to give money to them for some clicks, Idk maybe they don’t care b/c the siblings don’t live in the UK but they are an endangerment to people, one is a drunk and the other more than likely had undiagnosed mental disorder or mood disorder.
I hope a cease and desist comes from Meghan’s camp just for the sole fact that the step siblings are making money off her name despite there being no relationship between them anymore.
I would wish they both get the help that they need but I don’t wish good will on people I don’t think deserve it even if it’s for the betterment of people who live around them.
As a friend says, “There’s family, and then there’s relatives.”
That’s a really good saying, I hope your friend doesn’t mind if I steal it lol
Good saying. We cannot choose our family/relatives, yet we can at least choose how much we interact with them.
Life is far too short to feel obligated to anyone who brings us down or simply sees us as a way to benefit them (one way relationship).
So, let me get this straight……Thomas goes to the press (with personal letters and correspondence), to complain that Meghan won’t help him with the press. Yes. That makes total sense. 🙄
This is nothing short of a public shakedown and I actually think her response was gracious and showed a lot of restraint. If I were in her shoes, the lawyer wouldn’t have been able to repeat my response to this leech.
I seriously feel sorry for her regarding these half-sibs and extended family. They are clearly in it for the money/media attention. Releasing stories, pictures, screenshot of emails and isn’t the half-sister releasing a book, something about the real truth about “princess pushy”?
if they are bothered by the media attention, they could simply say “no comment” or “we wish her the best.”
Lol and harry was ripped apart for saying his family’s the family she never had. Yeah I would say that too. With the exception of her mom and dad all her family has sold her out from both sides.
It might be a relief for her to be in a situation where she can if she wants be entirely shielded from them, and it does put Harry’s comment in a more thoughtful light.
Yeah I feel like this gives Harry’s comment a much clearer context. I have family I wouldn’t want to know if I came into a big windfall or basically anything positive because this would be their reaction and my husband has said something similar about my family/my relationship with his (wonderful) family. All these people are doing is making it clear that Meghan has made the right choice in not being in contact with them
Yeah, I thought the “family that she never had” bit was a throwaway comment and didn’t read too deeply into it, but it’s a lot more meaningful now that we know that the brother had been working behind the scenes to con Meghan out of money – and for months!
I enjoyed the response of “sorry you’re having a hard time with the press”. The less said, is more. Keep ignoring the shakedown. She owes these half-siblings nothing.
The only thing that really bothered me about the comment was to imply that her mother wasn’t sufficient family. I’m an only parent to an only child, and I make a point of making sure that he has wonderful holidays. We often travel to spend the major holidays with extended family. When we don’t travel, we celebrate with close friends or do holiday activities ourselves. It’s not always the bustle of the big family that I grew up with, but we decorate, celebrate, and have many traditions. A small family is still a family, and the holidays in our little house are not sad or depressing.
@Guest: Yup – I now have the family I never had through Mr. Jaded. My mother and sister suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder which manifested itself in very narcissistic and unstable behaviour. My father kept to himself most of the time. Add to that my sister’s alcoholism and eating disorders which eventually caused her death, well…you can imagine my happy household. I never had children but now I have Mr. Jaded’s daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter and they’re (gasp) NORMAL! It’s my reward for having to deal with a screwed-up family for so long.
I tried to understand the email exchanges but couldn’t make much out of those texts. If I understand correctly, TM Jr sold that magazine emails between his lawyer and himself, and his lawyer and a lawyer representing Megan or Harry in some form? If so, wouldn’t the latter be bound by confidentiality? Is it just possible to publish communication between two lawyers? Or representing in an email something communicated by someone else’s lawyer?
The email exchanges are between the brother, the brother’s lawyer, and a representative from Kensington Palace named Katrina. Only the palace representative is identified by name – all other names are obscured. I’m not sure of the legality of the whole thing.
You’re right. A rep from the palace, not a lawyer. IMO this bad drama is getting off the rails. Huge sigh. Who knows what will come next?
He’s had to move three times because she’s marrying a prince??? Okayyy. Also, how much interest do normal 14 year old boys have in infant girls? ZIP. Move along.
EXACTLY!!!!
He was 14 when she was an infant.
He was 19 when she was 5
He was 24 when she was 10
She was just a random kid from some woman who wasn’t HIS mother.
Dude.
Gtfo.
The emails that leaked to the press give the impression that big brother Thomas is trying to extort money from Meghan. Did any one see the bit where the he low key threatens to further embarrass her with negative stories? It’s very sad because while he has been indiscreet and seems deeply troubled, he has been vocal in his support of Meghan and I really thought his affection for her was genuine. Guess not.
I didn’t believe it was genuine, you want to know why? Because he kept talking. Kept selling lies & info. Courting the press hoping to get an “in”. If it was he could’ve tried to make a connection before Suits & before harry. But nope…those that are close to her like her oldest niece that is a lawyer haven’t said a thing. Her aunt & cousin…nothing. Even her BFF from college with the exception of one interview in promotion of her book said nothing. I knew it was fake & now he is making himself look like a dumbass.
Harry’s words are made clear with each stunt they pull. They were mad because it was true.
Yep!
Yes – the defensive reaction to Harry’s comment is very telling in retrospect, isn’t it?! I thought the big brother was an opportunist but I guess I never wanted to believe that he was a con artist. Such a shame.
Bwahaha! Go Megan! I can not stand shady family members who do stuff like this to those who become famous. They’re like those “long lost relatives” of huge lottery winners you hear about. So annoying.
It’s also found the article about Meghan in Town & Country’s March issue interesting. Especially how some of her Hollywood peers seem to wonder how she got picked instead of some other, more well known, actresses. 🙄 And some agent lady going on about how Meghan would try to get into Hollywood events etc… 🙄 Anyway, the lady said that she realized that her (jealousy/pettiness) is because she wished it was her that was becoming a Royal. 🙄. Part of the article you can find online. But yeah, keep shinning bright Meghan. Keep enjoying your life with the love and support of your future husband.
I have three shady half-siblings; Trump supporters, despicable, mean to my father (their father) – even he’s cut ties and moved on. One’s a registered sex offender, one nearly drowned her child and he’s suffered permanent brain damage, the other nobody knows. I’ve no doubt they’d do the same sh!t if I found myself in a position of positive fame as MM has, so I feel for her. Good answer, Meghan, keep moving forward. Distant family; you don’t know these people!
Wow, Shannon.
Stay far away forever. Geez, they sound miserable. Actually scary.
Tom and Samantha know they don’t have a leg to stand on in court: they would to prove what was written about them is not true and to show negative impact (unable to earn money because of the stories. And they would be cross examined by the tabloids’ lawyers. These two are getting what they deserve. If you’re going to swing expect to get swung on.
No wonder Humanity is going down the plug hole with some of the comments here – he asked her for some help with getting rid of the media, she grew up with him – they LIVED together.
Say ‘no’ if you want to be an arse, but do not say’ I don’t know that person’ regardless of if they haven’t spoken or not in 10 years he is her half brother.
Ma’am, they didn’t grow up together…he is nearly 2 decades older then her. And he keeps going to the press. He parties with them…she owes him nothing.
He is asking money off of her. Tax payer protection from her. A person he barely knows beyond a few bits on contact but SHE is the arse?
Ummm Numi, you have forgotten history…weren’t the slaves fathered by the master the half siblings of the master’s children (who inherited)…so you’re saying they (the slaves) are entitled to be “helped” because they grew up together?…ummm that never happened to my knowledge…humanity is what it has always been…
It feels like a lot of people here are leaving comments without having the full picture…..he’s asking for help dealing with the media, even though HE’S the one who keeps approaching them and *selling* them stories and information.
He’s also reportedly the one who led the press to their fathers hideout, no doubt in exchange for cash. His behaviour has been despicable thus far, and that’s not even counting pointing a gun at a woman’s head and all the drunken violence and arrests since this relationship came to light.
Now, he’s trying to shake down KP for cash and making not so subtle threats of talking a lot more to see how much she cares then.
As I said upthread, if this slime ball has been my half brother, the lawyer would be unable to deliver my response to his lawyer.
Yeah… I second that👏
Numi, humanity is going down the plug hole BECAUSE of people like Meghan’s half-siblings because they seem to lack the drive to be normal, hard-working, moral citizens of this planet. They are grifters and grifters always grift. Think Trump family. Whenever they see a golden opportunity to grab some cash they will do it by any means available, even if it means throwing their half-sister under the bus despite being alienated from her for decades.
Numi- her half-brother was 14 when she was born. He would have been out of the house by the time she was past toddlerhood anyway. She was more like a very young, rarely-seen niece to him than a sister.
When sets of siblings are that far apart in age and hardly ever see each other, they often do not feel any real connection. Physical distance still matters to young children. Long-distance relationships are typically built on existing close-distance relationships.
Ah, so he wants money. Of course he does. Not even his lawyer is gonna touch this issue.
I’m just struck that dude is living in Grants Pass, OR. I was just through there on way to CA from WA. Recently moving to the Pacific Northwest from the ethnicity diverse San Joaquin Valley (and being Hispanic and Caucasian), I am stuck by how much lack of ethnic diversity there is in the rural areas here. Talk of White Supremacy isn’t unheard of.
Well the good news is that her Dad hasn’t sold her out or said a word other than the first statement that was “jointly released” by he and Meghan’s Mom. So the Dad may have filed for bankruptcy and be down on his luck. But he is at least living his life quietly in Mexico and not trying to profit from his daughter.
He has two properties…the one in LA he is renting out. Bankrupt don’t mean “poor”…just mean a particular debt can’t be paid off.
@Nessa nessa: You’re right, Meghan’s father may not be “poor.” He’s probably doing fine. I know lots of people who’ve declared bankruptcy and are doing just fine. It’s funny how her Dad can maintain his privacy but the half-brother is being hounded. NOT! It sounds like Meghan’s Dad supported her and was there for her while she was growing up. I have no idea what’s going on with them now but it doesn’t sound like she’s estranged from him. She’s definitely close to her Mom.
I do find it funny Sam is disgusted by Tom’s behavior on twitter. “How dare you blackmail Meghan for money”. And I’m like aren’t you giving interviews every 5 minutes, changing your story trying to pimp a book about yourself in relation to being her half sister? I mean I see half of the money in her lips. And calling Meghan’s mother a surrogate? Like ma’am…all you bring up is Meghan’s money and how she needs to give it to you. Cause if she gave her father anything…you won’t know.
They stay calling each other out for using Meghan but have no self awareness.
If I were Meghan, I’d say the same thing regarding these relatives. “I don’t know them.”
The only thing I have to say about this is that I object to the constant “1/2” designation. I have two “real”?, “full?”, brothers and one “1/2” brother. My “1/2” brother is every bit as much my sibling as the other two. I love him just as much, am just as proud of him, and in fact like him the best of the 3. I don’t like the fact that “1/2” sibling is being used to mean less than, less close, less family. People are estranged from “full” siblings all the time. Can they just her brother/sister?
She don’t claim them even before all this. Always said she was raised an only child…so I’ll call them her father’s Older kids.
I hear you…however, technically they are her “half” siblings because they only share a father. I think that the siblings who spoke to the press on many occasions have never demanded to be known/seen as just the “sister” or “brother” so your ire should be on them. Maybe that’s the way they feel.
@Aang, I totally get it. My mom is one of three and I found out when I was about 10 or 11 that my uncle and aunt are half-siblings of my mother (they all have different fathers). My mom considers them to be full though (and vice versa), as they grew up in the same household for their entire childhoods, and they are all very close. I remember finding it a bit weird that she didn’t make the half-sibling designation, until I realized that in Spanish the term for half sibling doesn’t really exist either (we are Latin American). My mother doesn’t make the distinction between “half” and “full” so neither do I, unless we’re discussing medical issues (in which the distinction makes sense in terms of genetics).
I guess it’s a combination of cultural identity and personal preference, though for some, personal preference may win out more often than not.
My children and my steps do not talk of each other as half-siblings even though there is an age gap. They love each other, and I refer to them as my children, but their age makes me clarify or else someone would think I had them very young and kept them hidden in a basement.
I love them dearly and work hard so that they always feel included. It wasn’t easy in the beginning but if the parents aren’t invested in it happening for whatever reason, it won’t.
I think half-sibling is used to clarify that they are her father’s older children from a previous marriage and she didn’t grow up with them. The age gap means there would not have been much contact between them in her case, because her parents also divorced. They had no reason to visit.
Some families have far more contact between half-siblings and step-siblings. Then they may just drop the half and step designations as irrelevant. But in her case, it seems like a relevant distinction.
The half siblings are exposing themselves. They are toxic and exhausting.
No wonder she DGAF about them – they sound dreadful – she’s well shot of them IMO!
I know I’m late to the comment party, but I guess what surprises me most about all of this is that Meghan and/or the people at the palace didn’t shut this down way back in the beginning by paying these two to sign an NDA.
All they want is money, I’m sure they both would have rolled over for 50-100k.
+1
Nope. I wouldn’t pay them for *hit. They can keep talking all they want and Meghan will keep living her life. No one will care in a year’s time what they have to say anyway. I wouldn’t pay them a dime. And it’s clear Harry and Meghan feel the same way about this.
No bad idea. This seems bad now but in the long term it’s better to just air this mess and get on with. Plus never negotiate with terrorists.
Because they would just keep coming back asking for more, once they knew they could get $ out of her. They’re terrible.
As someone with garbage human beings on BOTH sides of my family (including my father) I understand what Meghan is dealing with. Cutting off family is hard but you have to protect for your own well being and emotional health. The fact that these people keep selling stories to the press just further proves why she has chosen not to have them in her life.
GRIFTERS.
I know someone who was absolutely trashed in the press and while he had many defenders, none of them gave a counter story because he asked them not to, figuring the gossip would die down eventually. And eventually it did. Just because the haters scream louder doesn’t mean they are more accurate.
They are losers. They’ve been out of her life for way over a decade and probably barely in her life since her parents split up. She is doing the right thing, never once responding publicly to their selling of stories. They just regurgitate the same stuff over and over. People lose interest. And there’s nothing new to say because she doesn’t give them ammunition by responding to them.
I think she looks bad here honestly. Regardless he is family. I’m a forgiving person and I would want to try and work something out with my family to try and keep this from happening, despite what may have occurred in the past.
She looks bad here? Because she isn’t gonna use tax payer money to help basically a stranger? A person who never gave a flip until she got with harry? The actual gold digger…how far you reach to make her the villain?
Kelly, I don’t know you…and it is a blessing that you are very forgiving.
Do you know Meghan?
I don’t…so I can’t speak to what happened or didn’t happen.
I can speak to what Thomas has said and done …reference his various interviews.
Seeing that you think Meghan is wrong …You can send Thomas the money he needs…he lives in Grants Pass, Oregon…I’m sure that he will be very appreciative ❤
Missy I will refer you to my above comment..but I will add and ask…
“Why does Meghan have to care for her half siblings?
“When have they showed they care for her?”
With relatives like that, why bother???
Family, the other F word.
People were so quick to ‘yell’ at Harry for his comment about giving Meghan the family she never had back during the holidays but that comment is sure starting to make a whole lot of sense now. With the exception of her mother, seems like her whole damn family is a bunch of dicks.
First, let me just say that Meg’s words are giving me LIFE right now!!! Second, let me quote Chappelle’s Show for the first time ever in this comment section. Lol. “That was COLD-BLOODED!!” *In song form – not in spoken word* hahaha. I really pray that someone here has seen that sketch. If not, I suppose I’m going to sound like a freak. Oh well – worth it! Haha!
Why do I get the strong sense he didn’t lose those three jobs because of interest in MM? He sounds like such a HUGE whiny loser!
@ Anastasia
He’s so full of sh*t. Meghan herself kept her job and house through 18 months of the most aggressive scrutiny from the press and thus turd goes through 3 jobs and houses in the same time frame, even though he’s not even the party of principal interest in this saga?
All lies.
That addition of “I just want to move to the country and start my rescue farm” tells me everything I need to know. He wants money to start his dream life and he thinks Meghan’s going to cough up a bunch of money to keep him quiet. Let him recede into the background, Meghan. He’s not anyone you need in your life.
This^^
He summed up exactly what he really wants from her in that last sentence