Thomas Markle Accused Of ‘Making Up’ Heart Surgery Story By Duchess Meghan’s ‘Close Friend’
Although Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, was conspicuously absent from her wedding to Prince Harry, reports suggested that he had a valid reason for missing her big day, as he had to undergo heart surgery a few days prior. A new report, however, claims otherwise and alleges that the elder Markle faked his heart surgery so he could avoid attending the royal wedding and divert attention from the supposedly staged photos of himself getting ready for the event.
Citing a “close friend” of Duchess Meghan, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that Thomas Markle allegedly faked his illness as an excuse to miss his daughter’s wedding and a way to “garner sympathy” after the negative publicity brought about the photos he allegedly “staged” with the help of a paparazzi photographer.
“The whole story about Meghan’s father undergoing heart surgery was made up. He had to come up with a good enough reason not to attend her wedding and avoid any further embarrassment after those staged photos went public.”
The Daily Mail‘s source further suggested that Thomas Markle faked his heart problems so that he could “generate compassion” after he embarrassed his daughter and the rest of the royal family through the allegedly staged photos. This, the source added, disappointed Duchess Meghan, given how her father missed her wedding as a result of an “ill-conceived publicity stunt.”
“It was really just such poor judgment on his part. Now everyone’s feeling sorry for him. They shouldn’t. He brought this upon himself and if he were truly sick Meghan would have made an effort to visit him. Don’t feel sorry for him. If anything, feel sorry for Meghan.”
Thomas Markle claimed heart surgery so he could avoid royal wedding https://t.co/czgfPb9iky via @MailOnline
— Michael Jue (@MichaelJJue) July 18, 2018
In the days leading up to the royal wedding, major news outlets such as CNN reported that Thomas Markle was recovering from heart surgery at a hospital near the Mexican border in Tijuana. However, the Daily Mail alleged that there was no record of Markle checking into the Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center on May 16, as he had previously claimed in an interview on Good Morning Britain.
As noted by the Sun, the allegations came shortly after the British tabloid spoke to Thomas Markle, who admitted wanting to go to England so he could repair his strained relationship with Duchess Meghan, close to two months after they had last communicated. He told the publication that he “doesn’t care if [Meghan] is p*ssed off” at him and that he’s willing to keep his potential visit as low-key as possible by staying at a hotel and doing what he could from there to reach his daughter.
While the allegations of Thomas Markle faking his heart issues have yet to be corroborated, his older daughter, Samantha, has consistently maintained that Thomas is really ill, according to the Daily Mail. She has also called her half-sister out multiple times on social media, with her most recent tweets asking Meghan to “pay tribute” to Thomas on his 74th birthday and warning her that it will be “on her” if their father’s health problems prove to be fatal.
