Meghan Markle’s estranged father Thomas has reportedly been rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. At the time of this writing, he is allegedly in intensive care.
Thomas Rushed To Hospital
Thomas Markle, 81, was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday after falling gravely ill at his home in the Philippines. He then underwent a surgery on Wednesday that took around three hours to complete. Thomas is reportedly now in intensive care as he faces a second procedure to remove a blood clot.
“I took dad to a hospital close to our home and they did various scans and the doctors said his life was in imminent danger,” his son Thomas Markle Jr., who is Meghan’s half brother, told Daily Mail.
“They raced us by ambulance, with the sirens going, to a much bigger hospital in the centre of the city,” he continued. “My dad has undergone emergency surgery. I would ask everyone around the world to keep him in their thoughts.”
Thomas’s daughter Samantha, 61, has since spoken out to express her belief that the stress of the past few years have taken a toll on her father’s health.
“He is a strong man, but he has been through so much,” she lamented. “I am praying that he is strong enough to survive this.”
“My father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke and an earthquake,” Samantha added. “I hope he can pull through this.”
Meghan’s Estrangement From Thomas
Meghan, 44, has been estranged from her father and the rest of the Markle side of her family ever since right before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, 41. The Duchess of Sussex has yet to comment on her father’s current situation. Instead, she released her Netflix Christmas special on Wednesday, the very same day her father underwent his emergency surgery.
“My only wish is that Meghan shows my father some compassion. He is literally fighting for his life,” said Thomas Jr., 59, who has been his father’s caregiver ever since he suffered a stroke a few years ago.
Thomas and his son moved to the Philippines back in January of this year. At the time, Thomas said he was going there to “escape” the constant reminders of his estrangement from Meghan.
“Every day there was some story or other about Meghan and Harry,” Thomas previously said. “It was a constant reminder that my daughter is no longer speaking to me. I still do not understand why she continues to ghost me. My only wish is to see my grandchildren before I die.”
Thomas, who is a retired Emmy-award winning Hollywood lighting director, has never met his grandchildren Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4. Meghan reportedly hasn’t spoken to him ever since he posed for paparazzi pictures on the eve of her wedding. Thomas later defended himself by explaining that he was convinced to pose for the photographs because he believed they would show him in a “better light.”
“Meghan and Harry did nothing to prepare me for the attention I was getting,” he lamented. “The paparazzi were getting pictures of me every day and they were very unflattering. I believed the photographer when he said putting nice pictures out there would show me in a better light.”
Meghan’s History With Her Father
Thomas split from Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland when she was 3. Meghan lived with her father from the time that she was 11-18. He then paid the $250,000 tuition costs for her to attend Northwestern University. Thomas even kept paying off this debt when Meghan was already an established actress on the television series Suits. By the end of her run on that show, she was earning $40,000 an episode.
“I said I would pay for her education and I did,” Thomas previously said. “She went to private schools from kindergarten on. I finished paying her university debt when she was already well established as an actress and making good money. But I believed it was my duty as a father to give her the best education and the best start possible in life.”
“We were always so close,” he continued. “Being shut out of her life is the biggest tragedy of my life. I don’t understand what I did so wrong that she never talked to me again. I have been upset at my daughter, I have been angry at her at times – but I have never stopped loving her.”
Thomas’ son is expecting his father to remain in hospital for “a long time,” adding that he is facing a “grueling” recovery.Ā
“I would ask Meg, on a week when she has released a TV show talking about the power of love and family, to reach out to our dad,” Thomas Jr. concluded. “She needs to start showing the compassion she preaches about.”
Meghan did indeed preach about the power of love and family in her Christmas special. Please join us in saying a prayer for her father Thomas Markle as he remains in intensive care.