Back in December, we reported that Meghan Markle’s estranged father Thomas had his leg amputated in emergency surgery to save his life. Now, it’s been revealed that Thomas, 81, has started dating his 46 year-old nurse in the wake of this amputation.
Thomas Finds Love Again
Thomas confirmed to Daily Mail that he is dating his Filipina nurse Rio Canedo. Indeed, he is feeling “blessed and beyond happy” to have found love again after Meghan, 44, allegedly “dumped” him after her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
“I never expected to find joy and happiness again at my age. I felt neglected and sad for so many years but now I am enjoying life again,” Thomas said. “After so many tough times I feel truly blessed to have found someone very special who takes such good care of me.”
Rio, who is a mother of two grown children, didn’t know who Thomas was when he checked into the rehab hospital where she works in Cebu in the Philippines. Thomas and his son Thomas Jr., 59, moved there back in January 0f 2025.
While Thomas is expecting backlash from the “Sussex Squad” over his new love, he doesn’t care about that one bit.
“I know some people will say hurtful things but I don’t care,” he explained. “I want to talk about this because I never thought I would ever be happy again. I want people to know you’re never too old to find peace and love.”
“There’s a lot of negative things going on in the world and if my story can give a little hope to one person then I’m happy,” Thomas continued. “The haters will hate but, to be honest, I don’t give a damn. Life is for living. There’s nothing more important in life than love.”
Meghan And Thomas’ Estrangement
Meghan and Thomas have been estranged ever since just before her 2018 wedding to Harry. Thomas lamented that though he has tried to contact Meghan many times in the years since then, she has yet to respond to him.
“I still don’t know why she ghosted me,” Thomas said.
Thomas suffered a debilitating stroke back in 2022. It robbed him of his ability to speak for weeks. Last year, Thomas decided to move to the Philippines in the hopes of avoiding constant reminders of Meghan and her two young children, who he has yet to meet.
“After my stroke things were not great. I wanted to go to the other side of the world to a place where the people are kind,” Thomas admitted. “The Philippines have a gentler way of life. I never expected to meet Rio and have my life changed in such a wonderful way.”
‘Life Is Good…’
Rio still cares for Thomas in the rehab center in Cebu. She pushes him to drink more water, and she has him on a no-sugar diet. This has resulted in Thomas losing quite a bit of weight.
“I finally feel safe and well-cared for,” Thomas gushed. “I’ve got pneumonia but I’m not feeling sorry for myself because I have Rio taking such good care of me. I hardly watch the news. I live in a world where people are kind to each other. The nurses and doctors here in the Philippines are wonderful.”
“People here don’t have all the worldly goods we have in the West but they respect and care for older people,” he concluded. “There are young trainee nurses here who we call the ‘munchkins’ and all I hear all day long are peels of laughter. I was sad about Meghan for so long but now I finally feel like I can laugh again. Life is good.”
After all that Thomas has been through over the past few years, we’re glad that he’s found love again. Here’s hoping that Thomas and Rio have many years of happiness together to come!