Meghan Markle’s Dad Claps Back After Oprah Interview & Reveals Why He Insists On Talking To The Press

Thomas Markle appeared on 'Good Morning Britain' with a response to his daughter and son-in-law's interview with Oprah Winfrey, saying how 'disappointed' he was and more. Watch the clip.

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March 9, 2021 9:20AM EST
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Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry Dusseldorf Invictus Games One Year to Go event, Germany - 06 Sep 2022
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R) and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive at the United Nations for the 2020 UN Nelson Mandela Prize at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, New York, USA, 18 July 2022. Nelson Mandela International Day is observed on 18 July every year. Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit United Nations to mark Nelson Mandela Day, New York, USA - 18 Jul 2022
Image Credit: MEGA

Thomas Markle made an appearance on the March 9 episode of Good Morning Britain, where he shared his reaction to the bombshell interview featuring his daughter, Meghan Markle, and son-in-law, Prince Harry, speaking with Oprah Winfrey about their experience as members of the Royal Family. Thomas, 76, confessed that he was “very disappointed” by the interview. “I’ve apologized for this thing, what happened, at least a hundred times, or so,” he said, referencing his collaboration with tabloids.

“The bottom line is I’ve never heard back from Meghan or Harry in any way shape or form,” he continued. “When they say that I’m…taking advantage of the press, well, basically what I do, because I haven’t heard from them, is I’ll do a story for the press,” he admitted. “If I don’t hear from them in 30 days, then I’ll do another story for the press.” Thomas revealed that he has “yet to hear from [Meghan and Prince Harry].” But also that he “would love to hear from them.”

Thomas, who was previously married to Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, from 1979-1987, revealed why he continues to speak to the press. “Because they’re not talking to me,” he said. “When they decide to talk to me, I’ll stop talking to the press.” Another segment from the interview featured Thomas expressing “great respect for the royals,” and insisting, “I don’t think the British Royal Family are racist,” referencing an alleged conversation Prince Harry had with an unnamed member of the Royal Family about Prince Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie‘s, skin tone.

Thomas Markle appeared on the March 9 episode of ‘Good Morning Britain’ following his daughter, Meghan Markle’s, and son-in-law, Prince Harry’s, interview with Oprah Winfrey [MEGA].
Viewers took to Twitter to defend the Duchess of Sussex, 39, following her father’s interview on GMB. “Can’t believe what I watched,” one Twitter user wrote. “So he’s just admitted on National TV that he sells stories about his daughter to the press because she hasn’t contacted him and people are defending him!! Shameful!!” Another person wrote, “I feel sorry for [Meghan] and her mother to have such manipulative family members.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry talked to Oprah Winfrey in an explosive interview on March 7 [Shutterstock].
Thomas’ appearance on GMB comes nearly two days after Meghan and Prince Harry talked to Oprah in their March 7 CBS interview, where Meghan opened up about how “betrayed” she felt by her father’s decision to talk to the press in the time leading up to her wedding. “If we’re going to use the word betrayal, it’s because when we were told by the comms team that this was going to be a story coming out – the tabloids had apparently known for a month or so and decided to hold until the Sunday before our wedding to create drama, which is also really key in all of this,” Meghan shared, referencing stories that were published days before her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Of those stories, staged photos of her father reading books about Britain and getting fitted for a suit were among them.

“We called my dad and I asked him and he said ‘No, absolutely not [I didn’t talk to the tabloids].’ I said, ‘You know, the institution has never intervened for anything for us but they can try to go in and kill this story, but if they do this once, we’re not going to be able to use this leverage to protect our own kids one day.’ I said, ‘I just need you to tell me the truth and we can help. And he wasn’t able to do that,” Meghan claimed. “That, for me, has really resonated, especially now as a mother.”