Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: BACKGRID, Getty Images
Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., has reportedly undergone leg-amputation surgery in the Philippines. According to the Daily Mail, Thomas’s left foot and lower leg were removed after a blood clot cut off circulation. The 81-year-old, who moved to the Philippines earlier this year, is now in intensive care.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Thomas’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., explained how his father wound up undergoing the amputation. “My dad is being very brave,” he told the tabloid. “His foot turned blue then black. It happened very quickly. I took him to a local hospital and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated.” Thomas underwent a three-hour procedure in Cebu and reportedly needs another procedure to remove the clot in his leg. Thomas Jr. added that there was “no option” for anything other than amputation and that it was “a case of life or death.”
Thomas has been estranged from Meghan since 2018, when he caused a media spectacle after staging paparazzi photos in the lead-up to her wedding. He then gave several interviews to the British press in which he bashed his daughter for her “sense of superiority” and tried to pick a fight with Queen Elizabeth. During her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan addressed their relationship, saying, “I’ve lost my father.”
Hours after the Daily Mail published its report, a representative for Meghan told People that she had contacted Thomas: “I can confirm she has reached out to her father.”
This post has been updated.
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