Meghan Markle slams newspaper for reporting from ailing father's bedside
What's the story
Meghan Markle has accused British news portal the Daily Mail of breaching ethical boundaries by reporting from her estranged father Thomas Markle's hospital bedside. Thomas is currently hospitalized in the Philippines after undergoing a leg amputation surgery. He had earlier claimed he hadn't received any messages from Markle, which she denies. A spokesperson for Markle said that the newspaper's presence made it difficult for her to contact him privately.
DMG response
'Daily Mail' denies Markle's allegations, defends reporter's actions
DMG Media, the parent company of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, has denied the Duchess's allegations. The company said Caroline Graham, a journalist who reported on Thomas's condition, has been a friend of his since 2018. They said Thomas asked her to be with him in the hospital when he fell ill, and she provided him with "care and support" during his stay. Despite this issue, Markle's letter has been confirmed to have reached her father.
Family rift
Markle's strained relationship with father and ongoing legal battles
Markle and Thomas have been estranged since 2018, right before she married Prince Harry. Thomas was supposed to walk Markle down the aisle, but pulled out due to health issues. Their relationship soured further after it was revealed that he had collaborated with newspapers and staged paparazzi photos before the wedding. In a letter published by the Mail on Sunday, Markle asked her father to stop speaking to the media, saying it "actually signaled the end of our relationship."
Legal action
Prince Harry's privacy lawsuit against 'Daily Mail' publisher
The controversy comes just weeks before the beginning of Prince Harry's privacy lawsuit against the Daily Mail publisher. The lawsuit is over allegations of unlawful information gathering, including hiring private investigators to install listening devices and accessing private phone conversations. The claimants include Elton John, David Furnish, Liz Hurley, Sadie Frost, and others. Associated Newspapers Limited denies these allegations.