Meghan Markle didn't write 'I love you' in letter, claims estranged father

Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Markle, has made several claims against her in a witness statement he submitted to the court in her privacy case against a British tabloid over the publication of a letter she had sent to him over two years ago. Pals of the Duchess of Sussex previously claimed that she told her father she loved him in the letter and wanted to reconcile, however, Thomas says that this is a "total lie."

In his statement in favour of the British tabloid, Thomas Markle denied the "suggestions" made by five friends of his daughter in a People magazine article at the time. A longtime pal of the "Suits" alum was quoted in the article as saying: "After the wedding she wrote him a letter. She's like, "Dad, I'm so heartbroken. I love you. I have one father. Please stop victimizing me through the media so we can repair our relationship."

Thomas says that his daughter had instead spurned him in the controversial letter which "signalled the end" of their relationship, not a reconciliation, reports The Sun. The 76-year-old wrote: "When I read the article 'The Truth About Meghan' in People magazine I was shocked by what it said about me. It was a total lie. It misrepresented the tone and content of the letter Meg had written me in August 2018. I quickly decided I wanted to correct that misrepresentation."

"This suggested to people that Meg had reached out to me with the letter, saying in the letter she loved me and that she wanted to repair our relationship. The letter didn't say she loved me. It showed no concern about the fact I had suffered a heart attack," he added.

Thomas believes that Meghan had either authorised or was at least aware of the article containing quotes from her friends, as she "wanted her account of the letter to be published." He adds: "The article also referred to my letter back to Meg which only she would have known about."

The 1,300-word witness statement by Thomas is dated March 2020. The lighting director has pledged to be a witness at any trial in the case which is currently set for October.