Meghan Markle's father refuses to be in 'limelight right now' after stroke

Meghan Markle's estranged father Thomas Markle Sr. is recovering following a stroke in May last year. A close friend said he has regained his speech but does not want to be in the spotlight for now.

The former Hollywood lighting director was in a series of TV interviews before the stroke affected his ability to speak. In his interviews, he mostly criticised his own daughter and her husband, Prince Harry while sharing his support for the British Royal Family.

It has been over a year of silence from his end. But according to Karl Larsen, despite having regained his health and his speech, Markle Sr. is still not ready to get back in the limelight. The celebrity photographer, who set up the YouTube channel "Remarkable Friendship" with the 79-year-old, told Newsweek of his recent conversation with the Duchess of Sussex's father.

"I invited [Thomas] to come stay at my house during the hurricane we had here [in California]. But he said he's gonna ride it out," Larsen said.

He added of his friend, "He said, 'After a stroke, there's nothing I'm afraid of.' That's literally what he said to me. He did get his voice back but he doesn't want to be part of the limelight right now."

Markle Sr. had at one point pledged to give an interview every month until his daughter forgives him and lets him back in her life. He told "Good Morning Britain" back in March 2021, "Bottom line is I've never heard back from Meghan or Harry in any way shape or form. 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 said he will stop talking to the press if Meghan Markle and Prince Harry decide to talk to him. Yet the Duchess of Sussex did not even reach out to her father following news of his stroke, which infuriated her half-sister Samantha Markle.

She denied rumours that the royal tried to get in touch with their father saying that even though he could not speak, "his language comprehension is perfect" so he could have replied to text messages had the duchess texted him.

Instead, Meghan Markle was seen visiting the memorial for the victims of the Uvalde school massacre in Texas. The former "Suits" star has been estranged from her father since before her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018.