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Meghan Markle ’s tabloid lawsuit has led to the release of her and Prince Harry ’s private messages with her father Thomas Markle. The personal texts were disclosed in legal documents ahead of the Duchess of Sussex’s first court hearing on Friday against Associated Newspapers, whom the Suits alum is suing for publishing the contents of a private letter she sent her dad in August 2018. According to the BBC , Meghan claims the messages were misquoted to paint her in a negative light, and also caused a dispute between her and Thomas.
The newly released texts give insight into the days and weeks leading up to Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding in 2018, which Thomas did not attend after undergoing heart surgery. On May 15, 2018, the Duchess texted her dad: “I’ve been reaching out to you all weekend but you’re not taking any of our calls or replying to any texts/ Very concerned about your health and safety and have taken every measure to protect you but not sure what more we can do if you don’t respond. / Do you need help? Can we send the security team down again? I’m very sorry to hear you’re in the hospital but need you to please get in touch with us ... What hospital are you at?”
Meghan sent a follow-up message shortly after saying: “Harry and I made a decision earlier today and are dispatching the same security guys you turned away this weekend to be a presence on the ground to make sure you’re safe ... they will be there at your disposal as soon as you need them. Please, please call as soon as you can.. all of this is incredibly concerning but your health is most important.” Thomas replied that he was okay and would be staying at the hospital for a few days, but refused their security offer.
After it was revealed that Thomas had staged paparazzi photos of himself prepping for his daughter’s wedding, Harry reached out to his then-future father-in-law. “Tom, Harry again! Really need to speak to u,” the Duke texted. “U do not need to apologize, we understand the circumstances but ‘going public’ will only make the situation worse. If u love Meg and want to make it right please call me as there are two other options which don’t involve u having to speak to the media, who incidentally created this whole situation. So please call me so I can explain. Meg and I are not angry, we just need to speak to u. Thanks.”
Harry added, “Oh any speaking to the press WILL backfire, trust me Tom. Only we can help u, as we have been trying from day 1.” Thomas did not reply to the messages. The legal documents revealed that Meghan had missed a call from her father at 4:57am on the day of her wedding, but has allegedly not received a text or call from him since.
Meghan’s hearing on Friday will be held virtually rather than in person amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ahead of the court date, the Sussexes, who stepped away from royal duties last month and are no longer participating in the Royal Rota system, announced that they are severing ties with British tabloids—The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Mirror and The Express. A spokesperson for the couple said that the couple took the drastic step because of “distorted, false or invasive” stories . Archie Harrison’s parents noted that they have watched people, as well as strangers, “have their lives completely pulled apart for no good reason, other than the fact that salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue” and they refuse to “offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion.”