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Meghan Markle has been accused of launching an alleged ‘smear campaign’ against her frail father Thomas Markle, in bombshell allegations tabled in a UK court. This comes as her estranged dad will reportedly be called as a witness to testify against her.
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In documents filed by British newspaper the Mail on Sunday, as part of its legal defence after action was taken against them by the Duchess of Sussex, it is claimed that Meghan was behind highly critical allegations about her father that were published last year in US magazine People.
The newspaper claims that comments by five anonymous friends quoted in the magazine piece were planted by the Duchess to help her image and discredit her father.
Meghan is suing the paper for damages after it published parts of a letter she wrote to her father after her wedding, claiming its publication represents a breach of copyright and was an infringement on her privacy.
Thomas claims he released the letter after the critical story appeared in People magazine – an article that the Mail on Sunday alleges insinuated that Thomas had made ‘false claims’ about his daughter and was ‘entirely at fault’ for not being present at her wedding to Prince Harry.
One friend in the People article was quoted as saying, ‘It’s super-painful, because Meg was always so dutiful. I think she will always feel genuinely devastated by what he’s done. And at the same time, because she’s his daughter, she has a lot of sympathy for him.’
The Mail on Sunday alleges the information ‘could only have come (directly or indirectly) from the claimant, not least because it presented events entirely from her perspective.
‘The People interview depicted Mr Markle as having acted unreasonably and unlovingly, having cold-shouldered his daughter, and being solely to blame for the estrangement.
‘This was a one-sided and/or misleading and false narrative.’
The Mail further alleges that the article accuses Meghan’s father of ‘breaking her heart, manufacturing pain, being paranoid, fabricating stories, attacking Prince Harry and continually lying.’
Thomas had heart surgery five days before Meghan’s wedding. It is claimed in court documents he received a text message ‘admonishing Mr Markle for talking to the press and telling him to stop — and accusing Mr Markle of causing hurt to his daughter.
‘The text did not ask how the surgical procedure had gone or how Mr Markle was or send him good wishes.
‘Mr Markle was deeply hurt and responded with a curt message: “I’ve done nothing to hurt you Meghan or anyone else. I’m sorry my heart attack is any inconvenience for you”.’
The court case may potentially involve Meghan being called as a witness, and she could be required to present text messages and other correspondence as evidence. According to the Daily Mirror, Thomas may be called as a witness to testify against his daughter, in what is already being called ‘the trial of the century.’
‘The estranged father and daughter appear to be on a collision course after reports that the newspaper signed up Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, as its star witness,’ reports the paper.
‘The Mail on Sunday will argue there is a huge public interest in the personal relationships of members of the royal family as part of its defence.’
