'She Won't Even Call Him': Meghan Markle Praises Togetherness on Netflix as She Avoids Her 81-Year-Old Dad Recovering From a Leg Amputation Overseas
Dec. 13 2025, Published 4:15 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle has no plans to travel to the Philippines to visit her seriously ill father, Thomas Markle, despite being able to do so by private jet, according to multiple sources.
The revelation comes just days after the Duchess of Sussex highlighted the importance of family in her glossy Netflix holiday special, With Love, Meghan: A Holiday Celebration.
Meghan has also faced renewed criticism from members of her own family, who claim she has failed to contact her estranged father during his medical crisis, RadarOnline.com can report.
Thomas and Meghan Markle
Thomas Markle, 81, underwent emergency surgery in the Philippines, resulting in a leg amputation.
On December 3 — the same day Meghan's holiday special premiered — Thomas, 81, was rushed into surgery in the Philippines, where he lives, after doctors discovered a dangerous blood clot in his leg. The emergency resulted in a leg amputation, and he is currently recovering at the University of Cebu Medical Centre.
While a spokesperson for the Duchess initially said she had "reached out" to her father, Thomas disputed that claim and told outlets, "I don't want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too."
Meghan's representative later said she had managed to get a letter to her father several days later. "It has been exceedingly difficult for the duchess to contact her father privately, despite her efforts over the past several days," the rep said. "With the support of reliable and trusted contacts, her correspondence is now safely in his hands."
Avoiding Family
The situation unfolded just as Markle released her Netflix holiday special celebrating family.
Despite the communication, multiple sources questioned why Meghan has not traveled to see her father in person. One source familiar with the situation said, "If she knows where he is, why wouldn't she go to him?"
The source noted that Markle could easily make the roughly 15-hour trip from Los Angeles to the Philippines using a private jet, adding, "She rarely flies commercial."
As previously reported, Meghan and Prince Harry have used private aircraft in the past, including a lavish 12-seater Cessna jet paid for by Sir Elton John and a private plane chartered for their trip to Vancouver in February 2024. A source previously told an outlet, "They certainly don't like to spend their own money."
Another person familiar with the family claimed the Duchess had access to her father's contact information early on, saying, "Meghan had her father's number and room and hospital name very early on … she won't even call him."
Estranged Relationship
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One family source claimed Meghan had her father’s hospital information early on but still did not call him.
Meghan and Thomas have been estranged since May 2018, shortly before she married Prince Harry. The rift followed Thomas' decision to stage paparazzi photos ahead of the royal wedding.
Reflecting on the fallout, Thomas previously told Good Morning Britain in 2018, "They [the press] were making me an alcoholic, calling me names, talking about the way I dress. So, I, yes, I went for this deal where this man was going to make me look better. Maybe I got sucked into it, but I believed him, and I thought it was going to work. It didn't work. I wish I hadn't done the whole thing."
Thomas was ultimately unable to attend his daughter's wedding after suffering a heart attack, and King Charles walked her down the aisle.
In her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan said her father had lied to her about working with the paparazzi.
