Meghan Markle Turns To TV Dad Wendell Pierce Amid Drama With Real Father Thomas
Feb. 25 2019, Updated 11:42 a.m. ET
Amid ongoing drama with her own father, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively Meghan Markle has reconnected with her on-screen Suits dad, Wendell Pierce.
“Meghan and Wendell worked together for years and he really cared about her like she was his own daughter,” an insider told RadarOnline.com. “He’s been defending her lately and she was so touched by his comments that she reached out to him.”
Pierce, 54, who played Robert Zane on the hit USA series, shared some wise words with Markle months before her royal wedding to Prince Harry. In an interview with The Telegraph, Pierce revealed he had a fatherly heart-to-heart chat with the would-be royal, as they filmed her character Rachel Zane's wedding scene for Suits.
"We had a moment I cherish," the actor said. "I was sitting with Meghan in her wedding dress, as we waited for a set-up. We were alone. I said to her, 'Your life is going to change. It's going to be amazing, but I want you to know that I'm your friend, and no matter where you are or what's going on — if the fishbowl that you're in ever starts getting to you — you can call me.”
Markle, 37, has apparently already cashed in on her faux father’s offer, especially in light of the ongoing emotional turmoil with her real dad, Thomas.
“Meghan would never admit it publicly, but she does feel vulnerable after all the drama with Thomas and she likes that she has a father figure from her old world for support,” the insider added.
As RadarOnline.com readers know, Thomas, 74, caused quite a stir in the days leading up to the royal wedding, when he was caught in a staged photo scandal and then said he had to undergo emergency heart surgery and couldn’t walk his daughter down the aisle.
He was later banned for life from royal events, after he blindsided the family with a surprise TV interview. Meghan has since cut off all contact with her dad, while friends say she needs a father figure in her life.
Enter Pierce.
“She’s still adjusting to life as a royal, and he’s been someone that she can really lean on,” the insider added. “Wendell has made it clear that he’ll be there for her through anything, and she’s grateful to have him by her side.”
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