Meghan Markle has reportedly extended an olive branch to her father, Thomas Markle Sr, after learning about his emergency leg amputation.
The communication is a significant development in the family dynamics, as the Duchess of Sussex has long had a fraught relationship with her father, even before her marriage to Prince Harry.
Meghan Markle Extends An Olive Branch
A spokesperson for the Duchess confirmed to People that Markle contacted her father, who is residing in the Philippines. Reports revealed that Thomas Sr. underwent surgery after doctors found a blood clot in his leg. His son, Thomas Markle Jr, also confirmed the news in an interview.
Thomas Jr. added that his dad will undergo another procedure to remove the clot on his thigh.
'My dad is being very brave. His foot turned blue and then black. It happened very quickly. I took him to a local hospital, and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated,' he told the stated.
Thomas's other child, Samantha Markle, also opened up about her dad's health struggles. She said that her dad has been through a lot.
'He is a strong man, but he has been through so much. My father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke, and an earthquake,' she said.
Prince Harry's Encouraging Words
Before Markle contacted her dad, reports suggest that Prince Harry was urging his wife to reach out to her estranged father.
'Harry knows estrangement. He made peace with his dad; now he wants Meghan to have the same chance. He's been saying, 'Don't wait, do it now,' a source claimed.
The source added that the Duke of Sussex tried to show the Duchess what reconciliation looks like, and he was hopeful she would agree.
But before reports confirmed that Markle finally reached out to her dad, some critics were convinced the mom of two would stay angry at her father.
Royal Commentators' Incorrect Prediction
On TalkTV, host Kevin O'Sullivan and Kinsey Schofield both said that they do not think Thomas Sr's leg amputation will soften Markle's heart.
'You think she will not even now show a bit of humanity and reach out to him?' he asked.
'No. I think that if she is surrounded by these women like Oprah Winfrey who are glamorising going no contact with your family or glamorising victimhood... These women are sitting around with each other, sharing their 'me tales' about family members that did them wrong, she probably has a support system around her that are encouraging her to ignore the headlines,' Schofield said.
Schofield then slammed Markle for sharing a video of Prince Harry with Stephen Colbert on the same day that her dad made headlines due to his health struggles.
Why Meghan Markle Stopped Talking to Her Dad
Markle used to be very close to her dad, especially as a young girl. However, their relationship turned sour ahead of the Sussexes' royal wedding in 2018. Thomas Sr admitted to posing for several staged paparazzi photos at the time, an act for which he was paid.
The former Suits star also had concerns about her dad talking to the press nonstop. And in order to protect her family, she decided to stop talking to him completely.
