The half-brother of Meghan Markle today tells how her upcoming marriage to Prince Harry has torn his family apart, after labelling his sister “phoney”.
In a bombshell interview exactly one month from the ceremony, Thomas Markle Jr questions the royal-bride-to-be, calling out her carefully crafted image as a champion of the people and her desire to be the next Princess Diana.
Thomas said: “Meg likes to portray herself as a humanitarian, a people’s person and a charitable person but she is none of those things to her family.
“She is giving the greatest performance of her life. She is acting phoney.
“Once she got into Hollywood she turned into a different person.
“Meg is living a certain lifestyle now, and everything’s fast-paced but she’s forgotten her roots and her family.
“Maybe the normal American family she has is embarrassing to her because we’re not producers and executive producers.
“There’s a whole different side of her that has started to surface and it’s ugly to see.”
Father-of-two Tom, who has the same father as Meghan, has told how his entire family has been shunned by the Suits actress despite him repeatedly coming to her defence after her estranged half-sister attacked her.
He points out that 600 guests have been invited to the wedding and an extra 2,500 members of the public have been asked to help celebrate the occasion, while they remain clueless.
“I’m not bitter, just baffled,” he said.
“It’s hurtful given how close we once were.”
For two years between 2009 and 2011, Tom says he and Meghan spent almost every other weekend together as they cared for their grandmother, Doris.
“Over the years our grandmother became increasingly ill. She had dementia,” Tom explained.
“My dad moved her into a home in Glendale in Los Angeles as she began walking the neighbourhood and putting on the stove.
“Me and him would go every weekend, and Meg came every other.
“She was great with her. Meg would read to her all time and show her books with pictures in.
“We were so close back then, but when our grandmother died, she moved to Toronto to start filming Suits.
"I didn’t see her. I haven’t seen her since late 2011.
“I still had her back though, that is why I defended her so much when others spoke out.”
The “others” Tom refers to is mainly his sister, Samantha Markle.
When news of Meghan’s romance with Harry, 33, broke in October 2016, she savagely attacked her half-sibling.
She claimed the actress, 36, abandoned her relatives in a desperate bid to become famous.
“The royal family would be appalled by what she’s done to her own family,” said former model Samantha.
“The truth would kill her relationship with Prince Harry.”
The 53-year-old, who lives in Florida, also accused Meghan of long-harbouring ambitions to join the royal family.
“She always preferred Harry – she has a soft spot for gingers.”
It led Tom to leap to Meghan’s defence, attacking his sister for her comments.
“All I can say is like it all started with Samantha. That’s how I got involved in this, coming to Meghan’s defence.
“Samantha immediately started bloating about the fact that she’s ‘My pushy
Princess sister’ and all this.
“But me coming to her defence, trying to put, you know, put a lid on Samantha and get her to be quiet, backfired and started a rift of insults.
“It has since torn my entire family apart.
“None of us has heard a word from Meg and what with all that has been said no longer do I speak to Samantha or my two sons.
"I had hoped Meg might have appreciated the support I gave but it’s meant nothing to her, it would seem.”
Tom revealed he has been in contact with the Palace on three occasions – the most recent to senior communications officer Katrina McKeever on March 29 – in the hope of speaking to his half-sister.
He sent an email providing his new address in Grants Pass, Oregon, to ensure if he were asked to the wedding he would receive his invite.
“The last email I sent has been completely ignored. They did not even acknowledge its receipt” explained the glazer.
“That whole thing is hurtful.
“I’m confused and a little distraught about it because here is a person knowing the position that she’s in and knowing the scrutiny that she’s under and yet she has forgotten her flesh and blood.
“She’s got to represent and follow up on the person she wants people to believe she is, but to me it’s just not the case.
“I’ve read that Meg wants to be like Diana.
"Diana was worshipped by everyone in the world. She was loved for the right reasons.
“That’s what Meg wants, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. She’s not genuine like Diana.”
Tom says he has asked himself over and over why Meghan has shunned his family, even questioning whether a recent domestic incident with fiancee Darlene Blount, 37, might be to blame.
He was detained after a drunken altercation led police to be called, but the matter was later dropped with no charges brought.
“No family is perfect,” adds the 51-year-old. “All families have their disputes and trouble.Harry has not exactly been perfect in the past.”
Tom also said he hoped Her Majesty and Prince Charles would also play a role in ensuring Meghan’s dad, Thomas Snr, was at the wedding.
Now just four weeks away from the ceremony and still there has been no confirmation the 73-year-old will travel from his home in Rosarito, Mexico, to Windsor Castle to give his daughter away.
Speaking of his father, Tom said: “He’d be uncomfortable at the wedding due to how many people are there, but he’d do it for her.”
