Meghan Markle's half-sister, Samantha Markle, has accused her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, of fabricating allegations against their father, Thomas Markle Sr. She claims that his actions were motivated by a financial dispute.
This follows reports that Thomas Markle Jr claimed to have found images allegedly depicting child sexual abuse among his father's belongings in the Philippines, which prompted an investigation by local authorities. Samantha has also questioned whether the material can be linked to their father, stating that the computers in question had been out of his possession for two years.
BREAKING RIGHT NOW: Samantha Markle speaks out over her brother Thomas Markle Jr shopping Meghan's dad Thomas Markle to the police.
— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) October 22, 2026
She tells Dan Wootton Outspoken: "I haven't seen any proof that that came from my dad's devices. My dad was in a rehabilitation hospital and the… pic.twitter.com/2EfyCuQuUK
Samantha Denies Allegations
Samantha told the Daily Mail on Thursday, 'There is no merit in these disgusting allegations whatsoever, and my brother is disgusting for making them up. He wants to destroy our dad. Shame on him'. She alleged that Thomas Jr, who is 60 years old, began making accusations after their father stopped providing him with financial support.
'My brother first came out with these lies a few weeks ago when the cash from my dad was cut off. He has used Dad as a cash cow for years, and once the money stopped, he made up the most outrageous lies he could to try and make money from the media', she told the publication.
Samantha also challenged the circumstances of the discovery. 'There is no proof my dad downloaded any images. Those computers were out of his possession for two years. That leaves a lot of room for tampering', she said. 'These are unsubstantiated allegations. Anyone could have been in contact with those computers over a couple of years. Dad was in a rehabilitation facility and did not have access to those computers'.
Her partner, Mark Phillips, separately criticised Thomas Jr, disputed his account, and alleged that he had previously made false accusations about their father. He also claimed Thomas Jr had run out of money in the Philippines.
Front page of @TheSun https://t.co/mp0a34VvAd pic.twitter.com/XFMxNQhDkp
— Matt Wilkinson (@MattSunRoyal) October 22, 2026
Brother Reports Discovery
According to The Sun, Thomas Jr reported discovering hundreds or possibly thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. He discovered the alleged material on electronic devices, hard drives and inside books.
The Material were stored in four large cardboard boxes associated with his father's belongings in Cebu, Philippines. He reportedly discovered them while searching for a phone for his girlfriend's father and later consulted an IT technician to access the hard drives.
Subsequently, he submitted a sworn statement to Philippine authorities. 'When I found this material, I was horrified, and I had no option but to report my dad', he said. 'I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years–but that stops now. I won't speak to my father ever again unless I'm called to give evidence against him'.
Investigation Remains Unresolved
Thomas Jr first contacted the FBI tip line on 10 July, then alerted Philippine authorities. The Sun reported that the Philippine Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking formed a task force with the Women and Children's Protection Centre to investigate the allegations.
Forensic examination has yet to independently verify these findings. Investigators must still determine the material's origin, handling, and any connection to Thomas Markle Sr.
