Meghan sued Associated Newspapers publishers of the Mail on Sunday for breach of privacy, data protection, and copyright.
Meghan Markle's father Thomas recently broke his silence on the article that was published in People magazine in 2019, claiming that he believes that his daughter “expressly authorized” or at least “approved” the article. He added that the article was a "total lie,” and portrayed him as “dishonest, exploitative, publicity-seeking, uncaring and cold-hearted.”
The witness statement was unsealed in London's High Court. Meghan sued Associated Newspapers publishers of the Mail on Sunday for printing the extracts of a letter she sent to her 75-year-old father, four months after she married Prince Harry, claiming it was a breach of privacy, data protection, and copyright.
According to The Sun, Thomas said in his statement, “The letter didn’t say she loved me. It showed no concern about the fact I had suffered a heart attack.” His statements are contrary to what Meghan's best friends said. They claimed that the Duchess of Sussex said "I love you" and pleaded with him to stop "victimizing" her in the press.
Thomas, stating his shock, further expressed, “When I read the article ‘The Truth About Meghan’ in People magazine I was shocked by what it said about me. It was a total lie. It misrepresented the tone and content of the letter Meg had written me in August 2018. I quickly decided I wanted to correct that misrepresentation.”
Thomas passed on the letter to the Mail on Sunday to keep his point of view in front of people. “It seemed to me that the article had either been expressly authorized by Meg or she had at the very least known about and approved of its publication. I believed (and still believe) that Meghan wanted her account of the letter to be published.”
Even though Meghan's lawyer Justin Rushbrooke, QC, described the letter as “a heartfelt plea from an anguished daughter to her father," Thomas stated that the letter wasn't an "attempt at a reconciliation. It was a criticism of me.” The father and daughter haven't spoken to each other since Prince Harry and Meghan got married in May 2018.
Thomas even signed a 1,300-word witness statement, dated March 2020, claiming that Meghan never "reached out" to repair their relationship. Her lawyer claimed that she wasn't aware that her friends were talking to People. However, Meghan did admit that she spoke to her friends, but they spoke to the magazine without her permission.
Thomas said, “It seemed to me she must have used these friends to pass information to the Press, information that she wanted published, including information about the letter she had obviously told them she had written. The article also referred to my letter back to Meg which only she would have known about.”
“I had suggested a photo of Meg and me together, as I thought a photo showing we were in a harmonious relationship would make the Press back off.” He further added that Meghan's "inner circle" of friends were wrong when they said that Thomas and his daughter Samantha had lied.
“It was wrong for People magazine to say I had lied about Meg shutting me out — she had shut me out, as the letter from her showed," Thomas said and further added, “I had repeatedly tried to reach her after the wedding but I couldn’t find a way of getting her to talk to me.”
He added in his statement that the story was “wrong and unfair” when it was said that Meghan was financially supporting her father. “Until I read the article in People magazine I had never intended to talk publicly about Meg’s letter to me.” That's when he thought he had to set the "record straight” following which he refused all interview requests and went to Mail on Sunday journalist.
“Readers had to see the letter for themselves — then they would know they were getting the truth,” quoted Fox News. "I did not want the whole of the letter to be published. The reason for that was because I thought the letter as a whole made Meg look terrible. I do not want to attack or hurt her." Meghan's father has pledged that he would witness any trial. Currently, the trial is set for October.
The Royal Household staff, who worked alongside Prince Harry and Meghan, could be asked to give evidence as well as the case is ongoing.
References:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13792070/meghan-markle-dad-thomas-letter-lie-claim/
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/meghan-markle-father-thomas-reason-leaked-private-letter-press