Meghan Markle is reportedly “devastated” by her father’s latest arrest. Thomas Markle Sr. was handcuffed and escorted away in his wheelchair after a recent discovery of alleged child sex abuse images.
A source close to the Duchess of Sussex claimed to People in this week’s cover story, “She is devastated. This is her dad, someone she grew up trusting and was very close to for many years. The allegations are devastating for her. There’s a lot of sadness.”
On the morning of November 6, Thomas was arrested on a federal charge involving child sexual abuse material allegedly found in the storage units he rented in the Los Angeles area. He was escorted by federal agents from his assisted-living home in Lakeland, Florida.
According to the Department of Justice, investigators seized approximately 78 items containing suspected child sexual abuse material from two L.A.-area storage units that Thomas had rented for almost two decades. The material included slides, film negatives, and even books.
Meghan Markle leans on mom Doria as family crisis deepens
Another source told the outlet that while Meghan is troubled by the emerging revelations about her estranged father, she still has a strong support system to rely on. “She’s holding up. She has a lot of friends and family to lean on.”
Apparently, this includes her mother, Doria Ragland. “Meghan and her mother are very close,” the insider said. “They’re supporting each other.” Reports reveal that Doria has also assisted the authorities in the case when she was reportedly shown redacted versions of suspected child sexual abuse images to identify her former husband as the man pictured.
A source said that Meghan is also prepared to cooperate with authorities investigating the allegations, and has been in frequent contact with her mother. “She misses her mom since moving to England, and this makes her miss her even more,” the source said. “They’ve been speaking a lot. Being able to talk to her mom helps, even though she wishes they could be together.”
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
