Meghan Markle distressed by father's child abuse material allegations

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said she was deeply distressed by reports that her estranged father, Thomas Markle, is under investigation in the Philippines for alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials, according to NBC News and CBS News.

Meghan stated she was informed by police about disturbing allegations against her father back in 2018, and that a letter detailing these concerns was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in the UK at that time, as reported by CBS News.

The British tabloid The Sun reported that Thomas Markle's son, Thomas Jr., notified authorities in the Philippines after allegedly finding child abuse materials at his father's home. The Sun also published a photo said to show Thomas Jr. signing a sworn statement.

Thomas Markle denied the allegations, calling them "sick lies" and stating he had never downloaded such materials, according to statements reported by NBC News and the Daily Mail.

Meghan indicated she had distanced herself from her father to protect her children, emphasizing that any perceived media distortion about her relationship with her father was related to safeguarding her family, as noted by CBS News.