- LISTEN: Thomas Markle: How The Grubbiest Royal Scandal in History Unfolded - Listen to the latest Daily Mail Deep Dive podcast
- READ MORE: Thomas Markle's alcoholic ex-wife, the wayward son he 'cut off financially' - and how the grubbiest royal scandal in history unfolded
It must be 'awful' for Meghan Markle to have to contend constantly with such a 'ghastly' extended family, Senior Features Writer Guy Adams has told the Daily Mail's Deep Dive podcast.
Having spent days investigating Meghan's estranged family, the award-winning reporter sat down with host Chris Pleasance to unpick the disturbing allegations levelled against Thomas Markle Senior.
Last week, it emerged that police in the Philippines were investigating the 82-year-old over allegations he possessed child sexual abuse material.
asserted
he → listen → material
The material was allegedly found in boxes shipped to Cebu from the home he had shared with his son in Mexico.
uncertain
he → find → Mexico
The retired television lighting director, who Meghan has not had a relationship with since 2018, strenuously denies the accusations.
asserted
Meghan → have → accusations
As reported by The Sun, it was Mr Markle's only son, Thomas Junior, who tipped police off.
asserted
who → report → police
The 60-year-old, who had been living with his father in the Philippines, said he discovered photographs and DVDs inside four cardboard boxes while searching for an old phone.
asserted
he → live → phone
The allegations drew a swift response from the Duchess, who said she was 'deeply distressed' and that her thoughts were with 'any children who may have been harmed'.
uncertain
who → draw → children
It must be 'awful' for Meghan Markle to have to contend constantly with such a 'ghastly' extended family, Senior Features Writer Guy Adams has told Deep Dive
Last week, it emerged that police in the Philippines were investigating the 82-year-old over allegations he possessed child sexual abuse material
Thomas Markle: How The Grubbiest Royal Scandal in History Unfolded - Listen to the latest Daily Mail Deep Dive podcast
Guy told Deep Dive that Meghan is 'in some ways a victim' in the affair, and praised the way she has handled the claims against her father.
uncertain
she → have → father
He said: 'It feels crass to say someone comes out of anything as grim as this looking good.
asserted
someone → say → this
But, if the story's true, she's a victim and if it's not true, I think one would sympathise with her for having such a ghastly family.
asserted
one → think → family
They all come across as terrible and trailer trashy.
asserted
They → come → ?
It would be awful to have that kind of extended family.
asserted
It → have → family
It's very hard to predict where stories like this will run.'
asserted
stories → predict → this
Guy emphasised that Meghan's estranged relatives had all at various stages sold each other out to the press, behaving, in his view, 'pretty reprehensibly'.
asserted
relatives → emphasise → view
While Thomas Jnr is enjoying good headlines for reporting his father, the reporter said his motives are not clear cut.
asserted
motives → enjoy → father
Thomas Jnr has insisted he acted out of duty, telling The Sun: 'When I found this material, I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad.'
'He's had quite a chaotic life over the years', Guy explained.
asserted
Guy → insist → years
'He's been arrested a few times.
asserted
He → arrest → ?
Charges were dismissed in that case.
asserted
Charges → dismiss → case
Since his sister became very famous, he's given a number of interviews about the family.
asserted
he → become → family
'In one case, he sold a tape recording of his father talking about his love life to the National Enquirer.
asserted
father → sell → Enquirer
Thomas Jnr (pictured) has insisted he acted out of duty, telling The Sun: 'When I found this material, I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad.'
Samantha Markle, the Duchess of Sussex's half-sister, (left) has said if her mother did report her father over alleged child sex abuse, it was motivated by 'hatred and bitterness'
asserted
it → picture → hatred
Samantha Markle, 61, Meghan's half-sister and a staunch defender of their father, has accused her brother of making up the allegations to make money from the media.
asserted
Markle → accuse → media
In an interview with the Daily Mail, she claimed Thomas Snr had recently cut his son off financially, changing the passwords on his own account, which his son had been able to access.
asserted
son → claim → which
'According to Samantha Markle', Guy began.
uncertain
Guy → accord → Markle
'When Thomas Snr returned to America, the family had to sort out his medical care and circumstances.
asserted
family → return → care
'They started looking at his bank account and realised that sums of money were being extracted from the account on quite a regular basis by someone who wasn't him.
asserted
who → start → someone
'Under the guise of paying for their housekeeping or whatever, he was just taking lots of money from his dad's account.
asserted
he → pay → account
Thomas Snr thought: 'I didn't authorise this', so he changed the passwords on his bank account to stop this money being transferred out.
asserted
money → think → account
'It was in July this year that this came to a head… according to Samantha, it was at this point he made allegations about his father.
uncertain
he → come → father
That's not to say the allegations are true or not, but that's the background.
asserted
that → say → ?
There are obviously questions about what Thomas Junior's motive was.'
asserted
motive → be → ?
Thomas Jnr has not commented on the claims about his father's bank account.
uncertain
Jnr → comment → account
Thomas Senior has declared he will do 'whatever it takes' to clear his name, although he is said to be in severe ill health.
asserted
he → declare → health
No charges have been brought, and Philippine police say they are still waiting on a warrant to examine the devices, a process expected to take about a week once it is granted.
asserted
it → bring → process
The case continues.
asserted
case → continue → ?
Listen to the podcast in full by searching for Deep Dive, wherever you get your podcasts.
asserted
you → listen → podcasts
The Aporia
