Thomas Markle Jr has publicly apologised to his half-sister Meghan Markle after alleging he found material at their father’s former home in the Philippines that he says prompted him to contact authorities. The allegations remain unproven, and Thomas Markle Sr has denied them.

Jr, who had previously criticised Meghan during her estrangement from their father, said his position had changed after reviewing items he says were stored among family belongings. “I’m so, so sorry Meghan,” he said, adding that he had been “protecting the wrong person for the past nine years.”¹ He said he now understood why Meghan had cut contact with their father and had not allowed him to meet Prince Harry or their children.

The account presents the discovery as the reason for both the apology and a break with his father. Jr said he had handed material to police in Cebu and that further checks of devices had uncovered what he described as a large volume of illegal imagery. Philippine anti-trafficking authorities were reported to have opened an inquiry, while the FBI said it was aware of the allegations and would support Philippine authorities as appropriate.²

Thomas Sr, however, has forcefully disputed the accusations. He told the Daily Mail that he was “shocked, hurt and very upset” by his son’s claims, insisting: “I could never do what I’m being accused of.”² No finding of wrongdoing is described in the reports.

Meghan’s response has focused on the potential victims rather than the family conflict. She said she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations, according to one report, and her representatives said she supports the ongoing investigation.¹ The contrasting accounts leave the central claims for investigators to assess: Jr says his discovery explains Meghan’s long-standing distance from their father, while Sr says the allegations are false.