Meghan Markle is understood to be distressed by the latest developments in the case of her father, Thomas Markle Sr, who is facing child abuse allegations.
The matter is under investigation by authorities in the Philippines. A fresh update from a family member is likely to upset the Duchess of Sussex further.
Noelle Rasmussen, Thomas Sr’s granddaughter and Meghan’s step-niece, says she was not surprised when the allegations came to light. Speaking to The Telegraph just days after the news broke, she described an unease she may have felt without realising it.
“Maybe it was a vibe that I subconsciously got… something’s not right about a person, and you don’t actively register it,” she said.
Reflecting on the few experiences she had with him as a child, Noelle explained that “your body tells you when something’s off”.
She acknowledged how difficult the situation is for everyone connected to it. “It’s a disturbing allegation for everybody involved and everybody reading it. Nobody likes to hear things like that,” she said. She added that she was glad her uncle was “whistleblowing”.
Reports have claimed that “hundreds, if not thousands” of child abuse images were allegedly found at Thomas’s home in the Southeast Asian archipelago. These claims remain allegations while the investigation continues.
Thomas Sr had reportedly been living with his son, Thomas Markle Jr, who is said to be the one who reported his father to the police.
The case also draws on an earlier warning from within the family. Noelle’s grandmother, Roslyn Loveless, Thomas’s ex-wife, had sent Meghan a letter about the child abuse claims. In it, she alleged that her husband said he visited the Philippines and Thailand “because 12-year-olds are legal there”. Roslyn passed away in 2024.
The investigation by Philippine authorities is ongoing, and no outcome has been confirmed.