Meghan Markle says her decision to keep her children away from her father, Thomas Markle Sr., was driven by a desire to protect them. Her explanation followed disturbing allegations made against him by his son, Thomas Markle Jr.

Thomas Jr., the Duchess of Sussex’s half-brother, accused Thomas Sr. of possessing child sexual abuse material, according to a report published by The Sun on Thursday. He allegedly discovered the material inside his father’s home in Cebu, Philippines, before reporting it to police and the FBI.

Meghan addressed the allegations Friday in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” she said.

The Duchess of Sussex also described information she said had reached authorities years earlier. “In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.”

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Meghan then directly connected those allegations to the distance between her family and Thomas Sr. She said her choice not to allow him contact with Archie and Lilibet had been made for their protection.

“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice not to allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them,” Meghan said.

“I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families,” her statement continued. She expressed hope that justice would be served and that the safety and protection of children would remain the priority.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is speaking out over a report that her father, Thomas Markle Sr., is being investigated by authorities in the Philippines for allegedly possessing child sex abuse material following claims made by his son.

"I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed," Meghan said in a statement. Markle Sr. has denied the allegations, telling the Daily Mail, they are "sick lies" and "the worst thing anyone could accuse me of." He also told the Daily Mail the computers had not been in his possession since he left Rosarito, Mexico, in January 2025. https://t.co/VfwE6NLqXH — ABC News (@ABC) October 23, 2026

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Meghan shares Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, with Prince Harry. According to the report, Thomas Sr. has never met the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s children.

London’s Metropolitan Police said it is not investigating Thomas Sr., according to The Independent. However, the police force is conducting internal inquiries into how the 2018 letter referenced by Meghan was handled.

The FBI National Press Office told Fox News Digital on Friday that the bureau was aware of the accusations. It also said it would offer assistance to Philippine authorities as appropriate during their investigation.

“The FBI is aware of the allegations and will provide support, as appropriate, to the Philippine authorities. We will also investigate any related allegations of federal violations of U.S. law,” the bureau’s statement said.

Reuters reported that Philippine Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty confirmed Friday that a task force focused on human trafficking and online child sexual abuse in Cebu “is currently investigating the matter.”

Thomas Sr. denied the accusations in comments to the Daily Mail. “I’m shocked, I’m hurt, and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me. I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of,” he told the outlet Friday.

Thomas Jr. told The Sun that he discovered suspected child sexual abuse material in four large boxes containing “hundreds, if not thousands” of images. He also alleged that he found videos involving girls no older than 10 or 11 years old, as well as four images of nude girls.

One of those images appeared to have been taken at Thomas Sr.’s former home in Rosarito, Mexico, according to Thomas Jr. He said the discovery left him horrified and that he believed he had no choice but to report his father.

Thomas Jr. said he contacted the FBI hotline and the Pennsylvania State Police about the alleged material. The Sun reported that the FBI had “confirmed receipt” of his allegations and was set to begin its own probe.

Thomas Jr. has cared for Thomas Sr., 82, for several years, including while his father recovered from a stroke in 2022. He told The Sun that his support had ended and that he would not speak to his father again unless called to provide evidence against him.