In the latest twist to the ongoing Markle family drama, Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, has once again ignited controversy by openly criticizing his daughter’s new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. The 80-year-old former Hollywood lighting director didn’t mince his words, accusing the Duchess of Sussex of putting on an act for the cameras.

“Meghan has never been authentic,” Thomas declared in a fiery interview with the Daily Mail. “She has to think about everything—nothing is spontaneous. Everything is pre-planned and rehearsed. It makes me laugh because I know all her looks and expressions. I can tell when she’s faking it for the cameras.”

Thomas seemed particularly unimpressed by the cooking-focused premise of Meghan’s show, suggesting that authenticity is key to such programs’ success. “Cooking shows are incredibly boring unless the presenter has a real love for it,” he quipped. “The best ones are funny, they make mistakes, and they’re human. But Meghan wants to be perfect all the time, and that’s sad because she’s trying so hard to stay in the spotlight.”

A Father’s Fury Over Meghan’s ‘Latchkey Kid’ Claim

What truly seemed to push Thomas over the edge, however, was Meghan’s portrayal of her childhood. In the series, the duchess described herself as a “latchkey kid” who often relied on fast food and TV dinners — a depiction Thomas vehemently denied.

“We occasionally ate TV dinners—what family doesn’t?” he countered. “But we ate out at least three times a week and ordered in the rest of the time. After school, I’d either pick her up myself, and we’d go out to eat, or I’d send a car to bring her to the set where I worked. She was never a latchkey kid.”

Thomas painted a different picture of Meghan’s upbringing, claiming their weekends were spent at dance classes followed by meals with her friends. According to him, cooking was never one of Meghan’s interests growing up, further fueling his doubts about the sincerity of her new show.

The tension didn’t stop there. Thomas also expressed his hurt over Meghan’s decision to use “Sussex” as a shared family name with Prince Harry and their children. “My mother was proud to be a Markle—so am I,” he said. “Meghan never had a problem with our last name until she met Prince Harry. Now I have to say, ‘I am Meghan Sussex’s dad,’” he added with a sarcastic laugh.

A Family Divided: The Ongoing Markle Feud

Despite the bitterness, Thomas confessed that he hasn’t watched With Love, Meghan in its entirety. “I might sit down and watch it one day, but I’m not sure,” he admitted. The fractured relationship between Meghan and her father has only deepened since 2018, when he was cut off right before her wedding to Prince Harry — a ceremony he missed due to reported heart attacks.

“I still don’t know why she cut me off,” Thomas lamented, hinting at a lingering sadness beneath his harsh words.

The drama escalated in 2021 when Meghan sued the Mail on Sunday for publishing parts of a private letter she wrote to her father. The court sided with Meghan, describing the letter as “a heartfelt plea from an anguished daughter to her father.”

Adding fuel to the fire, Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, has previously admitted to arranging staged paparazzi photos of their father before the royal wedding — a move that many believe further strained Meghan’s trust in her family.

While Meghan continues to carve out her post-royal life with Prince Harry, the growing chasm between her and her father shows no signs of healing. With every public jab, the Markle family feud seems destined to remain headline material — leaving fans and critics alike wondering if reconciliation is ever truly on the table.