Oct. 1, 2025, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle’s estranged father is reportedly “trapped” on the 19th floor of an apartment building in the Philippines after a powerful earthquake devastated the area, RadarOnline.com can report.
The 6.9 magnitude quake has killed at least 69 people, while as many as 200 others are injured.
Thomas Markle moved to Southeast Asia earlier this year amid the ongoing family feud with the Duchess of Sussex.
On Wednesday, October 1, Meghan’s half-sister Samantha tweeted that her 81-year-old father was unable to escape the high-rise building. She wrote:
“My father is stuck on the 19th floor of a building in the Philippines after a massive earthquake, and he can’t walk and he is trapped. As of today, he is OK, and making plans to get out of that building. They seem to be safe for now, and hopefully, there will be no serious aftershocks. Provisions are being made so that he won’t be trapped in a similar situation again. God bless and stay safe, everyone!”
Thomas himself tried to ease concerns with a message of his own: “Please don’t worry about me, everything is okay.”
Samantha’s Family Feud
Samantha then lashed out at her brother, Thomas Jr., for seemingly joking about the situation. She tweeted, “I’m gonna throw my brother under the bus because he’s on YouTube making fun of me because I was concerned about them getting out of the building.”
She added that he insinuated their elderly father wasn’t actually trapped. Samantha continued: “I have text messages from a credible family friend who was with them who sent me messages saying they were trapped because my father can’t walk down 19 flights of stairs.”
Included in her tweets were screenshots of text messages from an unknown person relaying, “We can’t get out of the building. He can’t walk down 19 floors.”
Thomas’ Health Woes
Thomas first revealed his plans to leave his cliffside house in Mexico in January. The Duchess of Sussex’s estranged dad has suffered two heart attacks and a stroke in recent years. He seemed to hint at his strained relationship with Meghan when he said his decision to seek a new life abroad was driven by a desire for “peace.”
During an earlier interview, Thomas said, “I am ready for a change. I have felt stuck in a rut for some time, and I am ready to meet new people and experience kindness.”
Meghan Vs. Her Dad
The father-of-three also confessed that he has resigned himself to the fact he will most likely never meet his grandchildren, Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4. He clarified, “I’m not running away. I am going in search of a more positive life. Every day, I see something about Meghan. This week it has been (her) TV show. I wish her no ill will. My dream is that one day I could bring my whole family together, like a ‘normal’ family.”
The rift between Meghan and Thomas first erupted in the run-up to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, now 40. Thomas staged paparazzi photographs of himself being fitted for a suit and browsing pictures of the royal couple, later admitting the move was designed to improve his public image.
Days before the ceremony, Thomas pulled out, citing health problems, causing chaos for the bride and further damaging their already strained relationship.