Meghan Markle‘s estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr. was arrested by the FBI on Friday, November 6. Thomas was taken into custody when agents arrived at the senior living care home he’d been staying at in Lakeland, Florida. The arrest comes after the news of an investigation into allegations of child abuse material was reported.
The Daily Mail reports that Thomas Markle was arrested and later released on house arrest after the FBI allegedly uncovered the material inside his Los Angeles, California storage units. The 82-year-old was charged with one count of child abuse material.
Meghan Markle’s Father Arrested In Florida By The FBI
Meghan Markle’s father is now ordered to live under house arrest at the care facility where he’s been residing. ‘Mr Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions,’ FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement about the situation.
Thomas Markle moved to Florida earlier this year following the amputation of his leg in December 2025. It was his son, Thomas Markle Jr. who allegedly discovered the materials and alerted the authorities.
Meghan’s ‘Deeply Distressed’
Meghan previously revealed that she was “deeply distressed” about the allegeations against her estranged father and expressed concerns for any victims that may have been harmed.
“I hope it can now be understood … any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them,” she said, per CBS News.
She added that it’s her “sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.”
Meghan Markle’s Complicated Relationship With Her Estranged Father
Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, met Thomas Markle Sr. on the set of the soap opera General Hospital, where Thomas worked as a lighting director. The pair married in 1979 and welcomed Meghan in 1981. The couple divorced when Meghan was just 6-years-old.
In the years that followed she split her time between her mother and father’s houses, per PEOPLE. Although Meghan and Thomas were once close, their relationship strain became evident once Meghan was shot into global fame in preparation for her wedding to Prince Harry.
Thomas Markle Has Never Met His Grandchildren
In 2018, Thomas was accused of staging paparazzi photos of himself just before his daughter’s nuptials. Thomas Markle did not attend the royal wedding, and his relationship with Meghan has been strained ever since. He has never met his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet.
However, Meghan Markle remains close with her mother. After moving back to the UK with Prince Harry and their children in August, sources revealed that she and Doria planned to see each other regularly.
“That explains why Meghan stayed away,” one person commented on the situation via X. “This is just disgraceful,” another wrote. “Family drama coming from both sides,” a third comment read.
Hollywood News Daily has reached out to Maravida Senior Living for comment.
Amanda Lynne focuses on human interest news, entertainment topics, and trending news. She has nearly 20 years of experience writing online news for several outlets.
