For nearly a decade, Meghan Markle has been framed by tabloids as one of the worst things to happen not only to the British royal family, but the world more broadly. We’ve heard of her alleged bullying, brattiness, manipulation, social climbing, sexual escapades and of course, her family betrayals. Apparently, all this made her a greater threat to the monarchy than Prince Andrew’s association with Jeffrey Epstein and the extensive sexual assault allegations against him. Of course, one of the most effective weapons in the campaign against Meghan was her estrangement from her father, Thomas Markle. Didn’t you hear? She abandoned her own father because she was too selfish to forgive him. Thomas Markle Snr has long been presented as a heartbroken dad, publicly lamenting his daughter’s unexplained rejection. The media, apparently unfazed about the root of their estrangement, instantly capitalised. They paid Thomas off for sob-story interviews where he took aim at his daughter’s ingratitude. For a media gagging to make Meghan the problem, Thomas Markle’s testimony was a goldmine. There was just one question the tabloids (in all their haste) forgot to ask: what if she had a very good reason for walking away? Allegations that Thomas Markle possessed reams of child sexual abuse material are now being investigated by authorities in the Philippines. Allegations, reportedly brought to light by Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr. Thomas Markle Sr denies them, but the FBI is moving swiftly. Meghan, herself, has said she became aware of disturbing allegations about her father in 2018 and that keeping him away from her children was about protecting them. British police have also confirmed receiving a letter containing allegations about offending outside the UK in January 2019 and are reviewing how the matter was handled. Funny how the tabloids didn’t find that letter? We don’t yet know where this will lead. But what we do know is that Meghan spent years being publicly condemned for maintaining a boundary around a relationship the rest of us knew very little about. Thomas Markle’s public distress was always treated as sufficient evidence of her heartlessness. He was given a platform to tell his story to a global audience. (Side note: I don’t know one genuinely decent father who would do this, even if their child was problematic). But right from the start, Meghan Markle didn’t fit the mould. And if she didn’t fit the mould, the media was going to let her know about it. Even now, after she’s left and started a life with Harry anew, they’re hounding her. Even after these allegations about her father have surfaced, she’s being talked about as “the real problem”. Thomas Markle’s actions have never been questioned. We were encouraged to accept his version of events and treat her refusal to participate as further evidence against her. Even when all the stats of situations like this are well known. Estrangement between adult children and their parents can be complicated. Often it follows abuse, manipulation or years of behaviour that makes continued contact untenable. Despite this, women are still expected to do the emotional labour of holding families together even at obscene personal cost. Meghan was judged for making a decision about her own children, when the public had no right to any of the backstory. She should never have had to disclose potentially traumatic family information to justify protecting them. The tabloids made a business out of portraying Meghan as malignant. Too many of us have clicked, shared and commented, helping keep that business going. And when the story became more complicated than the caricature allowed, the appetite for judging her didn’t just disappear. It’s still festering like an open sore. Meghan Markle may never tell us everything that happened between her and her father. She doesn’t have to. But maybe it’s time we asked why we were so quick to drink the Thomas Markle Kool-Aid rather than believe a mother’s motive. And why, in a family with much more serious controversies to answer for, Meghan Markle was so often seen as the issue? Share this epsteinMeghan MarklePrince AndrewThomas Markle by Tarla Lambert-Patel 3 days ago ## Stay Smart! Get Women's Agenda in your inbox * LinkedIn This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. * Email SUBSCRIBE ## Latest news ### Erin Patterson loses appeal, and her parole ### Women in Parliament form cross-party network in wake of Haines attack ### Women, WhatsApp, a shorter work week. How Brazil beat the right ### Dolores Huerta, civil rights organiser who gave farm workers “Sí se puede,” dies at 96 ### Parents have one of Australia’s most important jobs, so why don’t we have policy for them? ### Podcast: Why it’s time to quit being nice