Thomas Markle Sr., father of Meghan Markle, recently endured a harrowing experience after a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines on September 30. His half-sister, Samantha Markle, publicly detailed the ordeal, initially expressing severe criticism towards Meghan Markle.

Samantha Markle took to X (formerly Twitter) to share that her father, who had been residing in the Philippines in recent months, was "stuck on the 19th floor of a building...and he can’t walk and he is trapped." The earthquake, described as the worst to hit the Philippines in over a decade, impacted the central province of Cebu and tragically resulted in at least 60 fatalities, according to NBC News.

In her initial posts, Samantha Markle did not shy away from blaming the Duchess of Sussex, stating, "Shame on my disgusting evil f***ing sister forever putting our father in this position. I hope she is cursed." However, by October 1, Samantha provided a reassuring update, expressing gratitude for the concern shown. She posted, "As of today he is OK, and making plans to get out of that building," further noting that measures were being taken to prevent future similar situations: "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."

Thomas Markle Sr. had moved to the Philippines earlier in the year with his son, Thomas Markle Jr., seeking a "fresh start" away from the "awful drama of recent years." In January, he conveyed to The Daily Mail his readiness for change, hoping to meet new people and experience kindness after feeling "stuck in a rut."

This incident further highlights the long-standing estrangement and public feud within the Markle family. Samantha Markle has been a vocal critic of Meghan for years, a sentiment underscored by her dismissed 2023 defamation lawsuit against the Duchess. She has consistently maintained that Meghan has mistreated their father, stating in a 2019 documentary that Meghan "doesn’t have a heart, or she would have been doing everything she could to make him comfortable."