Pregnant Meghan Markle arrives in New York City for royal baby shower
It looks like Meghan Markle will be celebrating the upcoming birth of her baby on this side of the pond. The Duchess of Sussex arrived in New York City Monday ahead of her royal baby shower Tuesday. The former actress' best friend and stylist Jessica Mulroney is in charge of the festivities, which, according to Page Six, will be taking place at an Upper East Side hotel.
Meghan Markle's estranged half-brother Thomas Markle Jr. wants the Duchess of Sussex to help the family make amends, starting with reaching out to the siblings' father.
In a video obtained by OK! Magazine, Thomas Jr. revealed that Thomas Sr.'s feelings have been crushed by the current state of his relationship with Meghan.
"He’s hurt and very confused about what happened to his relationship with his daughter and I think he’s a little more frustrated now because he’s got a grandchild coming up with his favorite person that he worshipped," Thomas Jr. explained.
He continued: "They had such a tight bond together and now he’s worried about if he’s ever going to get to see his grandchild. It’s a new addition to the family and now would be a perfect opportunity for the family to get back together."
According to Thomas Jr., the rift between the family members started back when Meghan landed the role as Rachel Zane on the TV series, "Suits."
Meghan Markle's estranged half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., is urging the Duchess of Sussex to reunite the family. (Getty/MEGA Agency)
"A lot of the distance happened between Meghan when she went to Toronto and her first big break in TV which was 'Suits' and it turned out to be a big hit in the USA," he stated, claiming that he believes the 37-year-old former actress "turned into a little Hollywood starlet" who was "focused on her career so much."
"I get it," Thomas Jr. noted. "I get being in that world because once you’re down that path you’ll do anything it takes to be successful so that had a lot to do with being distant from her whole family."
However, at the same time, he added that the way he sees it is if "Meg wants to talk to me I’m sure she can get a hold of me."
Meghan and Thomas Sr. have been at odds ever since he missed her royal wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018, and their relationship grew even more acrimonious after he published a letter from her earlier this month begging him to stop speaking to the media and to stop siding with her half-sister, Samantha Markle, who she accused of selling stories to tabloids.
In the same video interview obtained by OK! Magazine (via the Daily Mail), Thomas Jr. also spoke about Samantha, claiming "she was very jealous of Meghan from the very beginning and still to this very day."
"'I wouldn't believe anything that's written in there [her tell-all book]," he said, revealing that he hasn't spoken to Samantha — who he reportedly describes as "negative" and "hard to get along with" — in years.
'[Thomas Sr.] has even said to me 'I wish Babe [Samantha's reported nickname] would shut her mouth already and be quiet,'" he added. "My number one message for Meghan would be to reach out to her father," he added. "It would mean the world to him to be back in her life and be part of his grandchild's life."
As for what Meghan was like growing up? Thomas Jr. called her a "happy kid" who was "always smiling."
"We would have a little Christmas at our house and then go to [Meghan's mother] Doria’s mom’s house — they had the really tight environment and it was really nice being there," he recalled. "She was really into Disney movies, like 'Cinderella' and 'Aladdin.' There was nothing tomboy about her — she was all princess. We would take our dog for a walk and take lunch and play with the dog."
Fox News' Jessica Sager contributed to this report.
Trending
Who's making headlines in television, music, movies and more from Hollywood to the Heartland.