SNL UK tackles allegations against Thomas Markle in comedy segment
The British edition of Saturday Night Live addressed recent claims about Thomas Markle's possession of child sexual-abuse material, linking the story to broader royal controversies.
Saturday Night Live UK’s “Weekend Update” segment attempted to navigate the sensitive allegations that Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, possessed a large number of child sexual-abuse images. The hosts framed the discussion by referencing former Prince Andrew and public attitudes toward the royal family.
"In royal news, it’s been a big 24 hours for Meghan Markle, whose dad has been accused of being an alleged pedophile, in another pathetic attempt to win over the British public," anchor Paddy Young said.
"If the allegations about Meghan Markle’s father are true and he is a pedophile, there is a genuine chance Meghan could be considered royal," added co-anchor Ania Magliano.
The segment followed a report by a British tabloid that Thomas Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., had alerted authorities in the Philippines after discovering the alleged images. Meghan Markle later released a statement expressing distress over the accusations and noting that she had previously limited contact with her father to protect her children.
"In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," Markle said in a statement to People.
"I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, 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 added.