When the first three episodes of the Sussexes’ Netflix series aired, Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr said watching it felt like his sister had “brushed his family under the carpet”.
And according to a new interview with Kiwi radio hosts Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce on The Hits today, the former lighting director still feels that way.
“I’m going to stick to my guns on that. It’s basically like an extended version of that horrible Oprah interview,” the 56-year-old said.
Markle went on to say that the producers of the Netflix series and of the 2021 Oprah interview should have “gotten both sides of the story” - something he promises to offer with his own documentary set for release in 2023 “to set all this straight”.
Asked by the radio hosts whether he wanted an apology or reconciliation with Meghan, Markle replied that he doesn’t “want anything from her”.
“I don’t want anything from her. Nobody in that family has ever asked her for anything. She started this whole charade ... and me and the Markles will finish it,” he added.
He went on to say that he and his family didn’t sign up for the media attention, but that Meghan “knew what she was signing up for” when it came to paparazzi and learning royal protocol.
“You sign your rights away when you’re part of the royal family,” he claimed.
“Deal with it or move on. So that’s what they did, they moved on and then they complained about it.”
Elsewhere in the chat with the Hits hosts, Markle revealed he felt “disgusted” when Meghan spoke of asking King Charles to walk her down the aisle at her wedding because she was estranged from her father.
He told Jono and Ben that Thomas Sr, who was in hospital at the time of the wedding, now “has his ups and downs, good days, bad days”, but “he’s okay”.
Markle said it was “hard to say” whether viewers are seeing who Meghan really is in the docuseries.
“She’s an actress. She’s been acting her whole life.”
Markle went on to agree with popular opinion that the release of the doco would scupper any chances of reconciliation with the royals.
“It’s destroying any chance they had to make amends with the royal family.”
All six episodes of Harry & Meghan are streaming on Netflix now.
Show sets new record after winning nine gongs.