Meghan Markle has denied statements that she did not give her father Thomas financial support, saying she made “voluntary contributions” as soon as she started working.
The details of the Markle family’s finances are the latest issue in the Duchess’s ongoing legal battle against the Post on Sunday over the publication of a handwritten letter she sent her.
In documents filed with the Superior Court, she responds to a “charge” that she did not help her father with cash despite the fact that he helped pay for her education.
Legal documents state that Meghan started giving her father money in January 2014, however this stopped in May 2018, when she married Prince Harry.
They also say that Meghan has always been deeply concerned about her father’s health, and that the money she got from selling stories and photos about her royal daughter “would appear to exceed and offset the excessive medical cost of approximately $ 2,500.”
The documents say the claims that Thomas paid for Meghan’s entire education are false, adding that although Thomas helped her financially while studying, he also received a grant and took part-time jobs to make ends meet.
The documents say: “In any event, it is admitted and never denied that the Claimant’s father has supported her throughout her childhood and as a young adult.
(Image: Channel 5)
“Mr. Markle did not pay the entire Plaintiff’s college tuition. The Claimant’s mother also contributed to the college costs.
“In addition, Plaintiff received scholarships for academic achievement, which lowered the tuition fees payable.
“Claimant also conducted a work-study program whereby the income she earned from working on campus after class was applied directly to supplement and reduce her tuition costs, thereby personally contributing to her tuition.”
(Image: Getty Images)
The documents also detail more about Meghan’s paid work, explaining: “The claimant always held full-time jobs during auditions, both as a professional calligrapher and working at a restaurant.
The claimant’s father provided occasional financial support to the claimant, just as she provided reciprocal financial support once she started earning. “
Referring to how Thomas got the money to help Meghan, they state, “The facts are that Markle chose to get a loan from Northwestern University to cover her daughter’s tuition costs.”
From the moment Claimant began earning sufficient income, she began to make voluntary financial contributions to her father.
These contributions were not intended for loan payments (which she did not know had yet to be repaid, if at all), but simply to provide personal financial support to her father. “
Meghan is suing Associated Newspapers for five articles that were published in Mail on Sunday and Mail Online in early 2019 in connection with a letter she sent to her father the previous August.
Meghan claims that her father’s decision to go public with the letter violated her privacy, copyright and data protection rights, and is seeking damages.
If he wins the case, he has said he will donate the money to a charity against bullying.
However, Associated Newspapers denies the allegations and plans to fight the case. In particular, they flatly deny Meghan’s claims that they edited the letter to change its meaning.
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