UPDATE 10/1/25 at 2:37 p.m. ET — Thomas Markle has denied daughter Samantha Markle’s claims that he was “trapped” in his apartment after the devastating earthquake in the Philippines.

“I’m currently sitting on the couch in my hotel room, with my feet kicked up and watching Charlie Chan movies. I’m quite comfortable,” he told TMZ on Wednesday, October 1, revealing his hotel is located 100 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter.

According to Thomas, he traveled to the Philippines to look for a new place to live because he planned to relocate from Mexico.

The original story continues below:

Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, is allegedly unable to leave an apartment building after a major earthquake in the Philippines.

“My father is stuck on the 19th floor of a building in the Philippines after a massive earthquake,” Thomas’ daughter Samantha Markle wrote via X on Tuesday, September 30. “He can’t walk and he is trapped.”

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines late on Tuesday. According to NBC News, at least 60 individuals were killed and more were trapped in their homes.

“We’re still in the golden hour of our search and rescue,” Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in a news briefing, per NBC. “There are still many reports of people who were pinned or hit by debris.”

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Several hours later, Samantha, 60, confirmed that Thomas, 81, is alright.

“I wish to extend our deep gratitude to everyone expressing concern about my father. Thank you. As of today he is OK, and making plans to get out of that building,” Samantha wrote via X on Wednesday, October 1. “They seem to be safe for now, and hopefully there will be no serious aftershocks.”

She added, “Provisions are being made so that he won’t be trapped in a similar situation again. God bless and stay safe everyone!”

Thomas is currently estranged from Meghan, 44, who has not publicly addressed his current whereabouts. The former lighting designer shares the Duchess of Sussex with ex-wife Doria Ragland.

Meghan had ceased communication with her father ahead of her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, claiming that her dad staged paparazzi photos to boost his image.

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“H and I called my dad. I said, ‘They’re saying you’re taking money from the tabloids to stage photos. Is this true?’ He says, ‘No,’” Meghan said in a 2022 episode of her and Harry’s eponymous Netflix docuseries. “And on that call, I’d said to him, ‘Look. If they can’t stop this story, then it’s going to come out tomorrow, so why don’t we send someone right now to your house to get you out of there now because if that’s the case, your house will be swarmed by media. We’ll get you out.’”

She continued, “He said, ‘No. I have things I need to do.’ And it felt really cagey. I was like, ‘It doesn’t make sense.’ And when we hung up, I looked at H. I was like, ‘I don’t know why but I don’t believe him.’”

Thomas later claimed he suffered a heart attack and opted against attending the royal wedding.

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Harry, 41, said in the docuseries that he was “incredibly sad” that Meghan was no longer in touch with her father.

“She had a father before this,” he said in Harry & Megan. “Now she doesn’t have a father. I shouldered that. Because if Meg wasn’t with me, then her dad would still be her dad,” Harry explained. “It’s amazing what people would do when offered a huge amount of money. Fifty thousand, a hundred thousand, to hand over photographs, to create a story. And thank God most of them said no.”

Harry and Meghan’s two children, 6-year-old Prince Archie and 4-year-old Princess Lilibet, also don’t currently have a relationship with their maternal grandfather.