Meghan Markle’s brother has been condemned for appearing to mock her in a series of YouTube videos, dressing up with a cushion inside his jumper and calling himself ‘Me-gain’.
Thomas Markle Jr, 57, has launched a series of insults and conspiracy theories in clips aimed at his estranged half-sister, the Duchess of Sussex.
She is seen in one appearing to put a cushion on top of her blouse while wearing a wig and a tiara and ridiculing the Duchess.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond called the videos “grotesque” and accused him of committing “the ultimate betrayal.”
And a former government minister has also called for tougher measures by internet companies to combat “harassment and intimidation campaigns”.
The Duchess of Sussex’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr has attacked her online
Harry and Meghan attended a charity polo fundraiser in Florida this weekend.
Thomas Markle Jr, 57, has reportedly not spoken to Meghan for more than a decade.
The duchess, 42, has reportedly not spoken to her brother for more than a decade.
He has created his own YouTube page which features regular videos and live streams in which he rants about Meghan and the royal family while answering questions from many of his 36,500 subscribers.
The latest video in which he puts on a wig and a pillow to mock Meghan was posted last Wednesday, although he dressed similarly in previous images.
He describes himself as “Me-gain”, a derogatory nickname that internet trolls have directed at the duchess.
Markle has also suggested plans to bring out her own range of products, such as tumblers, mugs and T-shirts, the Sunday mirror reported.
He addresses the camera as if in dialogue with the duchess, furious: “It’s not just about your freedom of expression, Meghan, it’s everyone’s freedom of expression.”
‘So if you don’t like it, don’t watch it, right? I’ll be riding those coattails, baby. Oh yeah, if it weren’t for Meghan Markle, I don’t know what I’d be doing.
Journalist and royal family expert Bond responded by saying: “For your own flesh and blood to lead the assault must seem like the ultimate betrayal to Meghan.”
Conservative MP and former technology and digital economy minister Damian Collins said: “Major social media companies must do more to combat harmful content on their platforms, including harassment and bullying campaigns.”
“They have created systems that have not only allowed conspiracy theories to flourish, but are also actively promoted by recommendation systems designed by these big tech companies.”
Thomas’ latest criticism comes as Meghan was spotted in Palm Beach this weekend with her husband Harry, 39, filming their new Netflix show about the world of polo.
The couple were the main attraction when they attended a charity game at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Miami, Florida, although there was a potentially awkward moment when he asked a woman not to pose next to Harry for a photo.
Thomas Markle Jr was seen putting a cushion under his shirt at the beginning of one of his videos.
She previously revealed how she wrote to Prince Harry before the couple’s 2018 wedding.
Harry and Meghan married in Windsor on May 19, 2018
The event raised funds for the Sentebale charity which Harry co-founded in 2006 to help children with HIV in Africa.
A camera crew followed the couple’s every move as Harry scored a goal and then took the podium to receive a trophy and a kiss from his wife.
This is not the first time that his half-brother has generated controversy.
Before the Duke and Duchess’s wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018, Thomas sent Harry a letter telling him it was “not too late” to stop marrying her, describing his sister as “obviously not the right woman for you.”
Thomas slammed the American actress, insisting she was a “jaded, shallow, stuck-up woman who will make fun of you and the royal family heritage.”
He wrote telling Harry: ‘As time passes until their royal wedding, it becomes abundantly clear that this is the biggest mistake in the history of royal weddings.
“Obviously Meghan Markle is not the right woman for you. I’m confused why you don’t see the real Meghan that everyone sees now.
He also participated in a 2021 VIP series of Big Brother Australia in which he told his fellow contestants that they had warned Harry that his “very superficial” sister would “ruin” his life and had abandoned his “own flesh and blood.” .
However, later in the show he was filmed writing a second letter in which he apologized to the couple for his “harsh” words.
Reading the note out loud on the screen, he said: “Dear Meghan and Harry, the first thing I want to say to you both is that I am sorry from the bottom of my heart for the horrible letter I wrote to you earlier.” to your wedding
‘And I want you both to know that it didn’t come from the real person that I am, but from a very dark and wounded part of my heart.
“I’m not a bad person at all and I have more love inside me to give than anything else.”
VIP Big Brother star Thomas Markle Jr apologized to his half-sister Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in a second letter he wrote during the 2021 TV series.
Thomas claimed at the time that his previous harsh words “came from a very dark and hurt part” of his heart, while insisting that he was “not a bad person at all.”
Thomas and Meghan are pictured today in childhood, before drifting apart as adults.
Thomas went on to say that the first message to Harry was written out of “hurt” after Meghan described him as “distant family.”
He said: ‘The letter was definitely written feeling really hurt and confused when I was informed of your response that I was a distant relative and that you did not know those people.
“I was so hurt and confused by the incredible bond and relationship we shared while growing up together and all I could do was put up a wall of defense to protect my heart.
‘I know it was very immature and wrong and I am truly sorry. When your relationship with Harry became known to the world, my life became public.
‘I, along with all our family members, became public figures overnight. No more privacy. And let me tell you, it was very, very stressful having to deal alone without any help.
‘A real nightmare and constant pressure. I wish I could go back in time and do it all over again, knowing what I know now.’
Meanwhile, Harry has earned £22 million ($27 million) from his controversial memoir Spare despite it only being published in hardback, fellow bestselling author Richard Osman claimed last week.
The Duke of Sussex’s tale became the UK’s best-selling non-fiction book after being published by Penguin Random House in January last year.
Harry was understood to have secured a £16 million ($20 million) advance as part of a £32 million ($40 million) four-book deal in June 2021 after a bidding war.
The 39-year-old royal’s headline-grabbing book saw him accuse his brother Prince William of pushing him into a dog bowl in a fight over his wife Meghan Markle.
He also claimed that William mocked Harry for his panic attacks, that King Charles put his own interests before those of his second son, and saw Harry make reference to using cocaine, marijuana, and psychedelic mushrooms and his enjoyment of the television show Friends. .
Meghan Markle was seen congratulating her husband, Prince Harry, with a passionate kiss after he won a charity polo match in Miami on Friday.
Meghan joined her husband’s team as they celebrated their victory.
The couple arrived hand in hand at Friday’s event which raised money for Sentebale, a charity co-founded by Harry to support children in Lesotho and Botswana.
And speaking on a new episode of his The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Osman said: “I think, and his book hasn’t come out in paperback yet, so this book is purely hardcover, I estimate it has earned between 26 and 27 million dollars.”
“So he got a $20 million advance just for the hardcover of his first book. Forget about rights to other things and audiobooks and whatever; he has already earned it.
“When the paperback comes out, it will just be money coming to the Sussexes.”
MailOnline has contacted representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment on their half-brother’s YouTube rants.