A spokesperson for Meghan Markle has responded after a British journalist apologized for falsely claiming that the Duchess of Sussex’s father, Thomas Markle, brought her up while her mother, Doria Ragland, was “in prison.”
Per PEOPLE, Carole Malone issued the apology on GB News, and the videos of her statement were circulated on social media on December 15.
“In an episode of Britain’s Newsroom on Thursday, December the 4th, 2025, I stated that Thomas Markle, the Duchess of Sussex’s father, brought Meghan up while her mother, Doria Ragland, was in prison. I believed this to be the case based on what I now understand to be misinformation I had seen online. I was questioned about the validity of this claim during the broadcast and I repeated this belief, which I now understand to be false,” Malone, 71, said on air.
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“This was a genuine error. I accept what I have been told on behalf of Ms. Ragland — that she raised her daughter and that she has never been in prison or jail,” she added. “I apologize sincerely to Ms. Ragland and her family for any pain my comments may have caused, and I’m happy to set the record straight.”
The show’s presenter, Andrew Pierce, also said, “Can I just say I’m up for GB News cause I was on the program that day. We all wish to apologize to Ms. Ragland for the error, and we are happy to correct the record.”
Malone brought the false allegations against Ragland during an appearance on Britain’s Newsroom on December 4. That was after it was reported that Thomas, who is now residing in the Philippines, had gone under the knife for an emergency leg amputation, PEOPLE reported. The surgery took place in the Asian nation.
“So where’s her compassion for the father who actually brought her up, who paid for her private education, while her mother was in jail, who took huge care of her, and she’s not seen him in the latter years. Not just seen him, she’s like, totally snubbed him, Thomas,” Malone falsely claimed in a video shared on X.
READ ALSO: Meghan Markle on when her mom was called the N-word and mistaken as her nanny
Following the false claim, her fellow presenter asked, “When was that mom in jail?” Malone responded saying that it was “years ago.” “Do you want me to give you the precise date and time? Because I haven’t got that,” Malone continued.
“I never heard that before ever,” he said.
Responding to Malone’s apology in a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Meghan said: “Broadcasters have a responsibility to inform, not inflame. This lie was conclusively debunked more than two years ago, yet it continues to be recycled by irresponsible commentators, causing recurring harm.”
The statement added: “Ms. Ragland proudly raised her daughter and has never been in prison. GB News did not apologize voluntarily, but only to escape a defamation lawsuit — and it speaks volumes that GB News removed any trace of that apology within 24hrs of making it.”
Meghan, 44, has been estranged from her father, as well as her stepsister, Samantha, for some time now. Thomas and Samantha have previously granted interviews where they spoke about their relationship with Meghan and made allegations against the Duchess of Sussex. Thomas and Samantha particularly targeted her when she started dating Prince Harry, 41, and after their highly-publicized royal wedding in 2018.
British tabloids have also similarly targeted Meghan, with the 44-year-old’s supporters claiming that it’s because she’s biracial. In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping back as members of the royal family. They ultimately relocated to the United States. And months after stepping away from royal life, the couple engaged in an extraordinary interview with Oprah Winfrey, Face2Face Africa reported at the time.
In the two-hour, pre-recorded tell-all, Harry and Meghan spoke about their lives inside the palace, including making bombshell revelations about racism within the Royal Family, mental health, and what the last few years of their relationship had been like.
