Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, assured everyone that he is safe and not injured after there were concerns that he had been stuck in his Philippines apartment during a devastating earthquake.

The 81-year-old explained to DailyMail on Wednesday, "Please don't worry about me, everything is okay," thanking people for their concern.

The alarm was raised after Meghan's half-sister Samantha Markle shared on social media that Thomas was "stranded on the 19th floor of a building in the Philippines following a big earthquake and he cannot walk and he is trapped."

Samantha Markle post
Samantha Markle post my daily

Thomas rebutted TMZ's allegations, explaining where he was. "I am safe in my hotel room and in no way am I 'trapped' or 'unable to walk,'" he explained. "The epicenter was 100 miles from here."

It hit late Tuesday local time and had a magnitude of 6.9, resulting in extensive damage throughout the area.

A minimum of 69 fatalities were reported, as numerous buildings, bridges, and roads were compromised.

Samantha, who has a long-standing feud with Meghan, subsequently wrote that Thomas was "OK, and making plans to get out of that building," but provided no information regarding whether his apartment was damaged.

Thomas moved to the Philippines from Rosarito, Mexico, with his son earlier this year. The retired Emmy-award-winning lighting director said he was looking for a quieter existence.

"I am ready for a change. I have felt stuck in a rut for some time and I am ready to meet new people and experience kindness," he said.

He added, "At 80 it is time to go somewhere where the people are lovely and I can enjoy a quieter, friendlier existence...Mostly I just want peace. At 80, none of us know how long we have left. I want whatever time I have to be peaceful with none of the awful drama of recent years."

Thomas has not seen Prince Harry or his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, since Meghan's wedding debacle in 2018.

Although he has had public spats before and appeared in the media, he stressed that he is currently preoccupied with a quiet and tranquil life in Southeast Asia.

Tags
Thomas Markle, Samantha Markle, Meghan Markle