Meghan Markle’s dad Thomas ‘OK’ after Cebu quake — reports

Meghan Markle’s dad, Thomas, has addressed the claims made by his daughter, Samantha Markle, that he was trapped in a Cebu hotel after the province was struck by a 6.9-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday.

“Please don’t worry about me, everything is okay,” Thomas said in a statement obtained by British tabloid The Daily Mail.

Thomas also shared with TMZ that he is “quite comfortable” in his hotel room.

“The epicenter was 100 miles from here. 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 said.

His assurance came after his daughter Samantha took to X (formerly Twitter) amid the earthquake, saying Thomas was stuck on the 19th floor of a building in Cebu and that he couldn't walk. 

Thomas is a new resident of Cebu. In May, British tabloid Mirror reported that Meghan’s 80-year-old dad and half-brother Tom Jr. had just moved to Cebu after living in Mexico for the past decade. 

In a January 2025 interview with the Daily Mail, Thomas said, “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.”

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the earthquake occurred at 9:59 p.m. on Tuesday with Bogo City as the epicenter.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake is the strongest earthquake ever recorded in northern Cebu, PHIVOLCS said.

On Thursday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 72 fatalities had been recorded due to the earthquake.

For those who wish to donate to the affected community, here's a list of donation drives currently being held. — Jade Veronique Yap/LA, GMA Integrated News