A British news commentator is apologizing after falsely claiming that Meghan Markle was raised by her father while her mother, Doria Ragland, was incarcerated — a claim that is entirely untrue.
On Monday, Dec. 15, video clips began circulating online showing GB News contributor Carole Malone issuing an on-air apology to Ragland during a segment of “Britain’s Newsroom.”
“In an episode of ‘Britain’s Newsroom’ on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, I stated that Thomas Markle, the Duchess of Sussex’s father, brought Meghan up while her mother, Doria Ragland, was in prison,” Malone said. “I believed this to be the case based on what I now understand to be misinformation I had seen online.”
She continued, “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 went on to acknowledge the error directly.
“This was a genuine mistake,” she said. “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. 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.”
Anchor Andrew Pierce also issued an apology on behalf of the network.
“I was on the program that day,” Pierce said. “We all wish to apologize to Ms. Ragland for the error, and we are happy to correct the record.”
The apology arrives as there’s been renewed public scrutiny surrounding Thomas Markle after reports surfaced that he recently experienced a serious health emergency that resulted in the emergency amputation of his leg. During the Dec. 4 broadcast, Malone suggested that Meghan had failed to contact her father following the medical crisis — a claim she partially tied to the false narrative about Ragland.
“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?” Malone said during the segment. “She’s totally snubbed him.”
When questioned by a co-presenter about when Ragland had allegedly been incarcerated, Malone was unable to provide any details.
“I’ve never heard that before,” the co-host responded during the exchange.
In reality, Ragland has never been incarcerated or in trouble with the law. She raised Meghan in Los Angeles and has remained a consistent presence in her daughter’s life.
Meghan and her father have been estranged since 2018, shortly before her wedding to Prince Harry, after Thomas Markle admitted to staging paparazzi photographs at a time when the actress claims he was also lying to the press about her. Despite that, reports indicate that once Meghan learned of her father’s recent medical condition, she made every possible effort to contact him and has since been in touch.
In a statement to People magazine, a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex condemned the continued circulation of the false claim.
“Broadcasters have a responsibility to inform, not inflame,” the statement read. “This lie was conclusively debunked more than two years ago, yet it continues to be recycled by irresponsible commentators, causing recurring harm.”
