Thomas Markle slams new Meghan and Harry TV movie as 'dumb fiction' - as he denies 'bailing' on walking the Duchess down the aisle
- Thomas Markle has slammed new Lifetime film Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal
- Said he felt personally attacked and disappointed with how he was portrayed
- Meghan's father said didn't 'bail' on walking her down the aisle but was too sick
- US network Lifestyle aired the Harry and Meghan movie sequel this week
- New film Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal depicts their first year of marriage
Thomas Markle has slammed Lifestyle's new movie 'Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal', which premiered on Monday.
Meghan's lighting director father, 74, rubbished the flick - which aims to depict the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first year of marriage, as 'dumb fiction'.
Speaking about the film, which is a sequel to last year's hit Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance, Thomas said he was 'disappointed' with how he had been portrayed.
Addressing a scene which he says made it appear as though he had 'bailed' on walking Meghan, now 37, down the aisle during her wedding to Prince Harry, now 34, last May, he reiterated that he couldn't attend due to his ill health, and said he felt 'personally attacked' by the film.
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Thomas Markle, 74, seen in LA at the beginning of May, has slammed Lifestyle's new movie 'Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal', which premiered on Monday and depicts their first year of marriage, describing it as 'dumb fiction'
Speaking to TMZ, he described the film as 'awful and chock full of made up cr**.'
He told the news site: 'I'm incredibly disappointed in how the flick portrayed us in the run-up to the royal wedding and feel personally attacked by the network'.
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Addressing what he feels is the insinuation that he 'never told Harry and Meghan that he couldn't make it to the wedding', he said: 'It's simply not true', adding that the movie is littered with tons of 'dumb fiction.'
Arguing that his character made it look as though he 'bailed' walking on his daughter down the aisle, he explained that he couldn't attend the wedding due to his heart surgery.
Addressing a scene which he says made it appear as though he had 'bailed' on walking Meghan, now 37, down the aisle during her wedding to Prince Harry, now 34, pictured last May, he reiterated that he couldn't attend due to his ill health, and said he felt 'personally attacked' by the film
Speaking about the film, which is a sequel to last year's hit Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance, Thomas said he was 'disappointed' with how he had been portrayed. Actress Tiffany Smith is seen reenacting Meghan's wedding scene in the film
The film, which aired this week, is a sequel to last year's 'A Royal Romance', and picks up where it left off, showing the fictitious Meghan confiding her struggles to adjust to her new role as Duchess of Sussex, in a confidante.
Lifetime's fictional version of events sees a thoughtful Harry ease Meghan's transition from actress to royal bride-to-be by welcoming her to their new Kensington Palace home with flowers, candles, Champagne and a homemade banner.
'I feel like I'm pretending to be this beautiful swan', she is seen admitting, as the scene flashes to her posing alongside Harry, played by British actor Charlie Field, and fictitious William and Kate on Christmas Day.
The scene then cuts to Meghan on her wedding day, as a cruel insider tells her: 'Look at yourself in a mirror and all you see is a hypocrite'.
Meghan is then seen standing in her wedding dress as she takes a deep breath, before it cuts to her kissing Harry passionately.
The unnamed insider returns, telling her: 'You'll never be able to control everything', before Meghan hits back with: 'I'm still waiting on my curtsy', giving her critic a cheeky smile.
Lifestyle's new movie 'Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal' came just weeks after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their first son Archie, pictured at Windsor Castle on May 8
Lifetime movie 'Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal' aired this week and shows a fictional glimpse at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first year of marriage
The romantic fantasy continues when it comes to Meghan telling her husband she is expecting.
The relationship between Meghan and her sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge has been the source of widespread interest - and the same is true of Lifetime's version of events.
The cable movie paints the sisters-in-law as close, with Kate offering Meghan key words of advice on how to handle the attention.
'You’ll never be able to control everything,' the on-screen Duchess of Cambridge says over afternoon tea.
'I feel like I'm pretending to be this beautiful swan', Meghan is seen admitting, as the scene flashes to her posing alongside Harry, played by British actor Charlie Field, and fictitious William and Kate on Christmas Day
Passion: A brief scene shows her interaction with Harry, as it cuts to her kissing her new husband passionately following their wedding, pictured
Last month American actress Tiffany Smith, 36, who plays the Duchess, 37, alongside British Polkdark star Charlie Field, who plays Harry, 34, and screenwriter Scarlett Lacey, confirmed the movie will cover the royal wedding, family feuds and Meghan's relationship with sister-in-law Kate.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, screenwriter Lacey even revealed that celebrity wedding guests including George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Victoria Beckham, and Idris Elba play a part in the movie.
Revealing her close ties with Meghan's Hollywood friends and explaining that the plot features a mix of truths and fiction, Lacey said: 'This film deals with the drama of planning a wedding: the moment you'd much rather elope, the moment your family might mess it all up - and they nearly do.'
Tiffany added: 'We got to do some stuff with Kate, which I really liked.
'I think one of the biggest things, obviously, about Meghan is that she's such a supporter of other women and women's empowerment. That was something I think was important for all of us to focus on, myself included.'
Candid: The explosive clip sees American actress Tiffany Smith, who portrays Meghan, admitting she feels as though she's 'pretending to be a beautiful swan'
Hitting back! Meghan is forced to defend herself against cruel comments from an insider, seen left, who brands her a hypocrite
Nerves! Meghan is seen standing in her wedding dress as she takes a deep breath ahead of the biggest royal wedding of 2018
The unnamed insider returns, telling her: 'You'll never be able to control everything', before Meghan hits back with: 'I'm still waiting on my curtsy', giving her critic a cheeky smile
Admitting that the scenes surrounding Meghan's rift with her father Thomas Markle were hard to film as they made her question how hard it must have been for the Duchess to not have all of her family at the wedding, Tiffany said: 'The film definitely addresses a lot of the family drama.'
Speaking about her sources for the film, Lacey added: 'Some of the people I talk to are close to the royals. Others are Hollywood friends of Meghan, and others are journalists and experts in the royal field.'
The film did not include Meghan's babyshower, as production had finished before this took place.
Addressing the success of last year's flick, screenwriter Lacey even revealed that the royals didn't complain and reckons they had a 'good giggle' about it.
New of the upcoming release was confirmed last month, and at the time Tiffany shared the announcement on Instagram, Tiffany writing: 'So excited to share this royally awesome news... and to share this adventure with you sir, @charlierefield! #BecomingRoyal @lifetimetv.'
Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal aired on Lifetime TV on May 27.
News of the upcoming release was confirmed last month, and at the time Tiffany shared the announcement on Instagram, Tiffany writing: 'So excited to share this royally awesome news... and to share this adventure with you sir, @charlierefield! #BecomingRoyal @lifetimetv.
British actor Charlie Field, pictured in an Instagram selfie, who appeared in an episode of Poldark, has been cast as Prince Harry, 34
Speaking to Vanity Fair , screenwriter Lacey even revealed that celebrity wedding guests including George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Victoria Beckham, and Idris Elba play a part in the movie. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their wedding day
