Royal expert Katie Nicholl tells ET that reconciliation between Meghan and her family may no longer be on the horizon.
Meghan Markle's family members continue to make headlines with their claims about the new duchess, and Hollywood has taken note.
Sharon Osbourne, who isn't exactly known for hiding her opinions, has spoken out against Meghan's father, Thomas, several times on The Talk this week, claiming that while she doesn't know him personally, "It's so obvious [he has] a bad drinking problem."
"You just look at the guy and go, 'Maybe you got a little problem here.' I hope it's drinking and not dementia and something else that can't be cured," Osbourne said. "It's just my point of view, what I get paid for."
Meghan's family hasn't been so appreciative of that point of view, however, as her half-sister, Samantha Grant, lashed out, telling the Daily Express, "That old hag can shut her mouth."
It's those types of comments that Predator star Olivia Munn can't get off her mind, as she opened up to ET about Samantha at Comic-Con on Thursday. "[Predator director] Shane Black used to date Samantha Markle, the really crazy sister,” Munn claimed. “I think we should reunite them. ... And maybe Samantha would calm down. She’s real angry. She says a lot of crazy stuff in the press.”
As for Osbourne's allegation against Thomas Markle, royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET, "Thomas Markle isn't a big drinker. I am hearing that he enjoys a drink, but actually the reason that he's overweight and what he prefers more than alcohol is junk food." She said that Osbourne's comments have "infuriated" Thomas, but it's also "painful" for Meghan to continue to see him and Samantha speak out against her in the press.
"I think the fact that he has continually spoken, he is not respecting her wish that he just stays quiet, [and that] has probably upset her more than anything else and possibly made a reconciliation from Meghan's point of view almost impossible now," Nicholl continued. "I don't think there are any concrete plans at the moment for Meghan to go out and see her father. I don't even believe they have spoken on the phone since the day of the royal wedding."
So how is Kensington Palace reacting to the family friction? "The strategy at Kensington Palace, I understand, is, 'Say nothing, don't dignify these comments, these interviews, these articles with a response,'" Nicholl said. "The royal family has had more than their fair share of scandals. This won't faze them."
According to Nicholl, Meghan's husband, Prince Harry, has been "incredibly supportive" of his new wife, though she also appears to have the situation under control. "She's tough," Nicholl said. "There's a reason that Prince Charles calls her tungsten. There's a rod of steel that runs through Meghan."
"I think Meghan's strategy is to ride out the storm," Nicholl added.
See more in the video below.
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