Jeff Rayner, the co-owner of a news and picture agency called Coleman-Rayner, has reportedly claimed he fears for his life after Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, allegedly threatened to kill him.
Rayner is seeking court-ordered protection after Thomas Markle allegedly threatened to kill him in a recently published book, TMZ reported Tuesday. The book in question is “Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between The Windsors,” according to the outlet.
“I got screwed by Rayner and I’m going to find a way to screw him over before I die,” Thomas Markle allegedly said in the book, TMZ reported. “I want to tear him down. If they tell me I’ve got terminal cancer, then I’ll kill him because I have nothing to lose.”
Thomas Markle is out for revenge — vowing he’d kill a tabloid owner who he feels wronged him — and now the man wants a court to step in and force protection. https://t.co/ylFJMR70Ga
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 2, 2022
Rayner reportedly isn’t taking the alleged threats lightly. He has stated that he feels he is in danger and that he worries that he could be harmed, according to TMZ.
“Since he is 78 years old I anticipate he will use a gun or other weapon,” Rayner said in court documents, according to the outlet.
The documents said Rayner has suffered anxiety and stress on a daily basis following Thomas Markle’s alleged threat, according to TMZ. (RELATED: Lana Del Rey Granted A Restraining Order Against Stalker Who Allegedly Stole Her Car)
The tensions between Rayner and Thomas Markle reportedly stem back to the latter’s lawsuit against Coleman-Rayner in 2021. Markle sued the outlet over their alleged agreement related to staged photos, which he claimed harmed his relationship with his daughter, Meghan, as well as her husband, Prince Harry, according to TMZ.