The final episode of Confessions of a Female Founder, Meghan Markle’s latest podcast series, has been released, offering an emotional and reflective conversation between the Duchess of Sussex and Sara Blakely, founder of SPANX. The heartfelt discussion centered on the crucial role Blakely’s father played in her success, subtly contrasting with Meghan’s own ongoing estrangement from her father, Thomas Markle Sr.
During the episode, Blakely shared how her father became a vital part of her business journey. “SPANX never had a board. For 16 years, the board was my dad,” she explained. “He would come into town four times a year, hang out with me and the leadership team, and go over the business.”
Meghan, 43, responded with admiration and curiosity, highlighting a unique family tradition. “I remember reading, or maybe you told me, that when you were younger, your dad would ask around the dinner table, ‘What did you fail at this week?’…meaning, if you failed, you at least tried,” she said.
Blakely added: “I was very lucky to have a parent who was incredibly strategic in his thinking… He was always trying to get us to redefine failure growing up.” She also described how both her parents, her mother an artist and her father a litigator, fostered creativity and pragmatism in the household.
Meghan responded, “Wow, that’s huge… and you had equal parts of that pragmatism and the creativity as well from your mom as an artist, so you had both pieces.” The touching exchange inevitably echoed Meghan’s complicated relationship with her own father. Once close, the bond fractured ahead of her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, when Thomas Markle was caught staging paparazzi photos—an act that led to public fallout and his absence from the ceremony.
Meghan later revealed she learned about his hospitalization through a tabloid. In her 2021 Oprah interview, Meghan said, “I’ve lost my father,” confirming the pair remained estranged. Despite years of silence, Thomas Markle has publicly expressed hope for reconciliation, though he has also criticized Meghan’s media projects, including her recent Netflix special.
Meghan had previously shared warm memories of her father on her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig, recalling his dedication to her upbringing, including weekend ballet classes and school plays he elevated with his skills as a Hollywood lighting director.
While the relationship remains fractured, Meghan now finds joy in watching her husband parent their children. “Seeing Prince Harry’s parents is the most beautiful thing to watch,” she has said. Confessions of a Female Founder marks Meghan’s second podcast series, following Archetypes in 2022. It is yet to be confirmed whether the series will return for another season.
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