Meghan Markle's Aunt Claims Duchess Never Reached Out After 'Doting' Uncle's Death

Meghan Markle's aunt has claimed that her niece has still not contacted her months after the death of the duchess' uncle.

The Duchess of Sussex's uncle Joseph "JJ" Johnson died on Aug. 27 following a battle with congestive heart failure. He was 72.

However, Johnson's widow, Pam, claimed in a recent interview with Mirror U.K. that she has received "no words of condolence" from Markle in the nearly three months since the death of the duchess' "doting" uncle.

"I know that Meghan knows about his passing because her mother, Doria, knows. And she is certain to have told Meghan. There’s no way Meghan doesn’t know," the 68-year-old told the outlet. "Some of my family members are upset that she hasn’t reached out."

Pam said her husband would have "loved to have reconciled" with Markle before he died — and she is still hoping that her niece will reach out now.

"I understand with her royal status Meghan has a lot going on. But still, it hurts not to have heard from her," she said.

Pam claimed that Markle was "very close" to their family and even spent many nights at their home. The duchess was also good friends with her son, Sean, according to Pam.

Markle's aunt further claimed that her husband often bonded with the former actress when she was a child. Joseph's mother Jeanette — Markle's grandmother — reportedly helped raise the duchess when her mom, Doria Ragland, was busy working. When Jeanette later suffered a stroke, Markle had helped nurse her grandmother and even took her to doctor's appointments.

However, Pam claimed that they "drifted apart" as Markle grew up and became an actress.

Pam told the outlet that the former "Suits" star has not spoken to her or her uncle since December 2017, when he shared photographs of her with the press, including a previously unseen shot of Markle as a 5-year-old bridesmaid. When Markle tied the knot with Prince Harry the following year, their family wasn't invited to the nuptials at Windsor Castle.

"I’m not sure why she would be angry about the release of such beautiful pictures, which showed a lot of the family," Pam said. "I think it’s time for forgiveness – if there’s anything to forgive."

Despite the falling out, Pam said her late husband never stopped loving his niece and "truly admired Meghan and all that she'd achieved."

"He was really proud of her, and if her name was mentioned in the news, he’d tell people, ‘Hey, that’s my niece!’ That was a real joy for him," Pam continued. "He would have loved to have reconciled with Meghan before he died, but that wasn’t to be. It was stressful for JJ. Now he’s passed, I hope Meghan can reach out. I don’t want any more of that type of grief between our two families."

Markle's late uncle previously described his niece as "magical" and claimed that they "would spend weekends, holidays, together."

In October, the duchess' father Thomas claimed in an interview on "Good Morning Britain" that his daughter has "pretty much disowned both sides of her family" over the past year.

The duchess has been estranged from her father since Thomas was caught staging paparazzi photos ahead of her and Prince Harry's wedding. Thomas announced days before the ceremony that he was unable to fly after suffering a heart attack, leading Prince Charles to walk his daughter-in-law down the aisle. Markle's mother attended the nuptials solo.

Markle hasn't been vocal about her family since marrying Prince Harry, but she discussed their falling-out during her interview with Oprah Winfrey in March.

"I grieve a lot," she said. "I mean, I’ve lost my father. I lost a baby. I nearly lost my name. I mean, there’s the loss of identity. But I'm still standing, and my hope for people in the takeaway from this is to know that there's another side."

At the time, Markle pointed out the contrast between Thomas and Doria, adding, "Everyone has accountability. They hunted my mom down. You never heard her say a word. She's remained in silent dignity for four years watching me go through this."