Meghan Markle’s Future Sister-In-Law Arrested for Assault

Meghan Markle’s family back in the U.S. continues to stir up controversy, as her brother’s fiancée was arrested on assault charges on Friday.

The newly minted duchess of Sussex has two half-siblings on her father’s side, both quite a bit older than her. Her brother, Thomas Markle Jr., is engaged to Darlene Blount, who was arrested this weekend following a domestic violence call, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

Police took Blount into custody at the home she shares with Markle Jr. in Grants Pass, Oregon. The 37-year-old was reportedly taken to Josephine County Jail and kept until Saturday morning, by which point the District Attorney had decided not to press charges.

“Last night there was a domestic violence call at the home of Thomas Markle [Jr] and Darlene Blount,” a source close to the case told the Daily Mail. “Darlene was arrested on assault charges.”

Beyond that, few details are available on the case. However, it is not the first legal drama that the couple have stirred up. Police have been called to their home at least twice in the recent past. Most recently, they responded to a call on New Year’s Eve.

On that occasion, Blount herself called authorities on her fiancé, who she said was being “really f—ing weird.” The 51-year-old was reportedly hurting himself, and Blount thought it was because he was jealous of a friend of hers. She said that Markle Jr. believed she was trying to “f— some dude” from a local bar.

Blount seemed to suggest that Markle Jr. might be mentally ill. She told the operator that she was “scared” of him because he is “a big guy,” but the police who showed up did not believe her. Blount was arrested for assault on that occasion as well.

A similar incident took place in January of 2016. Markle Jr. was arrested that time, after he allegedly held a gun to Blount’s head. The two had been drinking then as well.

After the New Year’s Eve incident, the couple reportedly claimed that they were seeking counseling for their alcohol use and their relationship. They called the arrest a “wake-up call,” and there is no word on whether this recent brush with the law involved alcohol.

Meghan Markle has said next to nothing about the unfolding drama of her relatives back home. She has subscribed to the royal family’s policy of regal composure, having deleted all of her social media and even ended her prolific blog.