Key Takeaways:
• Meghan Markle’s defamation lawsuit filed by her half-sister Samantha was dismissed by a federal judge in Florida.
• Samantha had alleged defamation based on Meghan’s comments during a 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview and in a Netflix documentary series, “Harry & Meghan.”
• The court rejected the allegations, stating that the half-sister failed to produce evidence supporting her claims.
• This is Samantha’s third unsuccessful attempt to take Meghan to court.
• The defamation lawsuit had sought $75,000 in damages.
Markle’s Defamation Lawsuit Dismissed
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, won a legal victory on Tuesday when a Federal Judge in Florida dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought forth by her half-sister, Samantha Markle. Samantha’s allegation stemmed from the duchess’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 and comments made in a 2022 Netflix documentary about Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry.
Accusations from the Half-Sister
Samantha, in the defamation suit, claimed that 14 statements in the six-part Netflix docuseries unjustly portrayed her as an opportunist seeking to capitalize on Meghan’s fame, despite having no personal connection with her. The assertions made in court documents highlighted Samantha’s dissatisfaction with the depiction of her relationship with Meghan.
The Judge’s Decision
In a detailed 58-page ruling, Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida state that Samantha failed to provide any statements substantiating her defamation allegations. Judge Honeywell also emphasized that most of the remarks made by Meghan were either pure opinion or substantially true, hence were protected.
Denial of Relationship Claims
Since the dramatic separation of Meghan and Prince Harry from the royal family, their interactions have been a hot topic of discussion. During a CBS aired interview with Oprah, Meghan was questioned about her relationship with Samantha, her half-sister from their father Thomas Markle’s first marriage. She particularly addressed Samantha’s tell-all book, ‘The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister Part 1.’
Meghan responded to these inquiries by stating, “I think it would be very hard to ‘tell all’ when you don’t know me, I don’t feel comfortable talking about people that I really don’t know.” At another point, Meghan expressed that she viewed herself as an “only child,” and always wished she had siblings.
Samantha’s Reaction
Samantha, who resides in Lakeland, Florida, claimed that Meghan’s comments were “hurtful, false, and disparaging.” She alleged that Meghan portrayed her as “a stranger, a liar, and a deceptive fame-seeking imposter with avaricious intentions.”
She further attempted to demonstrate the impact of these “damaging” comments, stating that they influenced several of Meghan’s fans, including a significant portion of Lakeland’s residents, to turn against her. The defamation lawsuit sought $75,000 in damages.
However, the court’s dismissal of Samantha’s lawsuit marks the third failed attempt to bring a case against her famed half-sister. Meghan’s legal victory continues to leave questions about the complex relationship between the Markle sisters.