Meghan Markle secures court victory against half-sister Samantha as judge dismisses defamation case
Meghan Markle has secured a court victory against her half-sister Samantha Markle.
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Meghan Markle has secured a court victory against her half-sister Samantha Markle.
Samantha launched a defamation case against the Duchess of Sussex through courts in the US.
However, the judge found that Samantha's legal team had failed to identify statements that could support her case.
Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell said Samantha had 'failed to identify any statements that could support a claim for defamation' and dismissed the case.
Samantha launched a defamation case against the Duchess of Sussex through courts in the US.
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Samantha will not be able to refile as the case was dismissed with prejudice.
Meghan's half-sister was seeking a minimum of $75,000 for defamation and defamation by implication for the duchess suggesting she grew up as an only child in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The Duchess of Sussex claimed Samantha only changed her surname back to Markle after she began dating Prince Harry.
The judge found that the gist of this was true in her ruling.
The Duchess of Sussex claimed Samantha only changed her surname back to Markle after she began dating Prince Harry.
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She wrote: "That Plaintiff used one last name and then the name Markle soon after reports of Defendant's relationship with Prince Harry were published is substantially true, based on the exhibits in the record, of which the Court has taken judicial notice."
Samantha Markle had highlighted statements made in Meghan's interview with Oprah, the royal biography Finding Freedom and the Netflix series Harry & Meghan as part of her case.
In her conclusion the judge wrote: "Plaintiff's claims will be dismissed with prejudice, as she has failed to identify any statements that could support a claim for defamation or defamation-by-implication by this point, her third try at amending her complaint, in either the book Finding Freedom, the Netflix series Harry & Meghan, or Defendant and her husband's hour-long televised CBS Interview."
Samantha originally filed the case against Meghan in March 2022.
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The Duchess of Sussex has not spoken to her half-sister for years.
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The Duchess of Sussex has not spoken to her half-sister for years.
Samantha Markle and Meghan share the same father, Thomas Markle Snr.
Meghan has not spoken to her father in years and he has never been introduced to his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The duchess remains close with her mother Doria and they have been seen at several high-profile events together in the last 12 months.