The legal battle between Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and her half sister, Samantha Markle, has come to a head as a federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Meghan on Tuesday.
Samantha Markle had accused Meghan of spreading “disparaging, hurtful and false” statements about her in interviews with Oprah Winfrey and in the Netflix documentary series, “Harry & Meghan.” However, Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell ruled that Markle had failed to identify any statements that supported her defamation claims.
Meghan and Prince Harry made headlines around the world when they spoke out about their split from the royal family in interviews with Oprah Winfrey and in the Netflix series. Meghan is largely estranged from her half sister and their father, Thomas Markle, and had previously demurred when asked about her relationship with Samantha.
In response to the lawsuit, Samantha Markle claimed that Meghan’s comments had harmed her reputation and caused emotional distress. However, the judge found that Meghan’s statements were either protected as opinion or substantially true, or that Markle had failed to prove they were defamatory in the first place.
This dismissal is the latest legal twist for Harry and Meghan, who have been involved in several legal battles in recent months. A lawyer for Meghan did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Samantha Markle’s lawyer, Peter Ticktin, expressed disappointment in the decision and stated that they plan to appeal.
As the legal saga continues, the public will be watching to see how this latest development impacts the ongoing feud between the two sisters.
