Meghan Markle’s half-sister appeared in virtual court on Wednesday in her defamation action against the Duchess of Sussex, in which she claimed that the royal sullied her reputation by creating a “rags-to-royalty” story.
Samantha Markle, 58, sued Meghan Markle in federal court in Florida for making “clearly false and malicious statements” against her during their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
The charges stated in the couple’s upcoming memoir, “Finding Freedom,” allegedly defamed Markle’s half-sister.
Samantha, who shares a father with the duchess, claimed Meghan “orchestrated the campaign to defame and destroy her sister’s and her father’s reputation and credibility in order to preserve and promote the false ‘rags-to-royalty’ narrative [Meghan] had concocted about her life to the Royal Family and the global media.”
According to the Daily Mail, Samantha’s attorney Peter Ticktin told the court that Meghan lied about her upbringing and attacked her half-sister and divorced father to cover it up.
“Why else would she disparage her sister? Why else does she insult her father? Why else would she refuse her family, who has done nothing but kind for her throughout her whole life? Ticktin said. She never had any difficulty with them.
According to him, Meghan’s “false narrative” hurt his client.
Meghan, age 41, did not anticipate that her story “would thrust an innocent person into a situation where she would receive hundreds of death threats and have to deal with a stalker,” as Ticktin explained.
But, Michael Kump, Meghan’s attorney, stated that Samantha had no grounds to sue for defamation.
He stated that Samantha’s and her attorney’s assertions were disrespectful to his client and sought that the lawsuit be dismissed.
“Not every perceived slight should be litigated, and that is the case here,” he reportedly stated. “Plaintiff is contesting Meghan’s recollections of her own childhood, but this is not an appropriate topic for a court of law.”
According to the First Amendment, the duchess and former “Suits” star has the right to express her thoughts “and even criticize.”
Meghan, who has been estranged from her father’s family for years, did not create “Finding Freedom,” the book in which Samantha claimed she defamed her with multiple claims, and so cannot be sued for it.
Judge Charlene Honeywell stated that it was “extremely difficult” for her to comprehend how Meghan published allegedly defamatory words against Samantha, a requirement in such cases.
According to the Daily Mail, she wants to give a written judgment at a later date, but remarked that the matter may be “ripe for dismissal.”
Honeywell denied Meghan’s request to postpone testifying in court last week, stating that the former “Suits” actress “fails to demonstrate that extraordinary circumstances justify the requested stay or that prejudice or an undue burden will result if the court does not impose a stay.”
Samantha asserts Meghan’s alleged lies caused her “global humiliation, shame, and hatred” and is demanding $75,000 in damages.
»Meghan Markle’s half-sister claims duchess fabricated “rags-to-royalty narrative.”«