A Florida judge ruled in favor of Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, in the defamation lawsuit brought by her estranged half-sister, Samantha Markle.
Samantha Markle sued Meghan Markle in federal court in Florida for what she considered to be defamatory remarks about her during Prince Harry and Meghan’s Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2021.
Samantha was upset after Meghan told Oprah that she was raised as an only child.
The half-sister claimed that the remarks had humiliated her and she sued for $75K.
A Florida judge disagreed and dismissed the entire case, ruling that Meghan was free to express her views and that the truthfulness of her statements could not be verified.
The defendant had opinions about her upbringing, her father, and her relationships with her half-sibling, according to US District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell’s report. As a result, the court is unable to dispute her claims independently.
Meghan, according to Samantha Markle, made up a false “rags to riches” story about her life. She claimed that Meghan had orchestrated a campaign to harm her reputation and their father’s credibility.
Samantha’s lawyer, Peter Ticktin, stated that Meghan chose to criticize her sister and father because she was caught lying about her upbringing. He claimed that Meghan’s false story harmed his client.
Meghan’s attorney, Michael Kump, said that the plaintiff lacked legal justification for bringing a defamation claim against his client. He demanded the case be dismissed.
The judge concurred.
The half-sisters had been estranged from one another for a long time, prior to the Oprah interview in 2021.
