Wheelchair-bound Samantha Markle arrives in Florida court as her half-sister Meghan tries to get defamation case dismissed: Judge indicates decision will be in the coming days
- Meghan Markle’s half sister Samantha Markle has accused the Duchess of defaming her in her 2021 Oprah interview and 2022 Netflix series
- Samantha, 58, claims that Meghan, 42, implied she is an ‘imposter,’ a ‘deceptive opportunist’ and a ‘charlatan’ in her interviews
- The case was brought in March 2022 and dismissed in March this year: Samantha is now trying one more time to bring the case to trial in Florida
The estranged half-sister of Meghan Markle was in court in Florida on Wednesday to try and secure a trial in her defamation case against the Duchess.
Samantha Markle, 58, claims that her 42-year-old half sister defamed her in her 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview and her 2022 Netflix series.
Samantha, whose father Thomas married Meghan’s mother Doria after she and her brother Thomas were born, claims that the Duchess of Sussex implied she is an ‘imposter,’ a ‘deceptive opportunist’ and a ‘charlatan’ in her interviews.
She is seeking damages in excess of $75,000, claiming that Meghan’s remarks caused her to lose sales of her book, The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister, and caused her professional and social harm.
Samantha Markle is seen on Wednesday outside the courtroom in Tampa, Florida, where she is trying to convince a judge to allow her defamation case against Meghan Markle to proceed
Samantha Markle claims that Meghan defamed her in her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey
Meghan Markle and her half sister are pictured together at Samantha’s graduation in 2008
Peter Ticktin, Samantha’s lawyer, claimed that his client – who suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair – has been harassed since Meghan’s interviews, and fears to leave her house.
Michael Kump, Meghan’s lawyer, said that Samantha’s case was baseless, and none of Meghan’s statements were libelous.
‘This has always been a lawsuit in search of a viable claim,’ said Kump, who also represents the Kardashian family.
‘The case has failed because it runs head first up against defamation law and the First Amendment.’
The case was initially brought in March 2022, and dismissed in March this year.
The judge in March found that Meghan was simply expressing ‘an opinion about her childhood and her relationship with her half-sibling.’
Samantha is now trying one more time to bring the case to trial in Florida.
Judge Charlene Honeywell, overseeing the case, is expected to decide whether to proceed to trial in the coming weeks.
Samantha Markle and Meghan share the same father, Thomas Markle. He married Doria Ragland in 1979
Samantha Markle has frequently appeared on television shows to talk about her half sister
Speaking to reporters outside court, Samantha Markle said she was ‘optimistic’ about the prospects of a trial.
‘I think the truth stands on its own, so I’m optimistic and thankful that we have a justice system that gives us the chance to present the facts,’ she told The U.S. Sun.
She said she was hurt by Meghan claiming they were not close as children, but told Fox 13: ‘People change, they have agendas, they have other things influencing their lives. It doesn’t change reality.’
Samantha, who has been a frequent presence on television and in newspapers since Meghan first emerged as Prince Harry’s girlfriend, said that her book was not ‘a slamming tell-all’.
‘Anybody who has read my book knows it’s more of a sociological book about social labels,’ she told The U.S. Sun.
‘The title, as a matter of fact, wasn’t a jab at her (Meghan), it was a mockery of social labels because the media had previously called her ‘Princess Pushy’.’
