Samantha Markle remains steadfast in her assertion that her half-sister, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, defamed her during a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and in a subsequent documentary series.
In an appeal brief submitted on August 2, which was acquired by Fox News Digital, Samantha’s legal team contended that the court failed to properly assess the purported defamatory remarks.
“The evaluation for defamation by implication involves understanding the meaning and consequences of the collective statements, along with their deliberate arrangement which effectively creates defamation through implication,” the appeal document stated. “A reasonable individual viewing the Interview and Series would have easily attributed these remarks to Samantha, as many have done, resulting in daily harassment and threats for her, both online and offline. Once a respected member of her small community in Florida, Samantha now lives in fear for her safety and has had to relocate on multiple occasions due to genuine threats of violence.”
“Meghan was aware of her actions and their implications,” the court papers claimed. “She publicly devastated Samantha on a global scale, making it impossible for her to find work or even engage in simple tasks, like grocery shopping, without persistent harassment. All this stems from the defamatory implications levied against Samantha, which Meghan intentionally spread with the singular aim of harming her disabled half-sister.”
MEGHAN MARKLE SCORES LEGAL VICTORY IN DEFAMATION LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY HALF-SISTER SAMANTHA MARKLE
A judge dismissed the defamation case against Meghan Markle in March. Samantha Markle cannot refile the lawsuit. (AP)
Samantha’s defamation lawsuit, which was initially filed against Meghan in 2022, was dismissed with prejudice by Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell in March. A dismissal with prejudice signifies that Samantha cannot refile these claims.
“[Samantha’s] claims will be dismissed with prejudice, as she has failed to identify any statements that could substantiate a claim for defamation or defamation-by-implication at this point, her third attempt at amending her complaint, regarding either the book ‘Finding Freedom,’ the Netflix series ‘Harry & Meghan,’ or [Meghan] and her spouse’s hour-long televised CBS Interview,” Honeywell noted in official documents obtained by Fox News Digital. “Therefore, the Third Amended Complaint will be dismissed, with prejudice.”
Samantha Markle sued her half-sister for defamation, alleging that Meghan Markle portrayed her as a racist without any connection to the Duchess of Sussex. (7News Spotlight)
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Samantha had alleged that Meghan defamed her during the Duchess’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and in the Netflix series “Harry & Meghan.”
“Meghan made these false accusations, which the public now believes to be true, suggesting that Samantha is just a fame-seeking stranger,” Samantha’s attorney, Jamie Alan Sasson, previously stated to Fox News Digital.
Samantha Markle claimed Meghan Markle defamed her through comments made during the 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview. (AP)
The original lawsuit filed by Samantha was dismissed based on the judge’s determination that the remarks made by Meghan in the Oprah interview reflected her personal opinion regarding her own upbringing.
“As a reasonable listener would comprehend, the Defendant merely shares her opinion concerning her childhood and her relationship with her half-siblings,” the judge noted at that time.
“Therefore, the Court concludes that the Defendant’s statement is neither objectively verifiable nor subject to empirical proof. The Plaintiff cannot convincingly disprove the Defendant’s opinion regarding her own childhood.”
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However, Samantha was granted the opportunity to submit an amended complaint, which was brought back to court on April 13, 2023.
Oprah Winfrey interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a special in 2021 where they revealed their struggles with royal life. (Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images)
Samantha’s legal team maintained that Meghan’s statements during the interview inaccurately depicted her as an only child with no connection to her half-siblings. Additionally, Samantha asserted that she did not change her last name to Markle to “profit” from the “Suits” actress’ fame as Meghan insinuated during the 2021 interview.
At that time, Samantha’s attorney informed Fox News Digital that they intended to appeal the dismissal of the amended complaint.
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