12 March 2024 , 14:49
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Meghan Markle has successfully had her half-sister's defamation case thrown out of court - ensuring her sibling can never sue again.
Samantha Markle sued the Duchess of Sussex over comments she made to Oprah Winfrey and on her Netflix show, Harry & Meghan. But today, a judge ruled in favour of the former actress after she applied to dismiss the case.
In a brutal judgment, a Florida judge also ordered the case can never be brought back to court. In a 58-page decision, Judge Charlene Honeywell said Samantha had "failed to identify any statements that could support a claim for defamation or defamation-by-implication".
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Samantha Markle's court case has been thrown out (FOX via Getty Images)She added the half-sister's "third try at amending her complaint, in either the book Finding Freedom, the Netflix series Harry & Meghan, or Defendant and her husband's hour-long televised CBS Interview" is to be dismissed, with prejudice, meaning she cannot raise the claim again.
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Judge Honeywell wrote:" Defendant's ( Meghan Markle ) Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim is GRANTED. Plaintiff's (Samantha Markle) Defamation Claims (Count One) are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE. Plaintiff's Defamation-By-Implication Claims (Count Two) are also DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.
"The Clerk is directed to enter judgment in favour of Defendant, Meghan Markle (also known as Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex), terminate any pending motions, and CLOSE this case."
Meghan was accused by her half-sister of spreading "demonstrably false and malicious lies" to a "worldwide audience" in her 2021 tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. Samantha first brought the defamation case against her younger half-sister in March 2022, alleging the Duchess defamed her by giving information to an unauthorised biography called Finding Freedom and discussing their relationship with Winfrey on live TV.
Samantha had accused her half-sister of lying in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan (Netflix)The 59-year-old, who shares a father with the exiled royal, claimed Meghan "orchestrated the campaign to defame and destroy her and her father's reputation and credibility in order to preserve and promote the false 'rags-to-royalty' narrative [Meghan] had fabricated about her life to the Royal Family and the worldwide media."
Samantha alleged Meghan made comments seeking to "demonise" her and portray her as a "liar and fame seeker" in her show. She also claimed some of Meghan's fans launched "hate-filled smear campaigns" against her.
Meghan successfully had Samantha's original lawsuit dismissed after a Florida judge ruled in favour of Meghan and said the former Suits actress was expressing "an opinion about her childhood and her relationship with her half-sibling". However, the judge did give Samantha the opportunity to partially refile her claim. Speaking at the time, Samantha said she would come back with an "even stronger" case.
"This upcoming amendment will address certain legal issues that are related to our claims for defamation as it specifically relates to the Oprah interview on CBS," her attorney said in a statement shared with The Telegraph.