13 March 2024 , 11:28
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Meghan Markle will not receive any further defamation action from her half sister Samantha Markle, after a US judge ruled in favour of the Duchess of Sussex.
Samantha brought a defamation case against Meghan back in March 2022 where she alleged the Duchess had defamed her by giving information to an unauthorised biography called Finding Freedom and by discussing their relationship with Oprah on live TV. She also accused Meghan and Harry's docuseries of spreading "malicious, hurtful, and damaging lies", with Samantha also alleging that Meghan made comments seeking to "demonise" her and portray her as a "liar and fame seeker". As part of her legal case she asked for $75,000 (about £58,600) in damages as part of the case against her royal relative.
However, after losing the case yesterday, Samantha can now no longer bring legal action for defamation against Meghan as the judge dismissed the case with prejudice.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle accused of 'smear campaign' against half-sister in thrown-out court case
Meghan Markle lost her defamation case against the Duchess of Sussex, with a judge ruling she cannot raise the claim again (Sunrise)In official court documents, 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.
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"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."
Samantha who shares a father with the former Suits actress, 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 also 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 Markle has previously spoken out about her half sister Samantha in her Netflix series with husband Prince Harry (Getty Images)
Meghan was accused by Samantha of "demonising" her and portraying her as a "liar and fame seeker" (Getty Images)The court documents revealed that in the Netflix documentary series, Harry & Meghan, released in December 2022 four episodes appeared to mention Samantha "directly or indirectly". In one clip, Meghan told the camera: "My half-sister, who I hadn’t seen for over a decade – and that was only for a day and a half – suddenly, it felt like she was everywhere."
Meghan continued: "I don’t know your middle name. I don’t know your birthday. You’re telling these people that you raised me, and you’ve coined me ‘Princess Pushy,'" she continued. Meghan also said: "I don’t remember seeing her when I was a kid at my dad’s house – if and when they would come around. And then the last time that I saw her, that I remember, is when I was in my early twenties," she added, “I hadn’t had a fallout with her. We didn’t have a closeness to be able to have that. And I wanted a sister.”