04 April 2023 , 12:24
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Meghan Markle could be heading to court after all as her half sister Samantha Markle is planning to refile "an even stronger" case against her, according to reports.
The Duchess of Sussex successfully had Samantha's lawsuit dismissed after the royal was accused of spreading "demonstrably false and malicious lies" to a "worldwide audience" in her tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
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 and it seems as though that is exactly what she intends to do.
Samantha is planning to refile her case (FOX via Getty Images)"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.
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The attorney added that they look forward to presenting an "even stronger argument" for the defamation.
Dismissing Samantha's case, US District Judge Charlene Honeywell wrote in court papers: "As a reasonable listener would understand it, defendant merely expresses an opinion about her childhood and her relationship with her half-siblings.
Meghan succeeded in having the case dismissed (GC Images)
Her lawyer said the claims were 'offensive' to the Duchess (Getty Images)"Thus, the court finds that defendant's statement is not objectively verifiable or subject to empirical proof.... plaintiff cannot plausibly disprove defendant's opinion of her own childhood."
Samantha brought the defamation case against her younger half-sister in March 2022, alleging 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.
Samantha was suing her half-sister, who shares the same father, for damages, claiming Meghan defamed and embarrassed her by saying she was raised as an "only child".
According to Samantha, the allegations subjected her to "humiliation, shame and hatred on a worldwide scale".
Meghan's lawyer, Michael Kump, said the claims made by her half-sister were "quite frankly offensive to my client".