Meghan Markle's half-sister refiles amended defamation lawsuit
Samantha Markle has filed an amended version of her defamation lawsuit against Meghan Markle.
The Duchess of Sussex has been accused by her half-sister of using her Netflix docuseries as a way to spread "malicious, hurtful, and damaging lies" directed at Samantha on a "worldwide level".
The new allegations are part of an amended version of Samantha's lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday.
The amendment was filed within hours of a two-week deadline a judge had set after previously granting Meghan's motion to dismiss the original claim.
Samantha alleges Meghan made comments seeking to "demonise" her and portray her as a "liar and fame seeker" in her show.
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She also claims some of Meghan's fans launched "hate-filled smear campaigns" against her.
Samantha Markle has filed an amendment to her lawsuit (FOX via Getty Images)Meghan successfully had Samantha's original lawsuit dismissed after the royal was accused of spreading "demonstrably false and malicious lies" 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.
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.
Meghan Markle successfully had the earlier lawsuit dismissed (Getty Images)
She's been accused of spreading 'malicious, hurtful, and damaging lies' (PA)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.
"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.
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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".
Meghan's lawyer, Michael Kump, said the claims made by her half-sister were "quite frankly offensive to my client".
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