08 November 2023 , 12:47
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Meghan Markle is being sued by her half-sister Samantha Markle over her Oprah Winfrey interview and comments made in her Netflix series Harry & Meghan.
The two parties will go head-to-head in a high-stakes hearing listed for November 8, at the Federal Court in Tampa, Florida. Meghan's lawyers asked the judge to dismiss the case without a trial, which would allow her to swerve the need to submit to a deposition, to testify and to potentially release private messages.
However, at the end of last week, the court finally published the date of the first hearing after months of waiting. For Samantha, this will be the third time she has had to fight to save the lawsuit. If she is unsuccessful it will be her last after a judge gave her "one final opportunity" to make the case work back in March.
If she is successful, Samantha will get her trial but the former Suits actress will have until January 2nd to undergo "discovery," which would see her hand over private texts, emails and other documents relevant to the case to her half-sister. A trial date has reportedly been set for July 2024.
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Samantha claims Meghan spread "damaging lies"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.
The Duchess of Sussex was then 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 amended version of her suit 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. She also claims some of Meghan's fans launched "hate-filled smear campaigns" against her.
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".
Samantha filed a lawsuit (ITV)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. The attorney added that they look forward to presenting an "even stronger argument" for the defamation.