Meghan Markle's efforts to get sister Samantha Markle's libel case against her thrown out will come to a head in a new courtroom showdown, a court filing has revealed.
Samantha is suing Meghan for libel over her Oprah Winfrey interview and aspects of her Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, released in December 2022.
The Duchess of Sussex's lawyers argue that the case has no merit and want Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell to throw the case out at Federal Court in Tampa, Florida.
A court filing seen by Newsweek reads: "Plaintiff Samantha Markle, and Defendant Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, by and through their respective undersigned counsel of record, hereby request that the Court hold oral argument in connection with Defendant's pending Motion to Dismiss the Third Amended Complaint, in light of the extensive briefing by the parties. Counsel estimates a total of 60 minutes for oral argument."
Samantha's complaint objects to the ways Meghan "degraded their relationship" in her March 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview and suggested the duchess made defamatory statements including, "I grew up as an only child," which "everyone who grew
up around me knows, and I wished I had siblings."
The duchess said she lived with her mother during the week and father on weekends, but said Thomas Markle lived alone because his adult children had moved out.
The complaint also targets Meghan's statements to Netflix, including: "I was with my mom during the week and with my dad on the weekends. And my dad lived alone, he had two adult children who had moved out of his house."
"You're telling people you raised me," she added.
Samantha's lawyers said in a court filing seen by Newsweek: "The Series undermined Samantha. It both directly stated and implied that everything Samantha was saying or had said was a lie."
"Meghan continues to participate in and perpetuate the lies around her family and upbringing, and where Meghan could have set the record straight, she did not.
"Instead, Meghan continues the hurtful lies being told about her sister,
Samantha; lies that have defamed Samantha and the negative fallout that has
therefrom occurred."
Samantha's case has been dismissed before, and the judge has suggested her latest effort to push libel allegations to trial will be her final attempt.
Meghan's lawyers said in a court filing: "Three times [Samantha] has tried—and failed—to turn a personal grudge into a federal case for reasons unbeknownst to Meghan, relying solely on non-actionable opinions and third-party statements. This action should be dismissed with prejudice."
They argue the statements complained of were not defamatory, with many described as non-actionable opinion that cannot be proved either true or false.
"In sum," the court filing reads, "none of the statements in the Oprah interview are defamatory. Meghan's statements in the [Netflix] series are just more of the same."
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
