Meghan Markle’s sister Samantha poses for photos at Florida court and says she’s optimistic she’ll win defamation case
MEGHAN Markle’s sister Samantha has exclusively told The U.S. Sun she remains “optimistic” that her defamation lawsuit against the Duchess will go ahead.
Wheelchair-bound Samantha, 58, appeared in the federal court in downtown Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday in a bid to stop her libel case against Meghan, 42, from being thrown out.
Judge Charlene Honeywell heard arguments over the Duchess of Sussex’s request for the suit to be dismissed and is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks.
It is not the first time that Samantha has had to battle to keep the lawsuit going.
After the judge threw out a previous complaint earlier this year, she warned Samantha this is her “one final opportunity” to make it work.
Samantha claims that her younger half-sister wrongly implied that she is an “imposter,” a “deceptive opportunist” and a “charlatan” in her and Prince Harry’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan.
She says that Meghan implied that she didn’t know her half-sister while growing up when she told Oprah she grew up as an “only child”.
The mental health counselor says Meghan’s claims hurt sales of her book, The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister, and harmed her professionally and socially.
If the case goes to trial, Meghan would have to submit a deposition and potentially be ordered to release private messages.
Speaking to The U.S. Sun after the hearing, a defiant Samantha said: “I think the truth stands on its own so I’m optimistic and thankful that we have a justice system that gives us the chance to present the facts.”
Asked about whether she was hurtful for Meghan to claim that she didn’t really know her half-sister growing up, Samantha told reporters: “Of course it is but you know, people change, they have agendas, they have other things influencing their lives and, you know, it doesn’t change reality.
“It doesn’t change my heart, I think I’m a lot stronger than that, but it’s sad.
“I think got to live with that and hopefully some day she can embrace the truth and a better part of herself.
“I would want that for her but until then I have to get back a lot of my life that was lost from a lot of damage over several years.
“All we can do is move forward based on truth and positivity.”
Samantha – who is the daughter of Meghan’s dad Thomas from his first marriage – also defended her book, saying: “I never wrote a slamming tell-all.
“Anybody who has read my book knows it’s more of a sociological book about social labels.
“The title as a matter of fact wasn’t a jab at her (Meghan), it was a mockery of social labels because the media had previously called her ‘Princess pushy’.”
Samantha’s lawyer Peter Ticktin told the court that the Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan had wrongly implied that his client was among a hate group spreading coordinated “disinformation” against Meghan.
He added that it had come at a high cost for her because she had been harassed as a result.
Ticktin said: “It made her hated and made it so she can’t go out in public at times because of fear.”
Meanwhile, Meghan’s lawyer Michael Kump insisted that none of Meghan’s statements were libelous.
Kump – who also represents other A-listers including the Kardashians – told the court: “This has always been a lawsuit in search of a viable claim.
“The case has failed because it runs head first up against defamation law and the First Amendment.”
Samantha first brought the defamation case against her younger half-sister in March 2022.
She alleged Meghan had defamed her by giving information to the unauthorized biography about her and Harry titled Finding Freedom and by discussing their relationship with Oprah on TV.
Later she accused Meghan of using her Netflix docuseries to spread “malicious, hurtful and damaging lies” about her across the world.
Dismissing the previous complaint in March, the judge found that Meghan was just expressing “an opinion about her childhood and her relationship with her half-sibling.”