Judge set to decide whether the long-running lawsuit will go to trial
Meghan Markle is facing a tense wait as a court in Jacksonville, Florida prepares to rule on whether a defamation case brought by her estranged half-sister Samantha Markle will be allowed to proceed.
Samantha first filed the lawsuit in 2022, claiming Meghan made false and damaging statements during her widely watched interview with Oprah Winfrey alongside Prince Harry. The case was dismissed in March 2024, but Samantha is now making a final attempt to revive it.
If the judge allows the case to move forward after today’s hearing (September 9), Meghan could be forced to defend herself in a full trial and risk possible damages. If it is dismissed again, the ruling would effectively end Samantha’s three-year legal battle.
Meghan is not expected to attend the hearing in person. Samantha’s lawyer, Peter Ticktin, criticised the Duchess in comments to the Daily Express, saying, “If I were to give advice to Meghan, it would be to wake up and smell the coffee. She keeps trying, but she’s not coming across the way she wants to to the American public.”
Meghan’s lawyer, Michael J. Kump, has dismissed the case as meritless, saying it deserves only “the minimum attention necessary.” Her legal team argues that any suggestion linking Samantha to online hate groups was an opinion protected under the First Amendment.
