Meghan Markle‘s half-sister, Samantha Markle, is seeking to overturn the dismissal of her libel lawsuit against the royal.
The case sprung from Meghan’s comments about her half-sister in a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and her Netflix documentary, with Samantha arguing that they were defamatory.
Samantha’s appeal has sparked mixed reactions, as she appears to be dragging Meghan’s sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, into it, requesting that the Princess of Wales appear as a witness.
The Duchess’ Half-Sister Samantha Markle Seeks To Appeal Lawsuit Dismissal
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According to Newsweek, Samantha has filed an appeal to overturn Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell‘s ruling to dismiss her libel lawsuit case against Meghan.
Her appeal filing read, “Notice is hereby given that the Plaintiff, Samantha M. Markle, by and through her undersigned counsel, appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit from the Order Granting Defendants, Meghan, the Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍, Motion to Dismiss entered by the Honorable Charlene Edwards Honeywell on March 12, 2024.”
Judge Honeywell dismissed the case with prejudice after ruling that Samantha “failed to identify any statements that could support a claim for defamation or defamation-by-implication.”
If the case had gone to trial the first time around, the Duchess of Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍 would have been forced to release private documents and messages relevant to it.
How Meghan Markle Allegedly Defamed Her Half-Sister
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The lawsuit stems from Meghan’s comments about her half-sister in her interview with Oprah Winfrey and her Netflix documentary.
Speaking about Samantha, Meghan told Winfrey, “I think it’d be very hard to tell all when you don’t know me. And I mean, this is a very different situation than my dad, right? When you talk about betrayal, betrayal comes from someone that you have a relationship with. Right? I don’t feel comfortable talking about people that I really don’t know.”
“But I grew up as an only child, which everyone who grew up around me knows, and I wished I had siblings,” she continued. “I would have loved to have had siblings, so I’m so excited to be pregnant so that Archie has someone.”
Samantha argued that Meghan’s statement, among others, was defamatory, with her lawyers saying it was “disparaging, hurtful, and false” as it suggested Samantha was “a stranger, a liar” and a “deceptive fame-seeking imposter with avaricious intentions.”
Meanwhile, Meghan’s lawyers opined that it was a mixture of opinion and truth and that Samantha had no right to sue.
Samantha Markle Wants Kate Middleton As A Witness
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Samantha’s appeal seemingly comes with a plot twist no one saw coming, as reports suggest she has dragged Kate Middleton into it.
Dan Wootton took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that Samantha wants Kate, who is currently undergoing “preventative chemotherapy” after cancer cells were found following abdominal surgery, to stand as a witness in the court case.
The ace News broadcaster penned, “BREAKING: Samantha Markle has today officially filed her appeal in defamation case against her sister Meghan over [allegedly] untrue comments made on Netflix and Oprah interview.”
Sam Markle stresses Catherine’s cancer recovery is priority, saying:“I think it’s important everyone know that this was out there by my attorney before anyone was aware of her health challenges. We want to be respectful of that and her recovery is a priority.” https://t.co/CHeQuqwQt0
— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) April 9, 2024
“Her lawyer, Peter Ticktin, is planning on asking Catherine to provide a witness statement,” Wootton added.
Wootton went further in a follow-up tweet to say, “Sam Markle stresses Catherine’s cancer recovery is a priority, saying: ‘I think it’s important everyone knows that this was out there by my attorney before anyone was aware of her health challenges. We want to be respectful of that, and her recovery is a priority.'”
Royal Fans Slammed Samantha Markle For Dragging Kate Middleton Into The Case
Several fans have taken to X to blast Samantha for dragging the future queen into her legal feud with her half-sister, Meghan.
A fan wrote, “It is no wonder her case hasn’t progressed when her attorney blabs like a leaky ship! Leave our Catherine out of this.”
Another user said that it was “Pretty nasty of Markle to drag the royal family into this. Raglands and Markels… same same. Toxic all of them.”
One fan noted that “Meghan and her family are such a mess. Why doesn’t everyone leave the RF to live in peace? They are so destructive.”
“Samantha’s become a professional victim (runs in the family), she’s nothing but an attention-seeking cry-𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢,” a person commented.
Another said, “Samantha needs to give up. The more she pursues her vendetta against Meghan, the more pathetic she becomes.”
Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Showed Kate Middleton Support After Cancer Reveal
After The Princess of Wales’ announcement, Meghan and Harry released a statement of their own to show their support for the mother of three.
It read, “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”
It is also understood that the Sus𝓈ℯ𝓍es spoke with Kate and William privately during this trying time.
At the time, a source claimed that the couple had no idea about Kate’s abdominal surgery and recovery.
“They are aware of everything that goes on back in England but are being left out of any details regarding Kate,” the source told the news outlet. “There is clearly no trust.”
