Samantha Markle and Meghan Markle to Face Off in Court Over Defamation Claims
Meghan had sought to get the lawsuit dismissed.

Toby Melville/Reuters
Samantha Markle’s defamation lawsuit against her estranged half-sister Meghan is scheduled to go ahead next year, in what could be a major new headache for Prince Harry’s wife. Samantha is suing Meghan, claiming that she defamed her in her interview with Oprah Winfrey. Court documents cited by The Messenger say the trial is due to begin on Nov. 4, 2024, in Tampa, Florida, and is expected to last five days. The scheduling will be an unwelcome development for Meghan, who thought she had seen off Samantha’s suit in March this year when it was dismissed by a judge, but Samantha brought it back in amended form and the judge has now declined to dismiss it. Samantha alleges that Meghan defamed her by saying she was raised as an only child, claiming Meghan thereby inferred Samantha was cynically exploiting their relationship, causing her to experience “humiliation and hatred.” Meghan’s attorney argued that her remarks were clearly intended to reflect her subjective experience.
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