Meghan Markle wins defamation lawsuit filed against her by half-sister Samantha Markle

A judge dismissed Samantha Markle's defamation suit and sided with the Duchess of Sussex. Photos / Getty Images

Meghan Markle has taken home a major legal victory after a defamation lawsuit filed against her by her half-sister Samantha Markle was dismissed.

Florida Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell ruled that the case should be dismissed with prejudice, which means Meghan’s relative cannot file a claim against her again, reports Page Six.

In court documents obtained by Page Six, it is alleged that Samantha “failed to identify any statements that could support a claim for defamation or defamation-by-implication by this point, her third try at amending her complaint …”

The judge noted in the court case that there were no signs of defamation in the Sussexes’ docuseries Harry & Meghan or Omid Scobie’s Finding Freedom.

What’s more, the judge found no sign of defamation in Harry and Meghan’s sit-down CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey back in 2021.

Judge Honeywell revealed that Samantha provided “mischaracterisations of the [interview] transcript” and went on to say that the Sussexes’ claims about Samantha and Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, were “quintessential examples of opinion”.

Samantha sued Meghan in March 2022, alleging that the former Suits actress made “false and malicious statements” when she was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey. Photo / Twitter

The judge’s decision means the Duchess of Sussex is spared an embarrassing trial in court in Tampa at the end of the year.

Samantha sued Meghan in March 2022, alleging that the former Suits actress made “false and malicious statements” when she was interviewed by Winfrey.

Meghan’s half-sister then accused her of wrongly telling people that she was “an only child” and claimed the Duchess of Sussex wasn’t honest about the timeframe between when they last saw each other. She also says Meghan spread negative stories about Thomas Markle to convince the world of a false “rags-to-royalty” story of her life.

Samantha Markle sued for US$75,000 ($122,000) in damages, on top of a request to have her court costs and lawyer fees covered.

Meghan slammed the lawsuit as “meritless”.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the Invictus Games One Year To Go Event on February 14, 2024 in Whistler, Canada. Photo / Getty Images

“We do not empanel juries to rule on whether two people are ‘close’, or whether one genuinely feels that they ‘grew up as an only child’,” the Duchess of Sussex’s legal team stated at the time.

“Courts are not equipped to adjudicate the legitimacy of a person’s feelings about their childhood and relationships. Nor should they be.”

Meghan’s lawyer proceeded to tell TMZ after the request for dismissal that the lawsuit was “baseless and absurd” and “a continuation of a pattern of disturbing behaviour”.

“We will give it the minimum attention necessary, which is all it deserves,” he concluded.