Meghan Markle has scored a dramatic boost in her long-running legal showdown with her estranged half-sister Samantha Markle — a bitter family feud now unfolding inside a federal courtroom.
Samantha, 60, has been locked in battle with the Duchess of Sussex, 44, since she accused Meghan of spreading “false and malicious statements” to a global audience during her bombshell 2021 sit-down with Oprah Winfrey. What began as a $75,000 defamation suit dismissed last year has now returned on appeal — but Tuesday’s hearing in Jacksonville suggests the case may be slipping through Samantha’s fingers once again.
In front of a three-judge panel at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Samantha’s attorney Peter Ticktin tried to convince the court that Meghan’s remarks amounted to defamation by implication, tarnishing Samantha’s reputation and putting her in danger. “The whole purpose was to destroy Samantha Markle,” Ticktin argued, insisting Meghan’s words fueled online hatred, even leading to death threats. “If somebody had a manual on how you hurt somebody and escape liability for defamation, this is the case,” he added, painting Meghan’s interview as a calculated attack.
But the judges were openly skeptical. Chief US Circuit Judge William Pryor cut through the argument with a blunt rebuke: “It seems to me that everything you argue about is beside the point. Because when the district court rules… you have to knock down in your opening brief every basis for the district court’s ruling, and you didn’t even touch this.” His sharp words suggested Samantha’s appeal may not withstand scrutiny.
The case has lingered for years, fueled by explosive claims and tabloid intrigue. Samantha first filed her lawsuit in late 2022, two years after Meghan and Prince Harry quit royal life and moved to California. She alleged that Meghan misled the public about their family history, calling her a “stranger” and hinting she had cashed in on royal connections by selling stories to the press. Samantha also demanded Meghan retract allegations against their father, Thomas Markle Sr., who had himself offered to testify in support of Samantha’s claims before moving to the Philippines.
But Meghan’s legal team has repeatedly dismissed the case as baseless, arguing the duchess merely expressed personal opinions protected by the First Amendment. A federal judge agreed in 2023, ruling that Meghan’s comments were “not capable of being proved false” and reflected subjective views about her childhood and her relationship with her siblings. “As a reasonable listener would understand it, Defendant merely expresses an opinion,” Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell wrote at the time, effectively gutting Samantha’s original complaint.
Still, Samantha pressed on, determined to revive her lawsuit on appeal. Tuesday’s hearing, however, suggested the uphill battle remains steep. The panel’s pointed questioning of her attorney exposed deep weaknesses in the appeal and cast serious doubt on whether Samantha can succeed where she has already failed.
For Meghan, the court’s reaction represents another crucial win in a saga that has kept her family tensions in the headlines for years. For Samantha, it marks yet another blow in a case that has long struggled to gain legal traction despite its sensational claims. And for the public, it’s another dramatic chapter in the ongoing story of the Duchess of Sussex — a tale where royal glamour, bitter family feuds, and high-stakes courtroom battles collide.
The judges have yet to deliver a verdict, but if Tuesday’s exchanges are any indication, Samantha’s pursuit of justice may soon meet the same fate as her original case: dismissed, leaving Meghan once again in control of the narrative.
Leave a Reply