29 Apr SAMANTHA MARKLE COMMENCES DEFAMATION CLAIMS OVER OPRAH INTERVIEW

In March, Samantha Markle brought defamation proceedings in Florida against her half-sister Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, in relation to comments she made during her 2021 Oprah interview with husband Prince Harry.

The lawsuit claims the Duchess made several “false and malicious” comments during the interview, which were calculated to discredit Samantha Markle and her published autobiography, The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister Part 1. It alleges the Duchess falsely stated that she “grew up as an only child”, had not seen her half-sister for 18 or 19 years, and that Samantha changed her surname to ‘Markle’ in her early fifties after Meghan started dating Harry.

The claim also alleges the Duchess made false comments in a public letter to Nancy Pelosi and during interviews with Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres to preserve and promote a “rags-to-royalty” narrative.

Prince Harry has now reportedly been listed as an “Interested Person” in the case and Samantha Markle’s attorney has apparently applied for permission to withdraw as her representative, with the related court filing citing “irreconcilable differences and fundamental disagreements regarding various aspects of this case and the strategy moving forward”.

Samantha Markle is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, alleging that she suffered actual damages in the form of lost employment and income from sales of her autobiography. To obtain these remedies, she will need to prove that the Duchess, who is a public figure, published the statements with malicious intent.

Responding to the claim, the Duchess’ attorney, described it as “baseless and absurd” calling it a “continuation of a pattern of disturbing behaviour”. He said that “we will give it the minimum attention necessary, which is all it deserves”.