Samantha claims that Meghan made 'false and malicious statements' during her and husband Prince Harry's headlines-making sit-down with Oprah Winfrey last year.
- March 4, 2022
AceShowbiz - Meghan Markle's half-sister Samantha took their feud to court. Samantha reportedly filed a lawsuit against the Duchess of Sussex over alleged defamation in a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In court docs obtained by Page Six, Samantha claims that Meghan made "false and malicious statements" during her and husband Prince Harry's headlines-making sit-down last year. She accuses Meghan of lying about the timeframe of when they last saw each other.
"The defamatory implication is that Plaintiff had no relationship whatsoever with her sister Meghan, they were virtual strangers and that Plaintiff has created a lucrative career selling false stories to tabloids and television programs when she knows nothing about Defendant's childhood," the docs read. Additionally, Samantha claims that Meghan bashed their father Thomas Markle to make a false "rags-to-royalty" narrative of her life.
The filing continues, "Meghan falsely claimed that: (a) she essentially raised herself from virtual poverty; (b) she was forced from the age of 13 to work in a series of low-paying jobs to 'make ends meet.' " Samantha also accuses Meghan of misleading the public regarding Thomas' absence from her 2018 wedding.
"Mr. Markle suffered two heart attacks in the weeks before Defendant's wedding in May 2018 due to stress associated with the Royal wedding, the constant hounding and harassment by paparazzi and other media, and upsetting text messages he received from Defendant and Prince Harry, and Mr. Markle's cardiologist told him he was too sick to travel to England for the wedding," the docs explain. Samantha insists that her father "did not refuse to attend the wedding, but was instructed by his doctor not to attend the wedding."
Samantha adds that Meghan "published and disseminated false and malicious statements about the Plaintiff in New York Times best-selling book, 'Finding Freedom,' " which she calls "nothing more than a book of lies (hereinafter referred to as Defendant's 'fairy tale life' story)."
Through the lawsuit, Samantha is seeking $75,000 in damages and for the cost of court and attorney's fees.
A rep for Meghan has yet to comment on the suit. Meanwhile, her attorney Michael Kump said in a statement to TMZ, "This baseless and absurd lawsuit is just a continuation of a pattern of disturbing behavior. We will give it the minimum attention necessary, which is all it deserves."
