Meghan Markle‘s legal battle with her estranged half-sister may not be over, as she has appealed the district judge’s recent decision to dismiss her libel lawsuit against the former Suits actress.
If you’ll recall, Samantha Grant – who also goes by Samantha Markle – sued the Duchess of Sussex over some of the comments she made in her infamous Oprah Winfrey interview which aired in March 2021.
One of those comments was that Meghan claimed to be an only child, which Samantha argued was not only untrue, but also defamed her character. However, the case was dismissed in March 2024 by a district court judge in Tampa, Florida. Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell said she “failed to identify any statements that could support a claim for defamation.”
Samantha Markle Files An Appeal
Samantha's legal team have reportedly filed an appeal following the March decision, which if successful, would overturn Honeywell's decision to dismiss the case. This is most likely the last thing that Meghan wants!
According to Newsweek, the court filing reads: "Notice is hereby given that the Plaintiff, Samantha M. Markle, by and through her undersigned counsel, appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit from the Order Granting Defendants, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, Motion to Dismiss entered by the Honorable Charlene Edwards Honeywell on March 12, 2024."
Meghan Markle's 'Only Child' Comments On Oprah
Let's refresh our memories and circle back to Meghan's 'only child' comments. Telling the talk show host about how she longed for a sibling when she was growing up – and how excited she was to be able to give her and Prince Harry's son Prince Archie a sibling – Meghan said: "I grew up as an only child, which everyone who grew up around me knows, and I wished I had siblings." She added: "I would have loved to have had siblings, so I'm so excited to be pregnant so that Archie has someone."
Samantha and her legal team argued that Meghan's statement was "disparaging, hurtful, and false," and implied Samantha was "a stranger, a liar" and a "deceptive fame-seeking imposter with avaricious intentions."
