Meghan Markle will be back in court again for the umpteenth time this year. Her half-sister, Samantha Markle, is accusing her of lying to Oprah Winfrey. A trial date has been set, but don’t get too excited. Here’s what’s going on, and why it probably won’t get that far.
Why Samantha Markle Is Suing
Between Samantha and Thomas Markle, Meghan has a fractured relationship with her family. Both her sister and father have sided with the British tabloids and freely give hurtful interviews whenever they can. Samantha was banned from Twitter for repeatedly attacking her half-sister. There’s nothing but disdain here folks.
To hear Meghan tell it, she’s basically had little to no contact with them since she got married. This hasn’t stopped both of them from dragging her name through the mud every chance they get.
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Samantha is suing Markle for comments she made during the Winfrey interview, and for information in Finding Freedom. Meghan said she and Samantha were “virtual strangers” and she grew up “as an only child.” Samantha is calling these stories false and defamatory. Thomas is taking Samantha’s side. What a headache.
The Date Is Set
Despite Meghan’s lawyer’s attempts to get the lawsuit dropped entirely, a Florida judge has set a trial date. October 2, 2023, could see the Markles duke it out in court for no more than five days. The date will only happen should the sides fail to settle beforehand. The two are required to find a mediator, and the judge is requiring swift submissions so as to not waste court resources.
Samantha wants $75,000 from the former Suits star, but it could be difficult. For one thing, Meghan didn’t write Finding Freedom at all. Her judges argue the statements made to Winfrey were obviously emotionally driven and not meant to be viewed as objective fact. They also claim her comments have been robbed of context.
What’s Going To Happen?
There’s no way of knowing if this trial will ever actually occur. Samantha’s case need not be ironclad for a settlement, and Meghan may want to pay the five-figure sum just to get Samantha off her back. Most celebrity lawsuits like this tend to end long before they ever go to trial, and Meghan probably wants to ignore the intense media scrutiny that comes with a public trial.
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Since the court system is actively pressuring the two to hurry up and settle, it might never actually get to court. One thing is for sure: there’s no love lost between Samantha and Meghan Markle. Perhaps someday all the bad feelings could subside. We’re not holding our breath.