A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Meghan Markle on Tuesday after her half-sister, Samantha Markle, was unable to find evidence to back her claim of “disparaging, hurtful and false” comments.
Four years ago in Tampa, Samantha Markle filed a lawsuit, referring to remarks in Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey, her Netflix series with Prince Harry, “Harry & Meghan,” and her memoir “Finding Freedom.”
However, the court determined that Samantha couldn't plausibly make a claim for defamation related to the presented statements, according to court documents obtained by TheWrap.
U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell wrote in her 58-page ruling on Tuesday that the motion to dismiss was granted in full, and that the Third Amended Complaint will be dismissed with prejudice, as no defamatory statements were identified.
The motion also stated that each statement is non-actionable due to being protected opinion, substantially true based on evidence, not considered defamatory, or because Plaintiff is precluded from meeting the actual malice standard. Therefore, the defamation claims will be dismissed with prejudice.
According to Florida’s defamation law, it must come in either of two forms: libel, expressed in print, or slander, spoken or oral defamation.
Markle’s attorney, Michael J. Kump of Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP, said in a statement provided to TheWrap, “We are pleased with the Court’s ruling dismissing the case.”
