Meghan Markle has faced a highly publicized courtroom showdown with her half-sister, Samantha Markle, who sued Meghan for defamation over statements made during the 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview.
Samantha claimed that Meghan made "demonstrably false and malicious statements" about her, which she argued destroyed her reputation and led to harassment and death threats.
The case faced a major setback for Samantha when a federal judge dismissed her original $75,000 lawsuit in 2024, ruling that Meghan’s comments were expressions of opinion and not provably false. Samantha refiled the suit in 2025, but during the recent hearing, judges expressed skepticism about her appeal, questioning whether the legal brief sufficiently challenged the lower court's ruling.
Samantha's lawyer argued that Meghan’s interview and related media portrayals had a cumulative defamatory effect, intentionally harming Samantha’s reputation. Meghan’s legal team countered that the comments were opinion-based and legally protected. The judges indicated Samantha’s appeal faces significant hurdles, and a final decision is pending.
This courtroom battle has caused public and personal strain for Meghan, who continues to defend herself against these allegations amid ongoing family drama. Samantha's persistence and the contentious nature of the case keep it in the limelight, underscoring the complex and painful family divide.