Meghan Markle Could Be Questioned Under Oath Over Royal Racist Row In Sister Samantha's Libel Case
Meghan Markle should answer questions related to the controversial racist row, according to her sister Samantha Markle's lawyer.
Peter Ticktin, Samantha's legal counsel in her libel case against the Duchess of Sussex, weighed in on how the racist royal row would factor in their legal battle against Markle. According to him, Prince Harry's wife should address questions about it under oath.
"The royal racists issue needs to be explored," Ticktin told The Sun. "There [are] reasons why she abandoned her family and turned on her family."
He also seemingly criticized the former "Suits" star for her behavior, even accusing Markle of not caring about the monarchy's future.
"This is a person who wants to be able to say horrible things and not really care if she destroyed the lives of people in her family," Ticktin continued. "She doesn't care if she destroys the monarchy."
According to Ticktin, Markle's lawyers were "stonewalling" their requests for information in the case, hoping the judge would dismiss it. However, he will file a motion with the Court next month demanding they hand the documents over.
Samantha is suing Markle for libel over the latter's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and the comments in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan." Samantha claimed that she was subjected to "worldwide hatred, contempt and ridicule" due to the things Markle said.
Markle claimed that she grew up as an only child. She also alleged that her half-sister Samantha only changed her name back to Markle after she began dating Prince Harry, making her look like a "liar for profit."
This past March, Samantha's lawsuit, filed in Tampa, Florida, in March 2022, was dismissed. Samantha filed the case alleging that Markle made "demonstrably false and malicious statements" about her in the Oprah interview. However, U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell ruled in favor of the former actress. According to her, the duchess' statement could not be proven false.
"As a reasonable listener would understand it, [Meghan Markle] merely expresses an opinion about her childhood and her relationship with her half-siblings," Honeywell wrote in the order, per CBS News. "Thus, the Court finds that Defendant's statement is not objectively verifiable or subject to empirical proof. Plaintiff cannot plausibly disprove Defendant's opinion of her own childhood."
Samantha amended her complaint, and last month, a federal judge in Florida scheduled it for trial on Nov. 4, 2024, the New York Post reported.
