Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has a new reason to celebrate. In addition to finally finding some semblance of peace with Prince Harry and their family, the actress has scored a victory in the defamation lawsuit filed by her half-sister.
According to CBS News, in March 2022, Samantha Markle alleged that her royal half-sister made “demonstrably false and malicious statements” during her famous and unprecedented interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. Samantha also alleged that she “spread defamatory statements” about her to the writers of the 2021 New York Times Best-Selling book Finding Freedom, citing a chapter titled “A Problem Like Samantha.”
Well, over the weekend, a U.S. district judge failed to see things Samantha’s way and instead ruled in favor of Meghan, dismissing the suit entirely. However, this doesn’t seem to sway Samantha and her legal team in the least bit as they’re planning to present an “even stronger argument” for defamation in a forthcoming amended complaint, as noted by The Independent.
“This upcoming amendment will address certain legal issues that are related to our claims for defamation as it specifically relates to the Oprah interview on CBS,” Samantha’s attorney wrote in a statement.
Additionally, Meghan is set to be honored with the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Award next month. As the country’s oldest women’s foundation, the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Award is bestowed upon “visionary leaders and game-changing grantee partners committed to the Ms. Foundation’s mission of advancing women’s collective power and creating safe, just and equitable futures for all.” The Duchess of Sussex will be awarded for her “global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls.”
Other recipients include co-founder of Black Voters Matter LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project Wanda Irving, Executive Director of URGE Kimberly Inez McGuire, abortion rights activist and Director of Politics & Government Affairs of Gen-Z for Change Olivia Julianna, and LGBTQ+ advocate and activist Rebekah Bruesehoff.