Meghan Markle holds breath as defamation lawsuit decision hours away

Meghan Markle faces another tense moment in her long-running family feud.

According to reports, Meghan’s half-sister Samantha Markle is making a last-ditch attempt to revive the libel case she filed back in 2022 over comments she made in her infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey with Prince Harry. 

Samantha previously lost the case in March 2024, but today’s hearing in Jacksonville, Florida, (September 9) could decide whether the Duchess of Sussex must go to trial.

If Samantha succeeds, Meghan could face a courtroom showdown and possible damages.

But if the case is dismissed again, there will be no higher court to turn to, marking the end of Samantha’s three-year fight.

Meghan is not expected to appear in court, but Samantha’s lawyer, Peter Ticktin, had harsh words for the Duchess.

According to the Daily Express, he said: “If I were to give advice to Meghan, it would be to wake up and smell the coffee. She keeps trying, but she’s not coming across the way she wants to to the American public.”

Meghan’s attorney, Michael J. Kump, previously dismissed the lawsuit, saying they would give it “the minimum attention necessary, which is all it deserves.” 

Her legal team has argued that any perceived link between Samantha and online hate groups is an opinion protected by the First Amendment.