Ready to Sue: Samantha Markle's Attorney Is 'Confident' His Client Can Win Libel Case Against Meghan Markle
The sibling rivalry between Samantha Markle and her estranged sister, Meghan Markle, is set to get nasty. The former mental health counselor's attorney, Peter Ticktin, is "confident" that she can win her libel suit against the Duchess of Sussex based on claims the ex-working royal made about Samantha in the 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview.
In a separate court filing, the Suits star's lawyers stated: "Three times [Samantha Markle] has tried — and failed — to turn a personal grudge into a federal case for reasons unbeknownst to Meghan, relying solely on non-actionable opinions and third-party statements. This action should be dismissed with prejudice."
In the infamous interview with the media mogul, Meghan said that she "grew up as an only child" and added: "Everyone who grew up around me knows, and I wished I had siblings. I was with my mom during the week and with my dad on the weekends. And my dad lived alone, he had two adult children who had moved out of his house."
Samantha replied to these claims and the basis of her suit while talking to reporters outside of the Florida courtroom earlier this month. "My brother [Thomas Markle Jr.] and I were very clear that we were integral in her life until [she was] 12," she told reporters. "We taught her how to walk... we took her to school, we went to the duck pond — we were normal brothers and sisters."
"I think the truth stands on its own, so I’m optimistic and thankful that we have a justice system that gives us the chance to present the facts. People change, they have agendas, they have other things influencing their lives, and, you know, it doesn’t change reality," the mental health advocate added.
She continued: "It doesn’t change my heart, I think I’m a lot stronger than that, but it’s sad. I think [i've] got to live with that, and hopefully someday she can embrace the truth and a better part of herself. I would want that for her, but until then, I have to get back a lot of my life that was lost from a lot of damage over several years. All we can do is move forward based on truth and positivity."
The suit was presided over by Judge Charlene Honeywell, who heard arguments from both sisters' legal representatives before making her final decision on the case in the coming weeks.
"I think, you know, it's crazy to say that teenagers would raise a kid, so anybody with a functioning frontal lobe would know Samantha never publicly said that," Ticktin revealed in the courtroom.
"Saying we were integral in her life until 12 and were normal brothers and sisters is very different from saying we raised her," Ticktin added on his client's behalf. "It made her hated and made it so she can’t go out in public at times because of fear."
The Duchess of Sussex did not attend the court hearing on November 8.
Newsweek reported on various statements.