MEGHAN Markle’s estranged half-sister has called for the duchess to be grilled by a lawyer on video amid their bitter defamation row.
Samantha Markle claims her reputation was wrecked during Meghan’s explosive Oprah interview last March.
Meghan’s estranged half-sister Samantha wants a judge to question the duchess on video as their court battle grinds onCredit: Harpo Productions/This Morning, CBS
Samantha, 57, claims her reputation was ruined by the Oprah interview in March 2021Credit: insideedition.com
And the 57-year-old has urged legal eagles to spend up to seven hours quizzing the royal while cameras roll on claims made during the chat, the Mirror reports.
The latest twist in the case comes days after Meghan filed a motion to dismiss the defamation case altogether.
Samantha, who is seeking £60,000 in damages, alleges she’s the victim of false and malicious statements which humiliated her in front of the world.
She has accused Meghan of concocting a “false narrative and fairy-tale life story”.
And she’s also complained about claims made in sympathetic biography Finding Freedom, by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.
Meghan has previously denied assisting the authors with anecdotes for the book, but later admitted to the High Court in London that her friends had provided stories about her.
Last night Samantha’s lawyer Jamie Alan Sasson told the publication: “Our intention is to take this case to a jury trial.
“I feel confident we’ll get past the motion to dismiss. We expect to start taking depositions in this case within the next six months.”
He said a move could even be made to ask for evidence from Prince Harry, 37, although he could refuse.
“I think he would have relevant information,” Mr Sasson said.
If Meghan’s questioning on video goes ahead, it would be as a deposition. That’s part of a US process where 99 out of 100 civil cases settle out of court before trial.
Meghan’s legal team include high-flying lawyers, one of whom has previously acted for Kim Kardashian.
They have claimed Samantha’s case is “without any merit” and there are “no allegations” that Meghan either wrote or controlled Finding Freedom.
Samantha has until June 3 to file a response. A federal judge will then rule on whether the case can proceed.
News of Samantha’s renewed court bid comes days after it was revealed Harry and Meghan will reportedly allow Netflix cameras into their home for a Keeping Up With The Kardashians-style docuseries.
According to Page Six, the Sussexes have been working with production crews for several months now – despite Meghan’s animated show Pearl being recently dumped by the platform.
The streaming giant apparently plans to release the series at the end of the year to coincide with the publication of Harry’s bombshell memoir.
Harry vehemently denied claims the couple would shoot a reality TV show in September 2020, and has previously said life in the Royal Family was like being in The Truman Show.
During the interview, Meghan said she hadn’t seen Samantha in nearly 20 years and had been raised as an ‘only child’ – claims Samantha deniesCredit: insideedition.com
