Meghan Markle sued by half-sister over Oprah Winfrey tell-all interview
Samantha Markle accuses the Duchess of Sussex of defamation
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Meghan Markle has been sued by her half-sister for allegedly making "false" statements in the interview she and Prince Harry gave to Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
Samantha Markle filed the lawsuit on Thursday in Florida and accuses the Duchess of Sussex of defamation "based on demonstrably false and malicious statements" made by Meghan in the sit-down interview viewed by millions around the world on March 7, 2021.
Samantha, who shares father Thomas Markle with the duchess, claims Meghan's "lies" were "designed to destroy [her] reputation" and have subjected her to "humiliation, shame and hatred on a worldwide scale," the documents obtained by Fox News Digital allege.
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Samantha argues that Meghan lied about being an "only child" and about the last time she saw Samantha. She also claims Meghan falsely stated that Samantha changed her last name to Markle after Meghan started dating Prince Harry.
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In this handout image provided by Harpo Productions and released on March 5, 2021, Oprah Winfrey interviews Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in a special that aired in 2021. (Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images)
Meghan's half-sister goes on to claim that she instructed her communications secretary Jason Knauf to "disseminate" false statements for the biography "Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family" by Omid Scobie.
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Samantha also accuses Meghan of damaging their father's reputation "in order to preserve and promote the false ‘rags-to-royalty’ narrative." She claims Meghan has falsely given the impression that she "essentially raised herself from virtual poverty" and worked to pay for her college education from Northwestern University.
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Samantha highlights their father's past work in Hollywood as a "successful television lighting director for 45 years."
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Meghan, Thomas and Samantha Markle. (Getty / YouTube / Splash)
"Defendant was not forced at the age of 13 to work in low-paying jobs to make ends meet; Defendant attended elite and expensive private schools and dance and acting classes in Los Angeles paid for by her Father; Mr. Markle also paid for all of Defendant's college education at Northwestern including tuition, rent and living expenses and even took out loans to cover the considerable cost," Samantha alleges.
Samantha concludes that the truths of Meghan's life story "directly contradict the false narrative and ‘fairy tale life story’ [Meghan] fabricated."
Samantha is seeking damages in excess of $75,000.
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Meghan Markle's half-sister claims she's spread lies in the media about her childhood. ( NDZ/Star Max/GC Images)
Meghan's attorney Michael Kump called the lawsuit "baseless" in an interview with Fox News Digital on Friday.
"This baseless and absurd lawsuit is just a continuation of a pattern of disturbing behavior. We will give it the minimum attention necessary, which is all it deserves," Kump said.