Samantha Markle has sued Megan over remarks she made in a Netflix series and remarks she made during the Oprah Winfrey interview. Megan's defence team had hoped to have the case dismissed without a trial in order to avoid having to give a deposition, testify, or maybe reveal private messages. A high-stakes hearing between the two parties is now scheduled for November 8 at 1:30 p.m. at the federal court in Tampa, Florida.
This development follows several months of waiting, with Samantha Markle striving to uphold the lawsuit. If her efforts are unsuccessful, the case could be dismissed. Conversely, a favorable outcome for Samantha would require Megan to undergo a discovery process until January 2nd, where she would need to provide private texts, emails, and relevant documents. The trial date is currently set for July 2024.
In another lawsuit, Megan was compelled to issue an apology in a lengthy witness statement after her private messages were presented to the court of appeal in November 2021. Megan's legal team had initially denied any involvement in the book "Finding Freedom." Still, email evidence, obtained through Jason Knauf, former Communications Secretary at Kensington Palace, revealed that Megan authorized him to brief the book's authors. This development indicated Megan's involvement in leaking information.
Justice Warby noted that Megan's team was behind the leak, pointing out that "Finding Freedom" author Omid Scobie tweeted about Megan's court filing approximately 58 minutes after it occurred. This prompted the judge to conclude that Megan's team was the source of the leak. While reprimanding both Megan and the Associated Newspapers for their public dispute, he did grant Megan's request to keep her friends' names confidential.
These friends had anonymously spoken to People magazine in 2019, defending Megan against accusations made by her father, Thomas Markle, and subsequently became central figures in Megan's lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday. This legal action revolves around the publication of a letter written by Megan to her father, which Megan claims was edited to portray her negatively.
Notably, the Royal correspondent Omid Scobie is reported to have a close relationship with Megan, with some referring to him as her cheerleader. He reiterated that Prince Harry and Megan did not provide an interview for the book "Finding Freedom." The Sussex's representatives have maintained this statement to clarify any speculation regarding their involvement in the book's contents.
