Prince Harry, Meghan Markle to be deposed in defamation trial

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to be deposed in a defamation case within the United States, following a ruling by Florida decide Charlene Edwards Honeywell.

The case was introduced in opposition to the Duchess by her half-sister, Samantha Markle, who’s suing her for damages exceeding $75,000 for “defamation and injurious falsehood”.

The lawsuit, which was filed in March 2022, claims that Meghan made “demonstrably false and malicious statements” in her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, which was watched by an estimated 50 million folks in 17 nations.

The assertion additional alleges that Meghan defamed Samantha when she referred to herself as an “only child” in the course of the interview.

Meghan had filed a movement in September 2022 to cease the depositions within the case, however the presiding decide dismissed the movement, ruling that she did not show that “unusual circumstances justify the requested stay, or that prejudice or an undue burden will result if the Court does not impose a stay”.

Samantha claims that Meghan’s statements have subjected her to “humiliation, shame and hatred on a worldwide scale,” and unfold “lies worldwide” about their father, Thomas Markle.

The lawsuit additional alleges that Meghan engaged in a premeditated marketing campaign to defame and destroy her sister’s and father’s fame and credibility.

The newest developments within the case come after the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir and the couple’s six-part Netflix collection wherein Meghan spoke about her relationship with Samantha. Meghan said within the documentary that she had not seen her half-sister for over a decade and that she was stunned to see her “everywhere”.

The case is predicted to make clear the interior workings of the royal household and the connection between Meghan and Samantha.

A press release proven within the Netflix collection learn, “Samantha maintains that she and Meghan had a close relationship until 2018 and that the media fabricated quotes that have been attributed to her”.