Meghan Markle and Half-Sister Samantha Prepare for Trial Over Defamation Suit, Date Set (Exclusive)

Meghan Markle and her estranged half-sister, Samantha Markle, are going to trial over a defamation lawsuit next year, The Messenger has confirmed.

In court documents obtained Monday by The Messenger, the trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 4, 2024, in Tampa, Fla., and is anticipated to last five days, though Peter Ticktin — an attorney for Samantha — tells The Messenger it could extend longer.

Earlier this month, a federal judge heard arguments in Samantha's defamation lawsuit against the Duchess of Sussex. (Samantha first filed her lawsuit last March, but it was dismissed a year later, with Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell ruling that there was no way to prove Meghan wasn't being truthful.)

In her claim, Samantha accused the duchess of defaming her during Meghan and Prince Harry's shocking interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

Samantha alleged in court docs that Meghan made "demonstrably false and malicious statements" and said that she was raised as an only child, causing her half-sister to experience "humiliation and hatred." 

Samantha said that she has been targeted with death threats and alleged that Meghan ended their communication when she began dating Harry. Samantha noted that her X account (formerly Twitter) was suspended after a Netflix series (presumably the six-episode docuseries Harry & Meghan) accused her of launching a social-media attack against Meghan, which Samantha denies.

Meghan's attorney previously said that she did not defame her half-sister and that her remarks were no more than what Meghan experienced in her childhood.

The Messenger has reached out to attorneys for Meghan.