The roots of this ongoing feud can be traced back to the Sussexes' infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which Meghan stated that she had grown up largely as an only child. Samantha's attorneys had claimed that Meghan's statements were "disparaging, hurtful, and false," suggesting that they had painted Samantha as a "stranger, a liar, and... a deceptive fame-seeking imposter with avaricious intentions."
Despite Meghan's initial triumph in the case, Samantha has now escalated the matter to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal. Her lawyers must submit their opening brief by July, as they seek to overturn the previous ruling.
REALTED: Meghan Markle's Worst Nightmare: Samantha Cohen Exposes Bullying Proof On Air
The crux of the upcoming legal argument, as outlined in a court document obtained by Newsweek, lies in the "cumulative inferences and remarks made by [Meghan]" and the court's alleged failure to consider the overall impact of the Duchess's comments, rather than examining them individually.
In the couple's 2022 Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, the Duchess had stated that she spent her weekdays with her mother and weekends with her father, and that she did not remember seeing Samantha at her father's house during her childhood.
Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell had initially dismissed the case, stating that Meghan "barely mentions [Samantha], to say only that at some point during [Meghan's] childhood, [Samantha] moved out of her father's house" and that it was "not plausible that [Samantha] would be exposed to hatred, ridicule, or contempt as a result of this statement."
However, Samantha's legal team is now poised to argue that the Duchess had endeavored to construct a "broader attack" through a series of mismatched interviews.
Meghan's legal representatives have indicated their intention to contest the appeal, asserting that the judge had followed standard protocol in a "garden-variety defamation action." They have also dismissed the lawsuit as a "baseless and absurd" continuation of a "disturbing behaviour."
The long-standing rift between the Duchess and her extended family, with the exception of her mother, Doria Ragland, has evidently not been resolved, as this legal battle continues to unfold.
