Meghan Markle faces new court drama as half-sister Samantha tries to sue again
The Duchess of Sussex is set to face a new court hearing as her half-sister tries again to sue her for defamation.
Meghan Markle's lawyers have been ordered to appear in person at the United States Courthouse in Jacksonville, Florida, on September 9 to argue against Samantha's case, which is an appeal after her original case was dismissed. The case could prove an unwelcome distraction for Prince Harry's wife, who is trying to build a lifestyle brand and podcast success. A legal document has been sent to both Meghan and Samantha's lawyers by a clerk at the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit,
The document says: 'The Court has determined that the cases listed on the attached calendar are to be orally argued. Counsel for each party must present oral argument unless excused by the Court for good cause shown.'
The document adds both sides will be given 15 minutes each to present their argument to the presiding judge, who was not named.
Samantha, 60, originally launched a defamation case against Meghan, 43, nearly four years ago, claiming her reputation had been damaged by her sibling in her and Harry's tell-all interview with Oprah in 2021.
She challenged Meghan's claims that she 'grew up as an only child' and didn't have much of a relationship with her - alleging it hurt the sales of her book, The Diary Of Princess Pushy's Sister Part 1.
Samantha also claimed she was 'forced to move residences, retract from public outings' and 'faced realistic death threats' as a result of the royal's Netflix documentary, according to a previous court filing.
And she accused Meghan of discrediting her by suggesting she did not know her growing up, alleging it hurt her personal and professional reputation and caused her to 'face relentless torment online'.
The $75,000 (£55,900) claim was rejected by a judge, who ruled public statements by Meghan were "substantially true". But Samantha, launched an appeal in April last year claiming the judge failed to take into account implied defamation created by omitting facts.
Samantha and Meghan share the same dad, Thomas Markle Sr, but have different mums.
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Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Meghan & Harry's Netflix deal disaster is killing their US dream – how will they fund their incredibly lavish life now?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LIKE a slowly collapsing soufflé, the Duchess of Sussex's 'narcissistic' cookery show has been judged a ratings flop – and Netflix has decided to pull the plug. The streamer will let the five-year, $100million deal they inked with Meghan and Harry for that series and a host of other shows quietly lapse when it is due for renewal in September. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Prince Harry and wife Meghan's $100million deal with Netflix has been scrapped Credit: Getty 8 There was backlash over Meghan's new name 'As Ever' Credit: As Ever A source at Netflix said of Meghan's efforts: 'She had everything going for her — name, platform, press — and the numbers were dismal.' Lifestyle and cookery show With Love, Meghan only ranked at number 383 in Netflix's six-monthly engagement report this year, with just 5.3million viewers across the globe. Described by one critic as an 'exercise in narcissism', it was beaten by reruns of the first four seasons of legal drama Suits, which also starred the Duchess in her pre-royal days. Once judged by some as Britain's greatest soft power asset since Princess Diana, Meghan was filmed for her show making ladybird-shaped canapes from cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls. 'Dull indulgence' Even The Guardian was moved to describe With Love, Meghan as 'the sort of gormless lifestyle filler that, had it been made by the BBC, would be used to bulk out episodes of Saturday Kitchen'. In truth, the show is a smash hit compared to her husband's vanity docuseries Polo, blasted as 'a dull indulgence about a rich person's pursuit'. In the first six months of the year the programme attracted a disastrous 500,000 views globally, ranking it at number 3,442 out of around 7,000 shows. Reruns of the nine-year-old cartoon He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe scored similar numbers. A Netflix insider has pronounced the couple's lucrative contract 'dead', adding: 'They're just waiting for the credits to roll. 'They're letting it expire without drama. There's no appetite for anything new.' Meghan and Harry must need more money - their staff induction bill alone will be HUGE The end of what many regarded as a reliable source of vast income for the former HRHs has set off a bomb under Project Sussex and its bold ambitions. And of course it is not the Sussexes' first media deal that has gone south. Their reported $20million podcasting deal with Spotify was terminated in June 2023, with senior Spotify executive Bill Simmons labelling the duo 'f***ing grifters'. Hosted by Meghan, the Archetypes podcast featured conversations with friends and celebrities including Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Trevor Noah. Critics said that in the episode with Williams it took 11 minutes before the tennis legend got a word in edgeways. In 2023 Simmons said: 'I wish I had been involved in the 'Meghan and Harry leave Spotify' negotiation. 'The F***ing Grifters. That's the podcast we should have launched with them. 'I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. 'It's one of my best stories. F*** them. The grifters.' The Sussexes' undoubted TV hit was docuseries Harry & Meghan, released in December 2022. It became Netflix's biggest documentary debut, with more than 28million watching in the first four days of its release. In it the couple accused the Royal Family of 'unconscious bias' and claimed Palace aides were complicit in negative media briefings against them. 8 The Sussexes' undoubted TV hit was docuseries Harry & Meghan, released in December 2022 Credit: Netflix 8 Marketing experts Camille Moore and Phillip Millar accused Meghan's As Ever brand of being 'not intelligent' and 'not well executed' Credit: Instagram Podcast boss Simmons said of Harry that year: 'You live in f***ing Montecito and you just sell documentaries and podcasts and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the Royal Family and you just complain about them.' While the Netflix deal will lapse, Meghan's As Ever collection of wine, jam and cookies is displaying 'sold out' signs on her website. It raises the question of whether it will be her earnings that are increasingly relied upon to fund the family's expensive Hollywood lifestyle, and if so, will it be enough? PR expert Nick Ede believes that in the future the Duchess will provide the surest revenue stream, saying: 'Meghan is the best way of making money for the two of them. 'She is the breadwinner.' However, marketing experts Camille Moore and Phillip Millar accused Meghan's As Ever brand of being 'not intelligent' and 'not well executed'. Speaking on The Art Of The Brand podcast this week, Millar accused Meghan of trying to rinse the maximum value from her 'fame that came from Suits and being a part of the Royal Family'. Millar added: 'Her brand wasn't one built on substance. It was based on using people.' Meanwhile, Harry, who has two paying jobs — with sustainable tourism firm Travalyst and coaching company BetterUp — seems most passionate when he is undertaking his charitable endeavours. During a recent trip to Angola, The Duke followed in the footsteps of Princess Diana by walking through a minefield on behalf of his charity The Halo Trust. 'Life of service' Harry said in a statement: 'As a father to young children, it breaks my heart to see innocent children still living and playing next to minefields,' Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond commented: 'I think this is precisely the sort of work that Harry should do. 'It is not only a hugely worth-while cause, but it also connects him with his mother, which is something he yearns for. 'I think he is coming to recognise that the LA celebrity world is one in which he is not especially comfortable. 'And he seems quite willing to let Meghan take the limelight over there. 'He speaks frequently about a life of service, and trips like this certainly serve a very good cause indeed.' Yet charity missions, while good for the soul, do not pay the bills. And the Sussexes' court in the Californian sunshine is not a cheap enterprise. Their home, a nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion close to the Pacific in Montecito, is in America's fifth most expensive postcode. 8 Meghan and Harry's podcasting deal with Spotify was terminated in 2023, with senior Spotify executive Bill Simmons labelling the duo 'f***ing grifters' Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 8 Harry's autobiography Spare became the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever They bought it for almost £11million after the drama of Megxit in 2020, and the following year Harry said in his tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey that his father has 'literally cut me off financially'. Without the money left to him by Diana — said to be £10million — Harry said 'we would not have been able to do this'. Harry's finances got a boost last September when he turned 40 and a fund set up by the late Queen Mother gave him access to around £8million. But while most people could live very well on that kind of cash, Harry and Meghan's lifestyle is not like most people's. They have more in common with the super-rich of California than your average couple. Indeed, they are said to have mortgage payments of around £350,000 a year, while staffing costs come to an estimated £180,000. Harry has also spent on court cases and could be in line for a £1.5million bill for his failed attempt to get the Home Office to pay for his security in the UK. Security is a very real worry for Prince Harry, who served two tours of Afghanistan. Former royal protection officer Simon Morgan estimated the Sussexes' protection costs come to at least £3million a year, adding: 'Security is not a fashion accessory, it's a need.' EYE-WATERING TAB It leaves the Sussexes with an eye-watering tab just to meet their estimated outgoings. Last month, royal financial expert Norman Baker told Channel 5 show Meghan And Harry: Where Did The Money Go? that the Sussexes' earning potential was on the wane. The former Liberal Democrat MP said: 'They've done the big hits that they could do. 'They've done the big Spotify event, they've done the big book, there is nothing else to come, nothing else to sell apart from themselves.' Harry's autobiography Spare became the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever and has gone on to sell more than six million copies worldwide. With their Netflix deal over, perhaps Meghan will feel the time is right for her to release her own blockbuster tome to get the cash registers ringing again. Both Netflix and Harry and Meghan are yet to comment. 8 The Sussexes' home is a nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion close to the Pacific in Montecito, which is in America's fifth most expensive postcode Credit: Google Earth
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Meghan & Harry's Netflix deal disaster is killing their US dream – how will they fund their incredibly lavish life now?
LIKE a slowly collapsing soufflé, the Duchess of Sussex's 'narcissistic' cookery show has been judged a ratings flop – and Netflix has decided to pull the plug. The streamer will let the five-year, $100million deal they inked with Meghan and Harry for that series and a host of other shows quietly lapse when it is due for renewal in September. 8 8 A source at Netflix said of Meghan's efforts: 'She had everything going for her — name, platform, press — and the numbers were dismal.' Lifestyle and cookery show With Love, Meghan only ranked at number 383 in Netflix's six-monthly engagement report this year, with just 5.3million viewers across the globe. Described by one critic as an 'exercise in narcissism', it was beaten by reruns of the first four seasons of legal drama Suits, which also starred the Duchess in her pre-royal days. Once judged by some as Britain's greatest soft power asset since Princess Diana, Meghan was filmed for her show making ladybird-shaped canapes from cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls. 'Dull indulgence' Even The Guardian was moved to describe With Love, Meghan as 'the sort of gormless lifestyle filler that, had it been made by the BBC, would be used to bulk out episodes of Saturday Kitchen'. In truth, the show is a smash hit compared to her husband's vanity docuseries Polo, blasted as 'a dull indulgence about a rich person's pursuit'. In the first six months of the year the programme attracted a disastrous 500,000 views globally, ranking it at number 3,442 out of around 7,000 shows. Reruns of the nine-year-old cartoon He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe scored similar numbers. A Netflix insider has pronounced the couple's lucrative contract 'dead', adding: 'They're just waiting for the credits to roll. 'They're letting it expire without drama. There's no appetite for anything new.' The end of what many regarded as a reliable source of vast income for the former HRHs has set off a bomb under Project Sussex and its bold ambitions. And of course it is not the Sussexes' first media deal that has gone south. Their reported $20million podcasting deal with Spotify was terminated in June 2023, with senior Spotify executive Bill Simmons labelling the duo 'f***ing grifters'. Hosted by Meghan, the Archetypes podcast featured conversations with friends and celebrities including Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Trevor Noah. Critics said that in the episode with Williams it took 11 minutes before the tennis legend got a word in edgeways. In 2023 Simmons said: 'I wish I had been involved in the 'Meghan and Harry leave Spotify' negotiation. 'The F***ing Grifters. That's the podcast we should have launched with them. 'I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. 'It's one of my best stories. F*** them. The grifters.' The Sussexes' undoubted TV hit was docuseries Harry & Meghan, released in December 2022. It became Netflix's biggest documentary debut, with more than 28million watching in the first four days of its release. In it the couple accused the Royal Family of 'unconscious bias' and claimed Palace aides were complicit in negative media briefings against them. 8 8 Podcast boss Simmons said of Harry that year: 'You live in f***ing Montecito and you just sell documentaries and podcasts and nobody cares what you have to say about anything unless you talk about the Royal Family and you just complain about them.' While the Netflix deal will lapse, Meghan's As Ever collection of wine, jam and cookies is displaying 'sold out' signs on her website. It raises the question of whether it will be her earnings that are increasingly relied upon to fund the family's expensive Hollywood lifestyle, and if so, will it be enough? PR expert Nick Ede believes that in the future the Duchess will provide the surest revenue stream, saying: 'Meghan is the best way of making money for the two of them. 'She is the breadwinner.' However, marketing experts Camille Moore and Phillip Millar accused Meghan's As Ever brand of being 'not intelligent' and 'not well executed'. Speaking on The Art Of The Brand podcast this week, Millar accused Meghan of trying to rinse the maximum value from her 'fame that came from Suits and being a part of the Royal Family'. Millar added: 'Her brand wasn't one built on substance. It was based on using people.' Meanwhile, Harry, who has two paying jobs — with sustainable tourism firm Travalyst and coaching company BetterUp — seems most passionate when he is undertaking his charitable endeavours. During a recent trip to Angola, The Duke followed in the footsteps of Princess Diana by walking through a minefield on behalf of his charity The Halo Trust. 'Life of service' Harry said in a statement: 'As a father to young children, it breaks my heart to see innocent children still living and playing next to minefields,' Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond commented: 'I think this is precisely the sort of work that Harry should do. 'It is not only a hugely worth-while cause, but it also connects him with his mother, which is something he yearns for. 'I think he is coming to recognise that the LA celebrity world is one in which he is not especially comfortable. 'And he seems quite willing to let Meghan take the limelight over there. 'He speaks frequently about a life of service, and trips like this certainly serve a very good cause indeed.' Yet charity missions, while good for the soul, do not pay the bills. And the Sussexes' court in the Californian sunshine is not a cheap enterprise. Their home, a nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion close to the Pacific in Montecito, is in America's fifth most expensive postcode. 8 8 They bought it for almost £11million after the drama of Megxit in 2020, and the following year Harry said in his tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey that his father has 'literally cut me off financially'. Without the money left to him by Diana — said to be £10million — Harry said 'we would not have been able to do this'. Harry's finances got a boost last September when he turned 40 and a fund set up by the late Queen Mother gave him access to around £8million. But while most people could live very well on that kind of cash, Harry and Meghan's lifestyle is not like most people's. They have more in common with the super-rich of California than your average couple. Indeed, they are said to have mortgage payments of around £350,000 a year, while staffing costs come to an estimated £180,000. Harry has also spent on court cases and could be in line for a £1.5million bill for his failed attempt to get the Home Office to pay for his security in the UK. Security is a very real worry for Prince Harry, who served two tours of Afghanistan. Former royal protection officer Simon Morgan estimated the Sussexes' protection costs come to at least £3million a year, adding: 'Security is not a fashion accessory, it's a need.' EYE-WATERING TAB It leaves the Sussexes with an eye-watering tab just to meet their estimated outgoings. Last month, royal financial expert Norman Baker told Channel 5 show Meghan And Harry: Where Did The Money Go? that the Sussexes' earning potential was on the wane. The former Liberal Democrat MP said: 'They've done the big hits that they could do. 'They've done the big Spotify event, they've done the big book, there is nothing else to come, nothing else to sell apart from themselves.' Harry's autobiography Spare became the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever and has gone on to sell more than six million copies worldwide. With their Netflix deal over, perhaps Meghan will feel the time is right for her to release her own blockbuster tome to get the cash registers ringing again. Both Netflix and Harry and Meghan are yet to comment. 8 8
NBC News
5 hours ago
- NBC News
Judge denies DOJ request to unseal Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts in Florida
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Florida ruled Wednesday that its "hands are tied" in releasing federal grand jury transcripts from 2005 and 2007 in connection with an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The ruling was separate from a request that the Justice Department has pending related to a grand jury in the Southern District of New York, where Epstein was ultimately indicted. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial in New York. His accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is now serving a 20-year sentence. In the Florida case, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg said that, though the government believes special circumstances exist and the policy reasons for grand jury secrecy have expired, its rationale "are no exceptions" to grand jury secrecy. The government, Rosenberg wrote, "has effectively conceded that the Court's hands are tied" because of the Eleventh Circuit law.
