Meghan Markle had a whirlwind year in 2020. It feels like only yesterday that she and Prince Harry left their royal duties behind to start a new life in the U.S. However, starting a new life does not mean she gets to leave all of the scandals behind.
One of those scandals may be reaching its breaking point. England’s High Court is about to hear her case for a summary judgment in her ongoing privacy lawsuit against the media. Meghan is suing Associated Newspapers Ltd. for publishing excerpts of a letter she wrote to her father. The letter was published in the Mail On Sunday and MailOnline in 2019, which Meghan claims was a breach of privacy.
If Meghan’s lawyers can successfully argue that Associated Newspapers has no defense, then she will win her case without having to go to trial. The two-day hearing will take place on January 19 and 20, days after Meghan’s estranged half-sister Samantha is releasing a tell-all book.
How the lawsuit began
As you may recall, Meghan had an epic falling out with her father, Thomas Markle. This arguably began when Thomas was caught staging paparazzi photos ahead of Meghan’s royal wedding. He did not attend that wedding, but this didn’t keep him from continuing to take advantage of his daughter.
Meghan wrote her father a letter in an attempt to reconcile their differences. However, Thomas sent excerpts from her letter to Associated Newspapers. From there, parts of Meghan’s confidential letter were published in the Mail On Sunday publication in February 2019.
The trial is postponed
There is little more that Meghan can do to build a bridge with her father. But after the media published parts of her letter, she decided to take the matter to court.
She sued Associated Newspapers over publishing her letter. And the trial was originally set for January 11, 2021. However, Meghan’s lawyers requested a postponement to move the trial to autumn of this year.
Despite not having gone to trial yet, there has been a lot of back and forth in this case. In September 2020, a judge ruled that Mail On Sunday would be able to use a royal biography, Finding Freedom, to defend themselves against claims that the publication violated Meghan’s privacy.
Things are coming to a head this month
Meghan tried to appeal that decision in an October hearing, but she lost. However, rather than being discouraged, she has now decided to bring matters to a head!
Meghan and her legal team are now requesting a summary judgment in this matter. Rather than waiting until autumn, she is eager to put the matter behind her.
One way or another, it looks like this drama that has been going on for nearly two years may finally come to a close this month. And afterward, Meghan may finally be able to focus on her new life in the U.S.