Meghan Markle is set to face her half-sister Samantha in a crucial court battle this summer, with a hearing scheduled for the week of August 11, 2025.
The case will be heard at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal in Atlanta, Georgia, just days after Meghan celebrates her 44th birthday.
The hearing will determine whether Samantha's libel lawsuit against the Duchess of Sussex can proceed after being dismissed in March 2024.
A court filing seen by Newsweek confirmed the case has been "assigned to tentative calendar number 21 in Atlanta during the week of August 11, 2025."
Meghan suffers blow as Duchess set to battle Samantha Markle just days after birthday
Getty / GB News
Meghan is unlikely to attend the hearing in person.
Samantha Markle first filed her libel lawsuit against Meghan in 2022, prompting the royal's lawyer to state they would "give it the minimum attention necessary, which is all it deserves."
Despite this initial dismissal, the case has now entered its third year of legal proceedings.
The lawsuit centres on comments Meghan made during her interview with Oprah Winfrey and content from her December 2022 Netflix documentary.
Samantha Markle lives in the US and takes care of her father Thomas MarkleGB NewsIf Samantha's appeal fails, it could finally end the years-long legal battle. However, if she succeeds in reviving the case, it could prove a significant challenge for Meghan.
The lawsuit has gone through various iterations since it was first filed. Samantha's lawyers argue that Meghan's statements, when viewed together, amount to a campaign to unfairly undermine her half-sister.
In the Oprah interview, Meghan stated she "grew up as an only child" and would have liked to have siblings, despite Samantha and Tom Markle Jr having lived with their father.
Samantha's legal team claims the Netflix documentary suggested she had orchestrated a hate campaign against Meghan, which they say is an unfair characterisation.
Meghan Markle's Netflix show 'With Love, Meghan' has been tipped to spark a surge in demand for properties from A-listers and millionaires, a property expert exclusively told GB NewsGettyMeghan's lawyers counter that many of the statements Samantha complains about don't actually reference her directly.
They note that when Meghan said "You are making people want to kill me" in the documentary, she wasn't explicitly addressing her half-sister.
Peter Ticktin, Samantha's lawyer, stated in a filing: "There can be no doubt that attacked her sister Samantha Markle verbally in her documentary."
He emphasised that Samantha "was also most certainly not part of any of the racist harassment that Meghan has unfairly suffered."
Ticktin claimed that as a result of the documentary segment, Samantha has "suffered horrendously."
Meghan's brand comes a month after the release of her Netflix show "With Love, Meghan"GettyHe further argued that Samantha "never trolled Meghan, was never part of any hate group, never used the N-word on tweets, never monetarized any hate tweets against Meghan. Yet, with a dismissal, Meghan is permitted to walk away, as though innocent."
Meghan's legal team has previously argued that any statements about Samantha are "an opinion protected by the First Amendment."
The August hearing represents a critical juncture in the protracted legal dispute between the half-sisters. If Samantha prevails, the case could be revived, potentially forcing Meghan to defend herself against the libel claims in court.
A defeat for Samantha would likely mark the end of her legal pursuit against the Duchess. The timing of the hearing, shortly after Meghan's birthday, adds a personal dimension to what has already been a highly publicised family conflict. Both parties now await the crucial appeal decision that could finally resolve their three-year legal battle.