Meghan Markle and her legal team vowed to continue the fight against the British publications that breached her right to privacy. As she lost the first round of her legal battle at the High Court, leading lawyers called her defeat a "disaster" and a "humiliation," as some even mocked her.
The court's ruling dismissed large parts of Meghan Markle's case against Associated Newspapers. A top judged ruled her claims as "irrelevant, inadequate, and impermissibly vague." It also includes her accusations of the "malicious media agenda" made against her.
According to Daily Mail, the ruling made by Justice Mark Warby also questioned the claim of Prince Harry's wife that the media acted fraudulently and caused a rift between her and her father, Thomas. He accused the journalists of digging up the dirt to give her a negative image.
To recall, the Duchess of Sussex sued Associated Newspapers for reproducing parts of her private, handwritten letter for her dad in an article in August 2018. It all happened three months after Thomas wasn't able to walk her down the aisle for her wedding day due to a heart attack.
Mark Stephens, a partner at Howard Kennedy, told Daily Mail that the ruling was an "absolute victory" for the Mail on Sunday, as the judge trashed some parts of Meghan Markle's claim. "For Meghan, this judgment is a like a train plowing into a petrol tanker on a level crossing," he said.
He described her defeat as a complete disaster that also humiliated her. He seemed to be thankful that the judge "completely and utterly vindicated" every complaint she made against Associated Newspapers. Stephens also added that senior lawyers in London believed that there's no chance that the former actress would win.
Hence, he assumed that Meghan Markle might have been poorly advised, or she might have disregarded every warning said to her because she wanted to bring her claims to the court. He also suggested that it would be best for her if she just opts for a settlement and walks away.
As the case goes to a trial, the evidence about her letter and her rift with her father needs to be examined under oath. So, if the former Suits star wants to be humiliated in person, Stephen said there would be "no worse outcome for her."
Anyhow, there is no way that Meghan Markle will walk away from the legal battle. In a statement issued to USA Today from her firm, Schillings, they said that the ruling only made it clear that her allegations against the publications would remain and is winnable. They insisted that her rights were violated, and the legal boundaries of her privacy were crossed. So, it only showed that adverse reporting these tabloids made against their client was on full display.
