*Meghan Markle was hit with a legal blow on Friday in her case against Associated Newspapers — publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday — after the judge ruled against parts of her claim during a pre-trial hearing last week.
The former actress is suing publishers Associated Newspapers and the Mail on Sunday for publishing extracts of a “private and confidential” letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, in August 2018.
The lawsuit seeks damages for misuse of private information, breach of data protection rights and copyright infringement.
Judge Justice Warby agreed to “strike out” parts of Meghan’s claim, but she can “continue to move forward” with the case. However, when it goes to trial, the court will not be required to determine whether the Mail on Sunday acted dishonestly, stirred conflict between the Duchess of Sussex and her father or pursued a negative agenda against her, PEOPLE reports.
Warby ruled that the case will solely focus on the infringement of privacy, breach of copyright and violation of data protection laws.
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During the pre-trial hearing, the newspaper argued that Meghan’s legal team didn’t have enough evidence to prove dishonesty.
“I do not consider the allegations in question go to the ‘heart’ of the case, which at its core concerns the publication of five articles disclosing the words of, and information drawn from, the letter written by the claimant to her father in August in 2018,” the ruling states.
A spokesperson for Schillings, the law firm representing Markle, said in a statement on Friday that it will continue on with the case.
“Today’s ruling makes very clear that the core elements of this case do not change and will continue to move forward,” the statement reads. “The Duchess’ rights were violated; the legal boundaries around privacy were crossed. As part of this process, the extremes to which The Mail on Sunday used distortive, manipulative, and dishonest tactics to target The Duchess of Sussex have been put on full display.”
“Whilst the Judge recognizes that there is a claim for breach of privacy and copyright, we are surprised to see that his ruling suggests that dishonest behaviour is not relevant,” the statement continues. “We feel honesty and integrity are at the core of what matters; or as it relates to the Mail on Sunday and Associated Newspapers, their lack thereof. Nonetheless, we respect the Judge’s decision as the strong case against Associated will continue to focus on the issue of a private, intimate and hand-written letter from a daughter to her father that was published by The Mail on Sunday. This gross violation of any person’s right to privacy is obvious and unlawful, and The Mail on Sunday should be held to account for their actions.”
Meanwhile, Meghan and Prince Harry have announced plans to release a tell-all book about their royal life titled “Finding Freedom,” according to the Daily Mail.
This book “goes beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan’s life together, dispelling the many rumors and misconceptions that plague the couple on both sides of the pond,” a description on Amazon says, adding that it offers an “honest, up-close, and disarming portrait of a confident, influential, and forward-thinking couple.”
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