A court on Tuesday allowed a British newspaper group to amend its defense against Meghan Markle's high-profile claims of privacy and copyright infringement.
The former television actress issuing the
Associated Newspapers for publishing a letter written to her father, who lived
in her area before her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018.
At a High Court hearing in London last
week, her lawyers tried to block a request to state that the couple had
co-authored a recent book about their lives.
The couple, who quit their frontline royal
duties earlier this year citing media interference, denied that they were
involved in any "freedom-seeking" publication.
But the Associated Press, which publishes
the Mail and Mail online website on Sunday, said the book contained "every
form of writing with their extensive collaboration."
In particular, he alleged that Meghan had
given the authors the details of the letter to Omid Scobie and Caroline Durand
in order to present her events in a more favorable light to her version.
He also claimed that Meghan wanted to use
the handwritten letter "as part of a media strategy" and discussed it
with royal communications officials before sending it.
In a ruling, Judge Francesca allowed an
amendment to the Associate's defense, yet Meghan's lawyers claimed that the
defense "has no merit and is in fact a liar."
Scooby said in a witness statement that
neither Meghan nor Harry - also known by their official titles as Duke and
Duchess of Sussex - shared their biographies.
"They did not allow the book and have
never been interviewed for it," he added.
The 10-day trial is set to begin in
January. Win or lose, it will be seen’ as a turning point in the couple's
growing bitter struggle with the British tabloid press.
Harry has in the past filed separate cases
against Newsgroup Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers for phone hacking.
Meghan is also suing a photo agency after
she and her young son Archie were photographed’ in a Canadian park earlier this
year.
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