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A U.K. High Court has reportedly handed Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, a legal victory in a lawsuit over a tabloid’s revealing of a personal letter she wrote to her father after her marriage.
The publication Mail on Sunday allegedly disclosed excerpts from a letter the newly minted royal wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle. In her lawsuit, Meghan claimed that the publication omitted certain portions of the letter to sensationalize and create controversy. She accused the publication of infringing on her privacy under U.K. law, according to CBS.
Top Class Actions reports on lawsuits filed and settled over privacy violations.
U.K. High Court Rules Tabloid Breached Privacy Laws
Reportedly, Thomas Markle offered to provide testimony for the defense, against his daughter in the lawsuit; however, it now appears under this most recent ruling that Thomas will not get the chance to testify in a British court.
A U.K. High Court reportedly ruled that the tabloid’s publication of portions of the letter constituted a “manifestly excessive and thus unlawful” violation of Meghan Markle’s privacy under British law.
“For these outlets, it’s a game,” said the Duchess in a statement issued after the ruling came down. “For me and so many others, it’s real life, real relationships, and very real sadness,” she said in a statement. “The damage they have done and continue to do runs deep.”
Experts say that the ruling highlights the difference between American and U.K. privacy legal standards.
“What we’re seeing is London becoming the privacy capital of the world,” media lawyer Mark Stephens told CBS News. “I think what it will mean is that American media have an advantage, they’ll be reporting more, the public will learn more, and citizens from this country will start looking to America in order to get the unvarnished news.”
For its part, Mail on Sunday’s representatives expressed disappointment and surprise at the ruling. The publication reportedly has not yet decided whether it will appeal the ruling.
The U.K. tabloid industry has reportedly reaped rich rewards on negative press about Meghan Markle, with the Mail on Sunday’s defending its publication of the letter in the media, noting that Meghan’s father, Thomas, had the right to publish the letter. In addition, the publication reportedly claimed that Meghan expected the letter to be picked up by the news, pointing out it was “immaculately copied” in the Duchess’s “elaborate handwriting,” according to court documents.
What do you think about the court’s ruling? Should U.K. privacy laws apply to tabloids? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!
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