Meghan Markle Celebrates Victory Over Tabloids After Court Of Appeal Rules In Her Favor
"These harmful practices don't happen once in a blue moon—they are a daily fail that divide us, and we all deserve better."
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is celebrating a legal victory over Associated Newspapers. The British media company was trying to overturn a ruling that deemed it had invaded the duchess's privacy by publishing a letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle. But the Court of Appeal in London dismissed the appeal, calling Meghan's letter “personal, private and not matters of legitimate public interest,” per NBC News.
In a statement on Thursday, the duchess called the Court of Appeal's decision a "precedent setting" verdict that allows people "to reshape a tabloid industry that conditions people to be cruel, and profits from the lies and pain that they create."
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"From day one, I have treated this lawsuit as an important measure of right versus wrong. The defendant has treated it as a game with no rules. The longer they dragged it out, the more they could twist facts and manipulate the public (even during the appeal itself), making a straightforward case extraordinarily convoluted in order to generate more headlines and sell more newspapers—a model that rewards chaos above truth," Meghan continued. "In the nearly three years since this began, I have been patient in the face of deception, intimidation, and calculated attacks."
She added that the historic verdict goes beyond her own personal experience with tabloids. "The courts have held the defendant to account, and my hope is that we all begin to do the same," she said. "Because as far removed as it may seem from your personal life, it's not. Tomorrow it could be you. These harmful practices don't happen once in a blue moon—they are a daily fail that divide us, and we all deserve better."
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In a statement, the media company said it is considering an appeal to the United Kingdom's Supreme Court. "We are very disappointed by the decision of the Court of Appeal," the statement read. "It is our strong view that judgment should be given only on the basis of evidence tested at trial, and not on a summary basis in a heavily contested case, before even disclosure of documents."
A judge first ruled in the duchess's favor this past February. Meghan's lawyers had argued that Associated Newspapers, which publishes The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, violated a breach of copyright and misuse of private information.
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Read her full statement below.
This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.