Meghan Markle loses first round of case against British tabloid

Meghan Markle received an early setback as she lost the first round of her legal battle against the publisher of a British tabloid. Justice Warby, in a ruling on Friday deleted parts of the Duchess of Sussex's case at a hearing last week, after the British tabloid group's application.

The preliminary hearing of the lawsuit was held remotely on Friday, April 24. Meghan Markle's legal firm, Schillings issued a statement to USA Today which said the ruling makes clear her main allegation in her lawsuit she filed last fall. The legal battle is regarding her letter written to her estranged father Thomas Markle in 2018.

The tabloid went ahead and published the private letter in violation of British law. Meghan is still fighting for her core complaints of copyright and privacy infringement.

"Some of the allegations are struck out as irrelevant to the purpose for which they are pleaded. Some are struck out on the further or alternative ground that they are inadequately detailed. I have also acted so as to confine the case to what is reasonably necessary and proportionate for the purpose of doing justice between these parties," Justice Warby said.

"I do not consider that the allegations struck out on that basis 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 2018. Some aspects of the case that I have struck out at this stage may be revived if they are put in proper form," he added.

In the lead up to Prince Harry and Meghan's royal wedding in 2018, the former "Suits" star had sent text messages to her father. These were disclosed in the legal documents that were presented to court.