Meghan Markle's Half-Sister Just Isn't Going to Let Meghan Enjoy This Wedding Is She?

Meghan Markle must be having a difficult week (opens in new tab). Just days before her wedding (opens in new tab), she isn't dealing with only the last-minute details (opens in new tab) of her big day—how's the cake (opens in new tab)? Will the flowers (opens in new tab) arrive on time? Is the guest list (opens in new tab) finalized?—she's also living out some major, rather heart-wrenching (opens in new tab) family drama (opens in new tab) in front of the whole world. And her half-sister (opens in new tab) has confirmed that drama probably won't stop.

In an interview with TMZ (opens in new tab), Samantha Grant (opens in new tab) defended her right to say whatever she wants (opens in new tab) regarding herself or her father (opens in new tab)—even if Meghan doesn't want (opens in new tab) her to. "If it's about my life or my father's, there's something in this country known as freedom of speech. She doesn't have a copyright on that," Samantha told TMZ. "She's way out of her league to tell me that I can't speak."

"She's not going to tell me I can't speak about my life or my father's where it's a matter of public self-defense because the media is disparaging us," she continued. "I'm not going to take it, she's not qualified to suggest that I don't."

This pronouncement comes after Grant claimed responsibility (opens in new tab) for the staged paparazzi photos of Meghan and Samantha's father, Thomas Markle, reading books on Britain and checking out cute pictures of Meghan and Harry online. Following the revelations about those photos, it's unclear whether Thomas Markle will attend the royal wedding this weekend. While he initially stated that he planned to skip the big day "because he doesn't want to embarrass the royal family or his daughter," new reports say he is undergoing surgery (opens in new tab) after suffering a heart attack last week.

There's no evidence that Meghan has tried to silence Samantha. While a source told US Weekly (opens in new tab) that Meghan is "upset and disturbed by the entire ordeal," and TMZ reported that she called and texted her father to say that "she loved him and was concerned about his health," the bride-to-be hasn't spoken publicly on the matter. On Monday, Kensington Palace released the following statement (opens in new tab):

"This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding. She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation."