Meghan Markle’s half-sister Samantha was tonight at the centre of an extraordinary police probe into online bullying.
The investigation was launched by detectives in the US, where Sam lives.
It comes after she wrote a series of controversial messages about Meghan and her husband Prince Harry .
Tonight an officer working on the case for Polk County Sheriff Department, Florida, told the Sunday Mirror: “There have been multiple reports of allegations of cyber-bullying made.
"Samantha Markle is aware of this allegation.
"She has not been arrested. This is an ongoing case and I cannot speculate on a timeline yet or make any other comment.”
The revelation comes after the Duchess of Sussex spoke of her anguish at unfavourable press coverage related to her and her family.
A source said: “The allegations relate to numerous internet platforms and include complaints from at least four countries, including the UK, Canada and Sweden.
"It is a large and widespread investigation and is likely to be a long process.
"The investigation is still at an early stage.”
The exact content of the messages are unclear and there is no suggestion the investigation was triggered by a complaint from the royals.
The police probe is the Markle family’s latest brush with the law.
Last month, Meghan’s nephew Thomas Markle Jr was arrested on a felony charge in Hollywood after attracting the attention of locals when he loudly made his way through a street wearing only a small towel wrapped around his waist.
When police approached him, he allegedly tried to walk away, forcing officers to get him on the ground and subdue him. He was then booked for allegedly resisting arrest.
Thomas’ brother Tyler, 25, who is a cannabis farmer in Oregon, US, was also quizzed by police for allegedly possessing an illegal pepper spray and a knife during the weekend of the royal wedding.
The pair’s dad, also called Thomas Markle Jr, has also been arrested for allegedly holding a gun to his partner Darlene Blount’s head and drink driving.
And she has twice been arrested by police for allegedly assaulting him.
Samantha’s partner Mark Phillips tonight said: “Whoever wants an investigation against me and Sam, well they are likely to end up in jail for five years for filing a false police report.
“We’re not doing any cyber bullying, other than retaliating. Heads will roll in the end.”
