Names and faces

■ Ending days of speculation, Meghan Markle said Thursday that her father will not be able to attend her wedding Saturday to Prince Harry due to health problems. “Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding,” Markle said in a statement released by Kensington Palace.

“I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.” The palace has not revealed any details about Thomas Markle’s health issues, but the celebrity website TMZ says the 73-year-old retired Hollywood cinematographer is hospitalized in California after undergoing a procedure to clear blocked coronary arteries. He reportedly told the website he was OK after three stents had been inserted, but needed to rest. Thomas Markle had been scheduled to walk his daughter down the aisle when she weds her prince Saturday in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. It’s possible that Doria Ragland, the bride’s mother, could fill that role instead. No replacement has been officially named. Meghan Markle may also choose to walk down the aisle by herself.

■ A New York court said Thursday that former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos can proceed with her defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump, at least for now. The ruling by the Supreme Court’s appellate division means Zervos’ lawyers can press ahead with a demand for Trump campaign documents and other records while they await another appeals court decision that is likely months away. Trump’s lawyers had asked to put the case on ice until appeals judges decide whether to dismiss it or postpone it past his presidency. That’s likely to take at least until fall. “We look forward to proving Ms. Zervos’ claim that (the) defendant lied when he maliciously attacked her for reporting his sexually abusive behavior,” said her lawyer, Mariann Wang. Zervos, a California restaurateur, appeared on Trump’s former show, The Apprentice, in 2006. She says he subjected her to unwanted groping and kisses when she sought career advice in 2007. Trump has denied her allegations, which she first made publicly during his campaign in 2016. At one point, he retweeted a message that included her photo and described her claims as a “hoax.” Zervos’ suit doesn’t claim sexual harassment; the legal time clock for such a case ran out years ago. Instead, she’s suing Trump for calling her a liar, saying it hurt her reputation. “I’ve suffered terribly as a result of defendant’s (Trump’s) lies and attacks upon me,” she said in a sworn statement. She’s seeking a retraction, an apology and compensatory and punitive damages.

Zervos

Markle