Nollywood actress Judy Austin, wife of actor Yul Edochie, has filed separate defamation lawsuits against her ex-husband, Emmanuel Chukwuobasi, and her husband's relative, Rita Edochie, seeking over ₦2 billion in combined damages. The lawsuits demand public apologies, retractions, and removal of alleged defamatory posts, as well as ₦100 million in legal costs from Obasi.
Details of the Lawsuit Against Emmanuel Chukwuobasi
In the suit against Obasi, Judy is demanding ₦1 billion in compensation for alleged defamation, citing harm to her reputation and other consequences she says resulted from the statements. The court document read in part, “An order compelling the Defendant to publish a full, unreserved retraction and apology to the Claimant in at least two (2) widely circulated National Newspapers, as well as on all his Social Media Platforms.”
She also asked the court to compel Obasi to publicly withdraw the allegedly defamatory statements, apologise without conditions or reservations, and remove existing defamatory posts and statements from all his online platforms. Judy is further demanding ₦100 million as the cost of prosecuting the case.
Obasi Confirms Receipt of Lawsuit
Videos that circulated online on Monday showed the moment Obasi confirmed receiving the lawsuit. “I have received the court suit from the messenger. The name here is Mrs Judy Austin Yul Edochie,” he said in the video.
Second Lawsuit Against Rita Edochie
Judy also filed a separate suit against Rita Edochie, demanding ₦1 billion in compensation over alleged defamation, bringing the total damages sought in the two cases to more than ₦2 billion. Rita Edochie, a relative of Yul, has also repeatedly criticised Judy online. She has yet to address the lawsuit publicly.
The lawsuits come amid the long-running controversy surrounding Judy’s marriage to Yul Edochie. Judy and Yul’s relationship and subsequent marriage have remained a subject of public discussion, particularly because of Yul’s previous marriage to May Edochie.
