Veteran Nollywood actress Rita Edochie has dismissed reports claiming she denied making social media posts targeting her junior colleague, Judy Austin, amid their ongoing legal dispute.
The clarification follows claims by legal practitioner Emeka Ugwuonye that Rita denied authoring the posts in her formal response filed before the Abuja High Court.
Countering the claims, Rita maintained that the lawyer’s statements did not reflect her position, questioning how such conclusions could be reached when she had yet to formally appear in court.
She stood by her previous comments regarding the marital dispute involving her husband’s nephew, Yul Edochie, his estranged wife, May, and his second wife, Judy Austin, insisting that her posts were true.
The legal confrontation stems from a ₦1 billion defamation and cyberbullying lawsuit filed by Austin against Edochie at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
In addition to seeking ₦1 billion in general damages, Austin is asking the court to compel the veteran actress to publish an unconditional retraction and public apology in at least two widely circulated national newspapers and across her social media platforms.
The suit also seeks the immediate removal of the alleged defamatory statements from online platforms and ₦50 million to cover the cost of prosecuting the case.
The hearing is scheduled to commence on September 29.
