Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks is being sued for defamation by author Angela Stanton.
Parks, who gave birth to her second child with husband Apollo Nida in May , filed a $30 million lawsuit against Vibe Holdings, which operates Vibe.com, Uptown Magazine, and Augustus Publishing, claiming that the outlet published lies about her to generate interest in Stanton’s ebook Lies of a Real Housewife.
The suit alleged that in a number of articles, starting with one titled Real Housewives Of Atlanta Star Phaedra Park Exposed , Vibe “falsely accuse[s] Plaintiff of being a crooked attorney who knows how to commit crimes, has committed crimes, and knows how to cover up her criminal activity.” Other articles followed, and those were followed by Stanton’s ebook, which was produced by Augustus Publishing. The book’s description said Stanton once lived “a hustler’s life of crime with none other than ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’s’ own, Phaedra Parks .”
Parks’ lawsuit stated, “In its entirety, the book falsely portrays the relationship between Plaintiff and Stanton as that of friends and accomplices in criminal activity” and “conveys a picture of Plaintiff as a crooked attorney engaged in a multitude of criminal acts, who conspires with Stanton to commit these acts, and who then uses Stanton in an effort to escape criminal liability for those acts.”
Stanton has now struck back with her own defamation lawsuit.
“We have filed our own claims for defamation, tortious interference with business relationships, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees,” said Stanton’s lawyer, James Radford. “Phaedra Parks’ lawsuit and the tactics employed against Ms. Stanton and her publisher have undermined Stanton’s ability to market the intellectual property that is her compelling personal narrative.”
Stanton and Parks were supposed to meet in court on July 18 for Parks’ lawsuit, but the trial has been delayed. Stanton was unable to find another lawyer “due largely to her depressed financial situation,” but “believes she can secure the services of another attorney within the next two months and that the case could be ready for trial within the next five months.”
What do you think of the lawsuit against Phaedra Parks?