Actress Judy Austin, second wife of embattled actor Yul Edochie, has filed a defamation suit against Rita Edochie, her husband’s aunt and one of the industry’s most outspoken veterans, seeking a staggering ₦1 billion in general damages.
According to the writ of summons lodged at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, Austin is claiming one billion naira as general damages for the alleged defamation. Austin broke the news herself, sharing a copy of the writ on her verified Instagram page with the caption “Enough is enough!”
Beyond the headline damages figure, the suit lays out a detailed list of remedies. Austin’s lawyers are asking the court to order Edochie to publish a full, unreserved retraction and apology in at least two widely circulated national newspapers and across her social media platforms, and to take down every allegedly defamatory statement from her online accounts.
The claim also seeks a perpetual injunction barring Edochie, her agents and associates from publishing or circulating further defamatory statements about Austin.
On top of the general damages, Austin is pursuing ₦50 million to cover the cost of prosecuting the suit, plus 10 percent post-judgment interest until the sum is fully settled. The filing was handled by a legal team led by senior advocate Anozie Obinnaya Obi.
Procedurally, the writ gives Edochie a narrow window to respond: she has 30 days from the date of formal service to enter an appearance, whether in person or through counsel, after which the matter can proceed toward trial.
This is not Austin’s only active court battle. The same week, she also filed a separate ₦1 billion lawsuit against her former husband, Emmanuel Obasi, over months of public allegations he has made against her, with video footage of a court messenger serving him the papers circulating widely online.
Austin has repeatedly denied Obasi’s claims, insisting her first marriage ended in 2013 and rejecting suggestions of overlap with her relationship with Yul Edochie.
The dispute with Rita Edochie is the culmination of months of public sniping. Rita has publicly questioned the circumstances under which Austin’s relationship with Yul began, and has pushed back on narratives casting Austin as blameless in the collapse of Yul’s marriage to his first wife, May Edochie.
The exchanges grew increasingly personal, touching on Austin’s status as a second wife, comparisons between her and May, and pointed commentary about loyalty and public sympathy.
Edochie, for her part, appears unmoved by the legal threat. Reacting after news of the suit broke, she doubled down on her long-running commentary about infidelity and polygamous marriages, arguing that women who tolerate unfaithful husbands often feel they have no real alternative. She dismissed the idea that a lawsuit could silence her, signalling that the public feud is far from over even as the legal process begins.
With the clock now running on Edochie’s 30-day window to respond, attention turns to whether the matter will proceed to a full trial, be settled privately, or spiral into yet another chapter of the public drama that has surrounded the Edochie family since Yul Edochie’s polygamous marriage first became public knowledge.
For now, Nigeria’s entertainment press and social media are watching closely for Edochie’s next move.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
What began as months of social media sniping between Judy Austin and Rita Edochie has now escalated into a formal legal battle, with Austin seeking ₦1 billion in damages, a public retraction, and a court injunction against further remarks while Edochie remains defiant and shows no sign of backing down, suggesting the courtroom fight is only just beginning rather than nearing resolution.
