Veteran Nollywood actress Rita Edochie has fired a direct response after Judy Austin dragged her to court seeking N1 billion in damages for alleged defamation.
In a strongly worded Instagram post, Rita declared she does not recognise the name Judy used in the legal message.
“I RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM ONE MRS JUDITH YUL EDOCHIE AND UP TILL NOW I AM STILL WONDERING AND UTTERLY CONFUSED ABOUT WHO THE BEARER OF THAT NAME IS BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW ANYONE BY THAT NAME,” she wrote.
Rita insisted the only Mrs Yul Edochie she knows is Queen May Yul Edochie.
“WANTING TO BE ADDRESSED BY THAT NAME IS VERY PROVOCATIVE RIGHT NOW WHICH I TAKE AS A TERRIBLE SLAP ON THE FACE OF THE EDOCHIES,” she added.
She then challenged Judy to present her marriage certificate showing the exact name “Mrs Judith Yul Edochie” before she would respond further.
Hours earlier, Rita had shared another lengthy post that many viewed as an indirect reaction to the lawsuit. She opened with “LOOK FOR A WAY AND STOP RITA EDOCHIE FROM TALKING” and went on to warn women against tolerating cheating husbands.
“FORGIVENESS IS NOT PERMISSION. PATIENCE IS NOT STUPIDITY. SUBMISSION IS NOT SERVITUDE. AND MARRIAGE IS NOT A LICENSE FOR ONE PERSON TO REPEATEDLY HUMILIATE THE OTHER,” she declared.
She stressed that some women stay in difficult marriages because of children, family pressure, financial realities and society, not because they enjoy humiliation. Rita also noted that a woman can endure for years and still reach a breaking point.
The court documents show Judy Austin filed the suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. She is seeking ₦1 billion as general damages for defamation, ₦50 million as cost of the suit, a full unreserved retraction and apology in national newspapers and on social media, a perpetual injunction, and the removal of alleged defamatory statements.
The legal move follows years of public tension. Rita, who is Yul Edochie’s aunt, has repeatedly criticised Judy over her relationship with the actor and has openly supported Yul’s first wife, May. Judy has now chosen the courtroom after enduring what she described as continuous attacks.
Fans and observers are already taking sides. Some praise Rita for standing firm on family principles while others argue Judy has every right to defend her name and marriage. The feud that began as a family matter has now fully entered the legal arena, with both women showing no signs of backing down.