Rita Edochie lawsuit: The actress responds to Judy Austin’s N1bn defamation case, saying she is ready to face the court and present her side

Nollywood actress Rita Edochie has responded defiantly to the N1 billion defamation lawsuit filed by fellow actress Judy Austin at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, saying on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, that she is not losing sleep over the case and is prepared to address matters she previously kept private.

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Edochie said the Rita Edochie lawsuit had instead created an opportunity for her to speak openly about issues surrounding her long-running disagreement with Austin, who is married to actor Yul Edochie, a relative of Rita Edochie.

The veteran actress said she had deliberately avoided discussing some matters publicly, even when she believed she had something to say.

“There are so many things I could have said before now, but I deliberately chose silence because I didn’t want to force certain conversations into the public space,” Edochie said.

Austin initiated the legal action in August, filing a defamation suit against Edochie and separately against her former husband, Emmanuel Chukwuobasi Obasi.

In the case involving Edochie, Austin is seeking N1 billion in general damages. She is also asking the court to order a full and unreserved retraction and apology in at least two national newspapers and across Edochie’s social media platforms.

Austin further wants the allegedly defamatory statements removed from Edochie’s online platforms and seeks a permanent injunction preventing further publication of similar statements. She is also claiming N50 million in legal costs.

Austin announced the lawsuits on social media with the emphatic message, “Enough is enough!”

The legal action represents a significant escalation in a public dispute that has played out for several years, particularly around Austin’s relationship and marriage to Yul Edochie.

Rita Edochie has repeatedly criticised Austin in public. In 2023, she called on Austin to leave Yul Edochie, reflecting her position on the controversy surrounding Yul’s relationship with Austin while he was still married to May Edochie.

The dispute has also involved Austin’s former husband, Emmanuel Obasi. Obasi has previously made allegations concerning his former marriage to Austin, including claims relating to access to their children.

Austin has disputed his account and maintained that their marriage ended in 2013.

Following the filing of the cases, Edochie challenged Austin over the name used in the court documents, which identifies the claimant as “Mrs Judith Yul Edochie”.

Edochie said she would address the matter in court and questioned why she should be frightened by the proceedings if she believed her statements could be defended.

“But if what I have been saying is true, then why should I be terrified of saying even more?” she said.

Edochie also made clear that she intended to distinguish between allegations based on hearsay and statements she believes she can substantiate.

“Not with rumours, not with fabricated stories, not with whispers from unknown sources,” she said. “I will speak about what I know, what I have said, what I can stand by, and what I believe can be defended before the appropriate authorities.”

The actress described the development as an opportunity to have the issues examined through the legal system rather than through competing claims on social media.

The case has consequently moved the long-running controversy from the highly charged atmosphere of social media into a formal judicial setting, where the parties will have an opportunity to present their respective positions.

Edochie has also indicated that May Edochie’s birthday remains her immediate priority, saying the occasion was more important to her before the court matter takes centre stage.

The lawsuit against Edochie is one of two separate defamation actions filed by Austin.

In the case against Obasi, Austin is seeking another N1 billion in general damages, alongside N500 million each in aggravated and exemplary damages, bringing the general damages sought across the two cases to more than N2 billion.

The suit against Obasi also seeks a public retraction and apology, removal of allegedly defamatory material and other court orders.

Obasi has acknowledged receiving the court papers and said the case would bring the dispute before a judge.

The Rita Edochie lawsuit remains at the legal-claim stage, and the allegations contained in the proceedings have not been established as facts by a court.

Edochie’s response likewise represents her position and does not determine the outcome of the case.

For Edochie, however, the message is clear: she does not intend to retreat from the dispute.

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Instead, she says she is ready for what could become a revealing and consequential chapter in the long-running controversy.