Since the explosive fourth and final installment of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion aired in May, social media and entertainment blogs have been immersed in conversation about Phaedra Parks’ role in one of the show’s most dramatic story lines this season.
It was revealed in during the reunion show that Parks, an Atlanta attorney, had fed a story to castmate and close friend Porsha Williams concerning Kandi Burrus and her husband Todd Tucker’s alleged plan to drug and rape Williams.
By the end of the finale, the cast members came to a consensus that those accusations were false. Despite Parks offering an apology, her fans and foes have condemned her role in spreading the story about Burruss and Tucker.
Many online pundits have opined that Parks' involvement in this RHOA scandal is reminiscent of her legal battle with a former friend over the best-selling book,"Lies of Real Housewife: Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil."
The book, written by Angela Stanton, was published in 2012 and makes claims of Parks' involvement in criminal schemes such as forgery and racketeering.
After the book was published, a long, muddy legal battle soon ensued between Stanton and Parks over the book.
Here are 5 things to note about the battle over ‘Lies of a Real Housewife’:
1. Stanton’s book is, in part, about her own life.
Stanton, a native of Buffalo, New York, illustrates a story of her checkered childhood, becoming a rapper and eventually meeting Phaedra Parks in Atlanta, according to an Amazon.com review.
"The author, rapper, wife and mother, guides us through her struggles into her early adult years in Hotlanta. By fate, she lives a hustler's life of crime with none other than Real Housewives of Atlanta's own, Phaedra Parks." - Amazon review
2. Phaedra Parks first filed a suit against Stanton in 2012.
That lawsuit quoted Stanton's e-book titled "Lies Of A Real Housewife," and articles posted on vibe.com in which Stanton claimed she and Parks were involved in various criminal activities including forgery and a "federal racketeering scheme" aimed at stealing luxury cars, according to a report by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Though Stanton and her attorney James Radford attempted to have the suit dismissed, Superior Court Judge Carla Brown ruled that the case continue.
3. The legal battle over the book lasted several years.
After Parks sued Stanton for defamation, Stanton countersued. They were finally slated to have their day in court on June 6, 2016.
4. In the RHOA reunion, Parks said that she won the defamation case against Stanton.
Kandi Burrus mentioned Stanton and the years-long legal battle over the book during the RHOA reunion. During the episode, Parks claimed she won the case against Stanton.
According to AJC reports, that was not the case. Stanton also disputed this story on her Instagram Monday.
5. Both Stanton and Parks defamation cases were dropped.
According to gossip columnist Tamara Tattles, who had followed the case closely, a new court date was set for June 2016, but a judge threw out Stanton's suit. Parks then agreed to drop her suit, according to a report by AJC radio and television columnist Rodney Ho.
On his website, this is what Stanton’s lawyer had to say about the situation:
On Monday, June 1, the court entered an order dismissing Ms. Stanton's counterclaims against Ms. Parks. Ms. Parks subsequently agreed to dismiss with prejudice her lawsuit against Ms. Stanton if Ms. Stanton would agree not to appeal the order dismissing the counterclaims. So, the case is now resolved and will not go to trial.
We have some disappointment, as Ms. Stanton was anxious for her day in court. However, a dismissal is a dismissal, and Ms. Stanton is relieved that the claim of defamation has finally been buried. This has been a long, tumultuous process. Ms. Stanton looks forward to focusing on the positive things in her life, to following her dreams of being an author, and to sharing her life story with the world.
About the Author
