Kelli Ferrell’s Ex-Husband Sues Bravo for $200 Million Over ‘Fabricated’ RHOA Storyline and Defamation Claims
Kelli Ferrell’s ex-husband Chuvalo Mark Ferrell is now suing Bravo, accusing the network of spreading lies about him in what he calls a “fabricated storyline.”
In court documents obtained by TMZ, Chuvalo alleges that Kelli falsely portrayed him as abusive and financially dishonest during her appearances on the show. He claims the narrative that he “stole” money from her is completely false — and that producers knew it.
Chuvalo insists he and Kelli jointly applied for a $420,000 loan in 2022 to expand their restaurant, Nana’s Chicken-n-Waffles, but that Kelli misused the funds on “her birthday and other unauthorized expenses.” According to him, he later repaid the loan, yet Kelli continued to tell viewers that he “stole” the money.
The lawsuit also accuses the RHOA cast of defamation, claiming cast members were heard on camera calling him “a criminal, an abuser, and a fraud.” Chuvalo says producers aired these claims “knowing they were false,” and as a result, he’s suffered irreparable damage to his personal and professional reputation — to the tune of $100 million.
But that’s not where it ends. Chuvalo Mark Ferrell is seeking an additional $100 million in punitive damages, bringing his total demand to a staggering $200 million, alleging the network acted with “reckless disregard for the truth.” At a fiery courthouse press conference on September 2nd, Chuvalo lashed out at both his ex-wife and the network. “The truth is, Kelli doesn’t want resolution. She wants to keep me down,” he said. “Because without that storyline, she loses her platform. And Bravo, your hands are not clean.”
He continued, “You gave airtime to lies that you knew could not be sustained. You put my daughter on national TV without my permission. You built a storyline to destroy my name for entertainment. This is defamation. It will not stand.”
Chuvalo went on to claim that the situation cost him far more than just his reputation. “Every penny was back by December 2022 — yet in January 2024, I spent over 40 days in jail while my ex-wife and her attorney told the court it had never been repaid,” he alleged. “This is false imprisonment. This is fraud.” He also accused Kelli and her team of pocketing funds that rightfully belonged to him. “I watched my name dragged through the mud, my business stolen, my home taken, my children withheld, and my dignity attacked,” he said. “The truth is simple: what happened to me was not justice. It was abuse of power.”
Chuvalo’s press conference took a political turn when he declared, “This is not just one man’s fight. It’s a case that raises national questions about judicial accountability, abuse of power, racial bias in family courts, and the influence of entertainment media on legal proceedings.”
Kelli and Chuvalo Mark Ferrell finalized their divorce in 2025, following a tumultuous split that granted Kelli primary custody of their three children and ordered Chuvalo to pay nearly $4,000 a month in child support and cover the children’s health insurance. Meanwhile, Kelli is still facing her own court drama.
On October 2, she filed an emergency petition claiming Chuvalo interfered with their children’s participation in filming The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The filing noted that she was granted final decision-making authority over the children’s extracurricular activities, including filming. Kelli has since enlisted her RHOA costar Phaedra Parks, a licensed attorney, to represent her in the case.
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Nancy Zhāng is an Entertainment Blogger for All About The Tea. Nancy covers hot topics, recaps and celeb news. She loves to multi-task as a writer and a private chef. She received a B.S. in Mass Communications from LSU. Nancy’s married and the proud mom of 2 German Shepherds.
