(EXCLUSIVE) Kandi Burruss Counter Sues Ex Employee For Slander & Defamation: He filmed with Phaedra Parks for TV time!

Kandi Burruss Counter Sues Ex Employee

theJasmineBRAND.com exclusively reports, Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss has headed back to court in her legal battle with her former employee. The reality star, singer and producer is slapping him with a countersuit, accusing him of defaming her during filming of the hit reality show. She is also demanding damages for the harm he caused her reputation.

Here’s the latest: Kandi has filed docs explaining she will be counter-suing her former employee Johnnie Winston. The reality star explains her former employee is attempting to intentionally malign her reputation and harm her good name through false and malicious accusations. She believes it is also an attempt to garner free publicity and national attention by creating a false story line to stay relevant on ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta”.

She points out his unsubstantiated attacks against her coincide with the filming of the latest season of RHOA,  which secured him airtime and free publicity for himself on the show.

Kandi says during filming he made numerous statements on camera that were not only slanderous, defamatory and calculated to injure her public persona and professional brand,  but were in breach of the non-disclosure he signed when terminated.

Subsequent to the end of Mr. Winston’s business relationship with Kandi Koated Entertainment, Mr. Winston would no longer have the access or ability to appear on RHOA that he previously enjoyed due to his prior business relationship with Kandi Koated Entertainment.

She explains that during filming was the first time she learned he was unsatisfied with his pay — when they were shooting back in August 2016 — months after he was fired.

Phaedra Parks & Johnnie Winston

He met with co-star Phaedra Parks on the show despite her never having represented him.

During the scene, he discusses with Phaedra the checks he had received from Kandi and accused the reality star of ripping off his idea and turning it into Kandi’s play “A Mother’s Love”, despite him knowing the show was based on her own relationship with her husband and mother.

He also accused Kandi of screwing him out of the restaurant she opened that he claimed he was to be apart of with her.

Kandi says as a result of his false and malicious statements, she has suffered and continues to suffer humiliation, ridicule, hatred, contempt, injury and impairment to her reputation along with embarrassment and is seeking damages that she incurred and will continue to suffer.

She is demanding damages for his breach of the Non-Disclosure agreement and unspecified damages for the defamation and slander against her.

Here’s the backstory: The reality star’s former manager, event planner and production coordinator, Johnnie Winston III, sued Kandi Burruss-Tucker and her Kandi Koated Entertainment company. Winston explained he worked for the reality star until his termination in February 2016.

Johnnie Winston

He accused her of failing to pay the required minimum wage, overtime pay for his time working in the studio, planning special events, running errands and preparing meals for events and attending meetings.

His job included performing handyman duties at her studio, the Kandi Factory. He ran personal errands and helped assist her with a play entitled ‘A Mother’s Love”. He was required to work 7 days a week and 10-12 hours a day. He sued for the entire pay and overtime wages due along with liquidated damages equal to amount owed in back pay and benefits.

Kandi denied allegations that she violated labor laws and screwed over her alleged ex-employee, and demanded the suit be tossed.

Kandi argues Winston was an independent contractor when he worked with her and was paid for his services over the years. She explained her company’s policies, practices and procedures all are in conformity of the law. She demanded his suit be tossed and wanted him to pay her legal bills.

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