(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images/Instagram)
A judge has approved a defamation lawsuit filed by Kandi Burruss against a former employee, according to theJasmineBrand.com.
The suit is moving forward against Johnnie Winston III alleging that he breached a non-disclosure agreement when he made statements on The Real Housewives of Atlanta claiming that he was unsatisfied with his pay, that he had not been paid for overtime work, and that Burruss had stolen his ideas for both a play and a restaurant.
However, Burruss claimed that she was not aware that Winston was unhappy with his pay until August 2016, when they were filming the show. She also maintained that he had been paid for all his time and that he was an independent contractor. Winston sued her for the back pay and benefits he claimed that he was owed, and she demanded that he drop the suit.
The allegations made against Burruss, she claimed in her argument for the defamation lawsuit, have damaged her reputation and have subjected her to hatred and ridicule. The judge apparently agreed with her assessment, stating that she had made her case with enough evidence to move forward and seek damages against Winston.
