Nollywood actress Rita Edochie has reacted strongly to the defamation lawsuit filed against her by her colleague, Judy Austin.

Judy had reportedly taken legal action against Rita, seeking N1 billion in damages, a retraction and public apology, N50 million in additional relief, 10% post-judgment interest, among other demands.

The two actresses were in court on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, as the case came up before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja.

Photos from the proceedings showed Judy arriving at the court and later leaving the premises after the hearing.

While Judy appeared to attend the proceedings without her husband, actor Yul Edochie, Rita was accompanied by a group of supporters who reportedly travelled from abroad to stand by her.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter until November 24, 2026.

Following the court appearance, a video of Rita speaking about the lawsuit surfaced online.

In the video, the actress took a swipe at Judy, claiming that her colleague wants her to stop speaking against what she described as “husband snatchers.”

Rita further declared that Judy would “cry blood” over the legal battle, while making reference to the N1 billion damages being sought against her.

“Judy Austin wants me to stop talking against husband snatchers. She will cry blood. She sued me for N1bn that she has never seen before”.

Related video