Michelle Ntalami, Minne Kariuki in looming legal battle amid fallout over ‘Real Housewives of Nairobi’

In what appears to be a fall-out from the 'Real Housewives of Nairobi' show, actress Minne Kariuki has thrown her hat in the ring, appearing to clash with Marini Naturals proprietor Michelle Ntalami and setting the stage for a grand legal showdown.

Ntalami took to Instagram to claim she had sued South African pay TV provider M-Net and D&R Studios, which specialize in the production of audio and visual content, as well as ‘Real Housewives of Nairobi’ cast member Minne.

Ntalami, who claims she was invited to the show by Susan Kaitanny, one of the cast members, alleges that the network aired snippets in which she appeared without her permission.

She claims that the show as a whole degrades women, promotes bullying, and harms their personal brands, social standing, mental health, and overall well-being.

"I am a woman of worth with a respected name. Cast your net elsewhere. This kind is cut from a different cloth," Ntalami writes, saying she would never want to be cast in the reality show.

To begin, Ntalami claims D&R Studios did not provide her with an Actor's Consent Form and did not rein in a cast member who she says verbally abused her.

She maintains that she did not consent to any videotape, audio, or film related to the TV series.

The businesswoman also claims that her attempts to resolve the crisis amicably were met with opposition, and that her demand letter was ignored.

But perhaps the crux of the matter is her feud with Minne, who she claims got high on bullying and putting other women down.

"You could have been the Queen of anything to grow your personal brand on a global show, but instead you chose ‘Queen of Shade.’ Joke’s on you," Ntalami captioned a photo carousel.

"You get high off bullying and putting other women down. But soon enough, you were bound to meet the wrong one."

Ntalami claims that Minne started cyberbullying her and saying defamatory things about her after the show debuted.

However, in a retort worthy of a popcorn grab, Minne has countersued Ntalami, demanding that the Marini Naturals owner stop making defamatory remarks about her.

She has given Ntalami three days to unconditionally and publicly retract her previous statements, after which her legal team says they will go to court seeking Ksh.3 million in general damages for defamation.

Despite Ntalami's social media statements, Minne has yet to be served with court papers, according to her lawyers Mwenda Njagi and Co. Advocates.

"As of the date of this letter, our client has not and never has been formally or otherwise served with any court papers related to any lawsuit filed by you," read a cease and desist letter from the advocates to Ntalami seen by Citizen Digital.

"Your public statements suggesting legal action against our client without serving her with proper notice or legal documents are both inaccurate and defamatory."

The reality show's first season, which followed the lives of Susan Kaittany, Vera Sidika, Sonal Maherali, Minne Kariuki, and Lisa Christoffersen, was broadcast on Showmax, an on-demand streaming platform, and its affiliates owned by M-Net.