BY SAM ALFAN .
A suit filed by businesswoman Michelle Nkatha Ntalami against South African Pay-tv provider M-Net has given a glimpse of the intrigues surrounding cast members and their lives.
Ntalami, the CEO of Marini Naturals has sued the South Africa company and cast member Minne Njuguna for defamation and alleged cyberbullying among other accusations over her role in TV series Real Housewives of Nairobi.
The businesswoman alleges that the producers of the series which streams on Showmax of using her audio and images without her consent. She now wants her images and audios deleted in all the episodes in which she appears. She is also demanding an apology and compensation from M-Net, the producers of the show and Minne.
Other than cyberbullying, Ntalami accuses Minne of harassment on social media and other platforms.
Through lawyer Kethi Kilonzo, the beauty products ambassador alleges of how Minne attacked her reputation, business and her image on TV, radio interview and post on various social media, with plans to gain popularity and promote the show.
Ntalami has maintained that she never consented to her audio, images and videos clips, being used in the Reality TV show.
“I did give my consent or rights to any of the Defendants to videotape, audiotape, and film, portray, photograph or otherwise record me, my image or my trade or its name in connection with the series or any commercials or social digital media engagements in connection with the series,” she further states.
She adds that on 8th November 2022, she was invited by Susan Kaittany to a Sip, Cocktail and Dinner event. She says she found a filming crew of Young Rich Television ltd and D&R Studios ltd at the venue.
She adds that before the filming began, she asked the crew members for a consent Form or Image Rights Release Agreement but there was none, and the crew allegedly said someone else was responsible for that particular docket.
“At the end of the recording session, I was not given an Actor’s agreement/consent form or any contract for the recording session by the Young Rich TV or D&R Studios and I was made to believe that during post-production someone would reach out to me with the Agreement,” says in her witness statement.
Ntalami reveals that the Real Housewives of Nairobi launched and aired in 2023 on M-net platform on 23rd February 2023 with her featuring in it, and with no official contract or consent for her image and footage to be used.
“I was featured in Episodes 1 and 2 and a Reunion episode. These episodes that I featured in are still available on Showmax. I refer to the documents at pages 19, 20, 29, 30, 38, 39, and 40 in my bundle of documents and I was also featured in commercials, advertisements, and all various social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok) of the 3rd and 4th Defendants,” says Ntalami.
She enquired from Kaittany whether she was given and contrary and compensation which she confirmed of receiving.
Ntalami reveals that as soon as the show was launched, Minne allegedly began cyberbullying and uttering false and malicious words of and concerning her.
“She attacked my personality, my character, my good social- standing, my business, my personal and social brand and my business, Marini Naturals,” she adds.
She said the false and malicious words were said and written by Minne, produced by Young Rich TV and or D&R Studios ltd, and were published and distributed by M-Net on radio, television and in social media together with parts of Episodes 1 and 2 and the reunion of The Real Housewives of Nairobi by the actor and the three companies in concert, jointly and severally.
It is her argument that the move was a business strategy to leverage and commercially exploit her wide following and social media visibility, with a view to increase viewership, social media presence, streaming and subscription to The Real Housewives of Nairobi and Showmax.
“The more outrageous, false, and malicious the words used by Minne against me were on the show, on television and radio shows and social media, the higher the damage I suffered as a result, and the more profit the Defendants gained as stated below,” says Ntalami.
She adds that by reason of the defamatory words her character has been damaged and has been brought into public scandal, odium, and contempt and by reason of the above defamatory words, her credit, standing and reputation and her Marini Naturals Business have been greatly injured.
“The Defendants intended for the defamatory words to be repeated and republished to third persons and alternatively, and without prejudice to the foregoing, the republication was the natural and probable result of the original publication,” says Ntalami.
In the court papers , the attacks and defamatory attacks were aired or promoted by Young Rich Television ltd, Electronic Media Network Proprietary ltd (M-net) and D&R Studios ltd against their code of conduct.
According to the M.net code of conduct as per court documents, all cast members, including Minne, to conduct themselves on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube and media interviews, among others, in such a manner that would not be damaging or prejudicial to the 2nd and 3rd Defendants’ relationship with other cast members.
According to Susan Kaittany of Posh Palace who has filed supporting affidavit in Ntalami suit, she adds that by reason of the Code of Conduct, she believe Minne was given a freehand to use her social media platform for cyberbullying and trolling as a profit maximization and viewership and subscribers’ engagement strategy.
“The Code of Conduct specifically required written approval before the 1st Defendant (Minne Njuguna) could engage on social media in connection with the show and the Code of Conduct required all cast members and Minne to comply with all instructions and briefs given to them by Young Rich Television ltd. Such instructions and briefs included the Showmax Original PR and Media Guidelines for the Real Housewives of Nairobi,” says Kaittany in the court papers.
Model Damaris Too has filed an affidavit in supporting of Ntalami saying she has suffered emotional, mental, and psychological distress, loss and damage.
She reveals she wrote to communication of Kenya acting director general Christopher Wambua and head of National cyber security center cyber-bullying and harassment to stop the cyber-bullying but no action was taken.
