RHOA Star Kelli Ferrell SUED by Former Employee Claiming $18K in Unpaid Wages and Emotional Distress!
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kelli Ferrell is being sued by a former employee who says working for Kelli was a nightmare — accusing her of wage theft, breach of contract, and causing emotional distress.
Saniyah Casey filed the lawsuit on August 27 against Kelli, 40, and her popular restaurant, Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles. Saniyah claims she worked from July 8 to August 15, was paid only once, and is still owed more than $2,000 in wages and back pay.
“She failed to pay the agreed-upon amount for services rendered, despite repeated demands for payment via verbal communication, text messages, and emails,” the filing alleges. Saniyah Casey is demanding $18,788.52 in back pay, damages, and legal fees — and even hinted at pressing criminal charges, accusing Kelli of “knowingly withholding payment, paying without documentation and failure to pay and collect taxes on said wages.”
Saniyah also says the situation crushed her mentally. “The instability of not getting paid by my employer has been crushing,” she wrote.
“The uncertainty of when I’ll receive my wages, coupled with the emotional toll of giving my all at work while they knowingly go on with their lives and still withhold payment, has left me feeling devalued and deeply stressed. It’s a betrayal that has significantly impacted my mental well-being.”
Kelli Ferrell’s rep wasted no time clapping back, blaming it all on a minor bookkeeping hiccup.
“Due to a routine administrative error that can occasionally occur when launching a new business, Ms. Casey’s payment was delayed by two weeks,” the rep states to Us Weekly. “Rather than accepting a certified check that was promptly offered to resolve the matter, she instead chose to pursue a civil suit — one that significantly exaggerates the damages she claims to have suffered during her brief one-month tenure at Nana’s Chicken & Waffles.”
The statement went on to suggest Saniyah is chasing clout: “If this situation had truly caused the level of emotional distress alleged, it stands to reason that she would have accepted the payment when it was repeatedly extended to her. Instead, it appears that Ms. Casey is attempting to leverage the fact that Ms. Potter-Ferrell is currently filming a nationally televised project, using this small and resolvable issue to draw attention and publicity.”
Kelli’s team ended on a polished note: “We recognize that this type of scrutiny comes with the territory for Ms. Ferrell. Nonetheless, we sincerely wish Ms. Casey the best, both professionally and personally, and remain committed to resolving this matter swiftly and appropriately.”
Kelli’s legal woes just keep piling up. We reported that her landlord claims she was “put on notice of her default” multiple times between August 2024 and March 2025 — and is now suing her for a whopping $101,000 in unpaid rent and fees. The landlord is also demanding another $13,000 for future rent plus attorney’s fees. On top of that, Navy Federal Credit Union filed a separate suit against Kelli in May 2025 over an alleged unpaid credit card balance of $26,434.86. Between lawsuits from former employees, landlord disputes, and credit card debt, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star is facing a mountain of legal trouble that just won’t quit.
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