Back in the fall of 2012, a woman named Angela Stanton wrote a book called Lies of a Real Housewife a memoir about her difficult childhood circumstances that ultimately led her to a life of crime. That brief criminal time in her life coincided with her friendship with Phaedra Parks. In that book, she talks Phaedra’s involvement in her criminal past and how she felt she was left our to dry by Phaedra after her arrest. The facts were so shocking at the time that I didn’t believe them to be true. I mean how could Phaedra get away with all the things this book suggested. I have subsequently changed my mind and believe every word in the book. I have kept in touch with Angela throughout her legal battle with Phaedra and watched the case carefully from the sidelines.
SEE THE ENTIRE COVERAGE OF THIS CASE HERE!
Back in 2012 Phaedra brought suit against Stanton and the publishers and the website that hosted her work. She quickly settled with everyone except her true target, Stanton. Stanton eventually got a great pro bono attorney, James Radford, who has refused to let Parks silence Stanton.This case is of particular interest to me, not just because of its minor connection to the Real Housewives of Atlanta, but because it is a case of someone attempting to intimidate someone into silence. You may have noticed that I don’t cotton to that too well.
Phaedra Parks, who was initial plaintiff, has done everything possible to keep her case from going to trial. Remember, she is the one who filed the charges to begin with. She’s the plaintiff! And yet she refused to be deposed, and then was forced to give a deposition, and then refused to answer questions in the deposition about Apollo, and then the judge had to force her to answer the questions in a second deposition. She’s filed for a Summary Judgment on Stanton’s counterclaims TWICE. Both times the summary judgment was denied without a hearing. Stanton also motioned for a summary judgment about a year ago, and a hearing was held and that motion was also denied.
We are now in the fourth YEAR of trying to get this case to trial. Last week, the judge finally ruled on the second motion for summary judgment which was essentially the identical motion to the first one which was denied. The ruling stated, ” The court notes that in review of the record before it, that there has been no expansion of the record since the entry of that order.” Which is Judgespeak for “Bitch, why are you making another motion just like the one you made a year ago when ain’t nothing changed?” My question for the Judge would be, why did it take you four months to write this two paragraph motion to deny?
SEE THE ENTIRE COVERAGE OF THIS CASE AND ALL THE HILARIOUS DEPOSITIONS HERE!
Phaedra has gone through six attorneys over the last three plus years. She kind of painted herself into a corner with this lawsuit because now that Stanton has counterclaims, Phaedra will have to answer to them in court. Under oath. Her behavior makes it clear she does not want to do that.
Phaedra’s latest stalling tactic, from what I hear, is to ask the judge to allow her to put this case on hold so that she can take her ridiculous motion for summary judgment that has been denied TWICE to an appellate judge for review. It’s a total waste of time. I have no idea why Stanton’s attorney isn’t filing a complaint of vexatious litigation against Parks. She has shown a repeated pattern of filing frivolous motions to delay the forward movement of justice.
So we are here now exactly where we were one year ago, preparing to set a trial date. It remains to be seen if Parks will be allowed to stop the clock on the case once again while she trots over to the appellate court for more nonsense.
The good news is that Angela Stanton will eventually get the chance to speak on the record. Her voice will be heard and documented. She has not backed down and continues to sell her book, Lies of a Real Housewife available on Amazon. A book that would by now have been long forgotten if not for Parks and her bad decision to file a lawsuit.
I didn’t believe the book could possibly be true either. Parks actions have changed my opinion completely. What I don’t understand is why people with skeletons in their closets think that the law doesn’t apply to the I.e. Giudices and Parks. And then go on reality T.V.
Absolutely, Pinda!!! Hope Ms. Parks gets her just desserts!
Phaedra deserves an order of Just Desserts with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Let’s see her swirl her nasty salacious tongue around that one!
I have no words for Phedra except to get the fuck over it. Suck it up bitch. Own your illegal behavior. Everyone with even an IQ if 80 can see your are the queen of shady. I feel badly for Angela, yes she broke the law and all but she paid her price. She did her time and now expects the southern belle to own her shit. I cannot imagine filing a lawsuit and then doing everything in my power to prevent it from going forward! She should be jailed for the waste of the courts time and also for subjecting the people of America to her nonsense.
Preach!
That big liver lip Phaedra is going to reap what she is sow,it’s called the circle of life. She and Cynthia is the reason why I refuse to watch, Black broke fools acting a fool. Very degrading and cheap. Nene,Kim keep away it’s not worth it.
I’m so glad Angela Stanton is getting her day in court. She deserves to be heard.
I would be about damn time. No?
I believe in redemption. We all make mistakes. And our justice system is based, at least partially, on lesson learning and becoming a wiser person through the process of paying for your crimes. And it looks to me like Stanton has learned a lot from her life experiences. And she’s at least smarter for it. Phaedra deserves everything she’s got coming to her.
Well stated, Minky!!!
…a book that would by now have been long forgotten if not for Parks and her bad decision to file a lawsuit…
Phaedra Parks, meet the Streisand Effect.
Streisand Effect, meet Phaedra Parks.
Gotta love it when a scummy attorney’s intimidation strategy backfires right in her face.
I do love it! The illustrious Ms Parks has been hoisted by her own petard, which PROVES, your honor, that she really is a dumbass.
Excellent point, TT. Good analogy, ericzku. If you try to suppress it, it only becomes more interesting!
This is phaedra biggest mistake suing Angela.
Her biggest mistake, in my opinion, is thinking she can mock God.
Preach, Gingersnap!!!
Right
The evil that Parks has perpetrated becomes more and more clear as the trial goes on. Regretting this law suit must weigh heavily on Phaedra’s mind, she made a major mistake that will ultimately bring her down. Kodos to Angela for being a strong woman.
Right
The links aren’t working for me…
Thanks to your link, I just ordered the book on Amazon.
Exciting tea, I will sip on this slowly because its too juicy to rush it up. Thanks TT
Another sale for Ms Stanton; I’m ordering the book today.
I didn’t know what to believe on the Stanton book until coming to this blog.. Wish I had the time today to reread it all – fascinating and concise job by TT!
What I like about Angela Stanton vs Melissa Gorga is that she “owns” the crime and did her time. I totally get why she’s coming after the head of the snake Phaedra and literally LMAO that Phaedra believed her own lies enough to make the foolish mistake of suing. Beyond PRICELESS – much like the Giudice aborted bankruptcy broke things wide open.
What I can’t understand is why this hasn’t set the internet on fire with hatred for Phaedra like it did for Teresa and Joe? Relatively speaking, a thirsty relative seeking a spot on the show (Melissa et al) blew the whistle on some pretty routine crimes…Phaedra and Apollo’s scams much more heinous in my view (retiree’s pensions among them)
Maybe when it gets to trial the backlash will erupt?
I hope the pro bono lawyer is reading along here too and reads TT’s “vexation litigation” motion idea!!!
I don’t get the Giudice analogy…
Pheadra pay the bloggers to not tell what is going on
Pheadra is so fake because she didn’t have a problem tarnishing Kenya image calling her a whore and kandi saying how she was not supporting her enough after Apollo went to prison, but she paid the bloggers to keep quiet about her case with Angela because she don’t want her image to be destroyed.
First of all, Melissa Gorga had nothing to do with anyone going to jail. Secondly, Apollo’s charges and Teresa and Joes were almost identical. Fraud is Fraud. Finally, Mr. Radford is an actual attorney and not some crazy lady sitting on her couch blathering on about trials. He certainly doesn’t need any help from me.
His clients don’t pay him in cash in courthouse parking lots?
Ms. Parks best invest in super absorbent prayer cloths in advance of this holy mess.
Fantastic! I can’t wait to hear Phadrea wiggling like the southern snake she is. Angela Stantons book is a great read and I believe it’s the truth.
I think she is guilty of the crime. And she had to know what Apollo was doing. But, it’s just like Staton said happened to her Phaedra did to Apollo. Once he was caught she wasted no time to abandon ship!
After reading the reviews of the book, I’ve decided to order it. After thinking about it for a sec, the show should have been called “real grifters of Atlanta”! When you look back you realize the original crew with the exception of a few, was comprised of messy bitches on the come up. From Kim and sleeping with a married man to Nene and Greg’s shady real estate dealings and Sheree and what ever she did/does to keep food on the table despite bob not paying child support.. Then there is Phaedra. A whole nother story, best told by Angela Stanton. No doubt Bravo wants to keep Phaedra on the show until this story is told in court. SMH!
Bob always paid his child support. Usually in advance of when it was do. He often overpaid. That is why he never lost in court. Once Sheree started complaining about what he was paying her, HE TOOK HER to court and had his payments reduced. By that time the kids were spending a lot of time with him.
TT, I lived in Atlanta for over 20 years and seem to recall Sheree having a boutique in Buckhead for a small amount of time. As I recall it was hot for a split second and then it was gone. Seems like she’s always got something going on and then poof! It fails. How did/does she afford to invest in these endeavors if her financial situation is what the tabloids say it is? Was Bob’s support money being used to fund her whims?
The reviews for the book are really good. I’m buying it, thank you for the link. I’m sure Angela will appreciate.
I bought and read AngelaStanton’s book, it’s excellent!
It reminds me of the scene when Phaedra told her mother Apollo said he wouldn’t sign the divorce paperwork. When I saw that I was like Bitch, you can force a divorce easily in a court of law if your husband is a convicted felon serving time in jail! What the hell are you thinking?? Then I read this blog…..
She really thinks people are idiots if she believes we don’t have the impression she had to know or be involved with Apollo’s illegal bullshit. We all know that Apollo doesn’t want to divorce her because his gravy train would end if he did so. And of course all rumors aren’t true, but word is Phaedra wants to reunite her family and not go through with the divorce. Plus if she agrees not to divorce Apollo and he supports her side, Phaedras day in court with Stanton will be 100 times harder for Stanton unfortunately. I think Apollo has got her by the freakin balls and he’s squeezing hard and she has no choice but to stay married to him. Even though she might not end up in jail from this Stanton thing, she will definitely have to pay her dues by funding Apollo while he’s at the club and doing god-knows-what-else all the time living in a miserable marriage with a husband who has no concept of mutual respect and every experience of knowing how to take advantage of someone else. Hell, I would almost rather be in jail than have to live a miserable life like that.
Just finished reading the book. To say it doesn’t paint a pretty picture of Mrs. Phaedra Parks would be an understatement of colossal proportion. I find everything in the book concerning Phaedra completely believable. Ms. Stanton confuses me a number of places in the book, like for example it’s hard for me to believe someone can be as naive as she appears to be at the beginning. Her lack of interest in questioning what each next assignment would be, or once accomplished to what end. For example when she relates that Apollo and Phaedra had her obtain that license in Maryland with fraudulent papers, think most people question why do you need a drivers with my picture on it? But she never asks that question. Throughout the book she seems to rationalize her initial obsequiousness towards Phaedra as a cross between being star struck, and viewing Phaedra as her ticket out. Towards the end of the book she even seems to try to rationalize the illegal things she knowingly did as Phaedra’s fault. It’s totally a revenge book I’m not buying her claim that it isn’t. That and to earn money from sales, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that in my mind. Was it more or did anyone read this book and every time she spoke of her mother you thought of Phaedra’s Preacher mother? No? My bad I guess. Also when Phaedra falls she is going to fall hard! I’m just really curious what scam she had planned with the mortician license. ‘Cause I doubt she did all of that studying to actually be a mortician. This book is not something I would normally read but I found Ms. Stanton, or her ghostwriter, tells a story fairly well. Just wish the story-lines of the men in her life weren’t so confusing to follow.
Remember, dead people have social security numbers. It usually takes a week or so to bury someone. That ss# is still live, until it’s declared inactive. Meanwhile, Phaedra would have time to apply for credit online and create a whole new source of income and resources.