Upon the announcement of The Real Housewives of Atlanta‘s Season 16 reunion seating chart, fans were quite curious as to why rookie cast member Brit Eady was missing from the lineup. While learning that Kenya Moore was allegedly “disinvited” from attending, Eady’s lack of presence has caused confusion as to why and what it mean for her future on the show. Over the past twenty-four hours, amid speculation, there have been some moments of clarity about why she chose to voluntarily pass on the taping, but now, a bombshell lawsuit has dropped that explains further into her decision.

The RHOA star is suing Bravo for $20 million, accusing the network of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment, and fostering a hostile work environment. NBC and production companies True Original and Endemol Shine North America are also named as defendants. The allegations stem from an incident that occurred during filming one year earlier and was subsequently aired on Bravo in April 2025. Of course, the incident in question revolved around sexually explicit images shared by Kenya Moore at the grand opening of her hair salon. But here’s to the kicker. On her Instagram story, Eady revealed, “I do want to set the record straight about one thing: the graphic sexual photo surrounding the events in Episode 5. That photo was not me.”

‘RHOA’s Brit Eady Claims Photos Were Not Her

Paired with the lawsuit, Eady’s admission on her social media clarified certain elements that led to the shocking moment and Moore’s ultimate departure. “As the episode makes clear; I did not see the photo at the time. Rather, I was made aware of the photo being presented at the event, and based on what I was told, assumed that it was a photo of me — which is why I reacted in the way that I did. I did not know who was in that photo, but upon seeing it for the first time recently, I now know it wasn’t me,” she wrote. While she stated that she wants to move past this “dark part” of her life, the lawsuit opens up the extensive legal battle that is about to ensue.

Eady’s lawsuit alleges that Moore’s actions were “defamatory, harassing, and damaging.” Due to her actions, the lawsuit document, as described by The Independent, continues that Moore “also displayed posters containing written false and defamatory statements regarding Plaintiff and her occupation, as well as an explicit photograph depicting a woman engaged in graphic sexual conduct. The cast member falsely claimed that the photograph depicted the Plaintiff.”

The document also accuses the defendants of “willfully, intentionally, recklessly, and/or with gross negligence” producing, editing, and airing the episode, which “falsely, yet unmistakably implied that the graphic sexual photograph presented by the cast member depicted Plaintiff.” Eady has claimed that she was denied access of being shown the photos prior to airing, which the “Defendants refused to do.” Now, Eady is requesting “immediate removal of the episode from public access on all platforms, networks, and media outlets in the Defendants’ control” as well as a public statement that Moore’s comments about Eady were false.

With this admission, and the fact that the photo was not shown and blurred out, it seemingly gives the case little merit. She also doesn’t list the ways in which she says she suffered such distress, making her claims difficult to prove. Furthermore, Eady’s own actions could be viewed as her being an initiator in the drama. Fans remember her mentioning having a weapon in response to her verbal spat with Moore, which Moore took as a threat. Moore has claimed that she complained to production about not feeling safe in the aftermath, and Eady’s words were aired in the episode, despite her insistence she never mentioned a gun.

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As filming of the reunion has seemingly commenced, Andy Cohen has shared his thoughts on the bombshell accusation. He took to X and wrote, “This is reaching a level of petty that’s beyond even anything I’VE seen!” While fans have commented about their opinions regarding the situation, some have speculated that it could be a reference to the social media feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, for which he jokingly asked to host the reunion of.

Before the incident at the center of this lawsuit, there had been sweeping backlash toward a potentially inciting comment from a previous interaction between Eady and Moore. During an explosive confrontation during an early episode, it was perceived that Eady allegedly threatened Moore with a gun. Eady had apologized to Moore at her grand opening, bringing her flowers, but it did not stop the consequential actions from happening. Eady has since denied being in possession of a gun, revealing so on Watch What Happens Live. For her part in the mess, Moore appeared on Tamron Hall to speak on the situation. “Hindsight is always fifty, fifty,” she told the titular host. “If I could do it all over again, I believe the photos were very distasteful, and I elevated the situation. I’ve elevated situations before, and I’ve taken full accountability for the things that I’ve done.”

With the lawsuit now in the public records, how Brit Eady will be portrayed for the remainder of the season will be curious. When Moore was dismissed from filming, RHOA edited around her as she was present in many important scenes, necessary for the storytelling. Eady will likely not be edited around, but with her demand that the episode be removed, it will be revealing how that affects the entirety of the season. Bravo has removed specific episodes in the past due to insensitivity. Southern Charm had certain episodes removed due to racial sensitivity, and Below Deck Mediterranean‘s first season had an episode removed due to transphobic comments.