Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kelli Ferrell was sued by a debt collector over an alleged five-figure bill, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
According to court documents filed on May 5, obtained by Us, Navy Federal Credit Union filed a complaint against Kelli.
The suit alleges that Kelli owes a total of $26,434.86. The credit union said they demanded payment but Ferrell “has failed, neglected and refused to make payment upon the account.”
The suit demanded the entire unpaid balance plus attorney fees.
Kelli’s rep tells Us, “Kelli has not been served with any paperwork from Navy Federal Credit Union, which is an account that was shared with her now ex-husband [Chuvalo Mark Ferrell]. Due to her ex-husband currently being in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings, we cannot comment on this matter.”
In response to Kellie’s statement, Chuvalo’s rep tells Us, “[Chuvalo] was removed from all joint and business accounts — including those with Navy Federal Credit Union and Truist Bank — during the divorce proceedings in 2022. He has no knowledge of any loans or transactions initiated by [Kelli] after his removal from those accounts.”
They added, “The current legal dispute between Navy Federal Credit Union and Ms. Kelli A. Ferrell is strictly between those two parties. [Chuvalo] is not named in the lawsuit and has had no involvement in the matter.”
“We find it deeply troubling that [Chuvalo’s] name continues to be invoked in matters to which he has no connection. This pattern of blame-shifting — three years post-separation and divorce — appears designed to divert public scrutiny from Ms. Ferrell’s financial difficulties,” the rep ended.
Back in April, Kelli was hit with a separate lawsuit over an alleged six-figure debt owed to the landlord for her restaurant, Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles.
The landlord for the commercial property located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, claimed Ferrell signed a lease in January 2024, which is set to expire in 2029.
In the legal documents, the landlord accused the reality star and her company of breaching the lease. The suit claimed Kelli had failed to obtain required permits and not pay all rent due.
The landlord said Kelli was put on notice of her default multiple times from August 2024 to March 2025. The suit demanded $101,000 in unpaid rent and other fees.
The landlord also asked the court to award another $13,000 in future rent owed and attorney fees.
Kelli’s rep disputed the claims in a statement to In Touch.
The rep said, “This is in regard to her second [restaurant] location, which is underway. Although Kelli’s divorce has been finalized, there is still a lot of gray area left, especially with finances.”
Ferrell claimed that she had yet to be paid money owed in the divorce judgment.
At the time, the rep said the issues with the divorce, along with $160k Kelli had to pay to her divorce attorney, left her in a “small financial stomp with opening the new location.”
“However, this situation is currently being sorted out with the landlords of the new location and Nana’s in Sandy Springs will be open by this Summer,” the rep said. “Kelli has been a successful entrepreneur for over eight years, but this divorce is extremely contentious and has caused issues.”
Kelli’s rep tells Us the lawsuit over the alleged unpaid rent was resolved. “That has been settled and Nana’s Chicken & Waffles in Sandy Springs is slated to open next month,” the rep said.
Kelli and her ex-husband have been in and out of court since she filed for divorce in 2022.
Kelli, who wed her ex in 2011, demanded sole custody of their three children. Chuvalo opposed the request and asked the court to award him joint custody.
In the end, Kelli, who joined RHOA in season 16, walked away with primary custody. Her ex was ordered to pay $3,991 per month in child support. The exes were instructed to split the proceeds of the sale of their former home. Kelli kept $175,000, while Chuvalo was paid $90,000.
Back in February, Chuvalo filed a petition to reduce his monthly support payments. He said the support was based on his previous monthly income of $19,847. In his petition, he said there had been a substantial change in his income.
His lawyer noted, “[Chuvalo] is no longer working for the family business that was granted to [Kelli] and his income has been substantially reduced.”
The case was dismissed by Chavlo before Kelli had the chance to respond.
