Drama As Yul Edochie In Court Documents Says He Was Never Married To Judy Austin

Nollywood actor stated that his relationship with Judy Austin is strictly a skit-making one.

His estranged wife May’s legal team, headed by Emeka Ugwuonye of Due Process Advocates, on Sunday, in a statement and video address, revealed that Yul, 42, made this claim in his court filing.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that May filed for a divorce against her husband in August 2023, with details of the court proceedings having been kept hush.

Mr Ugwuonye said the ongoing case at the FCT High Court, Abuja, slated for a hearing on 5 March, faced an unexpected setback as the court session did not proceed, a circumstance Yul and Judy claimed credit for.

In light of this, Mr Ugwuonye, who had initially kept the case details under wraps, now finds himself obligated to unveil the unfolding developments.

Detailing the developments in the case, May’s lawyer highlighted what he considered the defense strategy employed by Yul and Judy.

He said they denied being married and insisted that their relationship lacked any legal statutory recognition, claiming to be skitmakers.

Denials and more denials

Citing Yul’s filing, May’s lawyer detailed how the actor denied his marriage to Judy.

He said Yul wrote, “That since the news of the birth of Star in June 2021, Gistlover, as a negative blog that thrives in fake and manipulated information for financial gains, has been negatively exploiting every movie or skit featuring me and Judy and generating social media traffic for financial gains.”

He said May’s initial petition highlighted an alleged traditional marriage ceremony between Yul and Judy on 24 April 2022 in Anambra State, as reported by Gistlover.

In response, Yul categorically denied the claim, attributing it to the Gistlover blog’s promotion of false information for financial benefit.

Yul and Judy deny the traditional marriage ceremony mentioned in May’s petition, insisting that it was a fabricated story fuelled by the blog’s penchant for fake news.

However, May’s lawyer, Mr Ugwuonye, noted that what was described as a skit-making relationship has produced two children and is about to get the third one.

Yul’s union with Judy has produced two children. In November 2021, Judy welcomed a son named Star Munachimso with Yul, and it is reported that the couple has since welcomed another child, a daughter.

According to May’s lawyer, the accused pair plans to argue that their social media content, including videos and posts, is part of a skitmaking endeavor, drawing parallels with Oga Sabinus, a popular skitmaker known for his comedic content.

Petitions and responses
Mr Ugwuonye also shared some details of the petition filed by May as well as relevant parts of the responses filed by Yul and Judith.

MAY: Petition (10)xviii.
The Respondent (Yul) left Lagos for Enugu the following day, the 21st of April, 2022, a Thursday, and on Sunday, the 24th of April, 2022, the Petitioner found out again on social media (Gistlover Blog) that the Respondent was performing traditional marriage rites with the Party Cited (Judy) in her home town in Anambra State as at when the information was posted. (The Petitioner shall rely on the publication of this suit at the trial.

YUL’S RESPONSE:

The Respondent (Yul) categorically denies paragraph 10 (xviii) of the petition and states that the Gistlover blog publication was false and fuelled by Gistlover’s enterprise in fake news and chaos. Since the news of the birth of the Respondent’s child with the Co-Respondent in June 2021, Gistlover, as a negative blog that thrives in fake and manipulated information for financial gains, has been negatively exploiting every movie or skit featuring the Respondent & Co-Respondent and generating social media traffic for financial benefits therefrom.

The Respondent hereby gives the Petitioner the strictest proof thereof.

JUDY’S RESPONSE:
9. The Co-Respondent (Judy) categorically denies paragraphs 10 (xviii) &(xix) of the petition and states that the said Gistlover blog publication was false and fuelled by gistlover’s enterprise in fake news and chaos. There was no traditional marriage ceremony between the Respondent and the Co-Respondent (Yul and Judy) on the 24th day of April 2022 or any other date. The Co-Respondent hereby gives the Petitioner the strictest proof thereof.

Bigamy
According to DPA lawyers, following Yul’s announcement of his second marriage, May had initially considered pressing a bigamy charge, which is a criminal offence of marrying someone while still legally married to another person, against Yul.

However, she was said to have decided against toeing such a legal path out of fear of seeing her husband behind bars in the event of a successful outcome of such a case.

May’s lawyer said this prompted a shift in strategy. Instead of that, May opted to file for divorce and pursue damages for adultery against Judy, Yul’s alleged extramarital partner.

May’s lawyer said she resorted to seeking legal redress in court after the death of their son.