Kate Actress has taken legal action against TUKO Extra through her lawyer, Waithera Ngugi, over defamatory remarks.
In the demand letter, Ngugi alleges that the platform, specifically its YouTube channel in the segment ‘Chat with Lilly,’ allowed Hussein Yusuf, one of the contributors on the show, to make defamatory statements about her client.
“The said statements were made in a public video by Hussein Yusuf, and in the presence of Lily Aisha and Victor Otengo, both employees of Tuko.co.ke, with the intention of portraying our client as an immoral and unethical person,” the demand letter stated.
The show was discussing trending topics of the week.
Ngugi further asserts that the show’s clear intent was to damage Kate’s long-standing career by dishonoring, humiliating, and tarnishing her well-established reputation.
“The defamatory statements were filled with falsehoods and distasteful remarks that have caused emotional distress to our client and her family.”
Kate’s lawyer is now demanding that the media company issue a clear and unequivocal public apology and retraction. This should be sent to Kate and all of Tuko’s official social media platforms and permanently published.
Ngugi also insists that the company cease making any further defamatory remarks against Kate.
“An official statement containing a clear and unequivocal apology and retraction of the defamatory statements, to be sent to our client from Hussein Yusuf, and the removal and/or permanent deletion of the defamatory YouTube video and related threads,” the letter continued.
The demand letter specifies a 14-day deadline for compliance, warning of legal action if TUKO Extra fails to meet the demands.
On September 19, Kate and her former husband Phillip Karanja announced their divorce after several years of marriage.
In a joint statement, they revealed that they had separated a while ago and requested privacy for the sake of their children.
“We came to a conclusion to end our marriage a long while ago and are separated. We sincerely request everyone to honor our wishes for privacy for us and our children,” the statement read.
Phillip responded by stating that despite their separation, they remained friends and business partners going forward.
“This is a matter between two individuals, but allow us to add you to the group chat briefly so we can proceed with our lives without too much fuss. Kate Actress and I remain as friends, co-parents, and business partners,” he said.
