Kelli Ferrell, a newcomer to Real Housewives of Atlanta, is bringing the drama to the upcoming season. The reality star chef is currently in the middle of a divorce that resulted in her estranged husband, Chuvalo Mark Ferrell, serving time behind bars.
Bravo announced that Kelli, a Food Network chef, will join season 16 of RHOA along with Angela Oakley, Shamea Morton Mwangi, and Brittany Eady. She opened Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles in Georgia. Kelli currently seems to have a lot going on, and viewers may catch snippets of her divorce drama in the upcoming season.
Chicken, waffles, and custody
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Kelli listed her date of marriage as August 20, 2011. Her separation was listed as January 2022 with “no hope for reconciliation.”
Chuvalo responded to the divorce in June 2022. He likewise admitted there was no hope for resolving their issues. However, he did contest that their separation happened in 2021 and not 2022.
And, like in any divorce proceedings, it gets messy here. Kelli listed marital assets as worth $1.7 million, including the restaurant, home furnishings, cars, and various luxury items accumulated during their marriage.
The ex-couple also shares three children, while Kelli has an older daughter from a previous relationship. Currently, Kellis is asking for sole custody, child support, and attorney fees. She also filed a restraining order to prohibit her ex from selling or transferring any of their communal property while proceedings were ongoing.
For his part, Chuvalo is demanding joint physical and legal custody of their kids. He also argued that both he and Kelli are “self-supporting” and that neither should get spousal support.
Messier and messier
However, like many divorces, things continued to get complicated. The ex-couple navigated court proceedings, properties, and their business and kept volleying lawsuits back and forth as they determined who deserved what and how much was owed.
Over the past couple of years, both parties have accused the other of alleged misdeeds in handling their joint finances and business. However, in June 2022, a judge found in favor of Kelli, granting her ownership of Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles. Her ex was also ordered to pay her back $420,000 he allegedly withdrew.
Chuvalo admitted the court order but contested the decision. He claimed the money was supposed to be used to construct another restaurant location.
In 2023, the exes reached a temporary custody agreement, with Kelli retaining physical custody while they shared joint legal custody. Chuvalo was also ordered to pay monthly child support.
But it didn’t end there. Kelli recently filed a motion for contempt against her ex for allegedly failing to follow the court’s order. The court found Chuvalo in contempt, and he was taken into custody in January and released in February. He allegedly still owes her the $420,000 and unpaid child support.
For his part, Chuvalo hasn’t revealed much but has stated through his attorney that he is focused on his family and has taken issue with Kelli involving their children in “public appearances and on television” without his consent. I guess we’ll see what that means for the show.
According to the court docket, the next divorce hearing is set for August.
TELL US — ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO KELLI ON RHOA? OR IS IT JUST TO MUCH DRAMA TOO FAST?
