The Real Housewives of Atlanta stopped filming cast member Kenya Moore after she presented poster boards showing explicit photos of castmate, Brit Eady, during the Kenya Moore Hair Spa grand opening in Atlanta, Georgia. Moore has since apologized publicly for her actions on the Tamron Hall Show.
News of Moore’s departure from the reality TV show leaked last year during filming after newbie Eady accused her of revenge porn and fans were left to question what caused Moore, a former Miss USA, to share the explicit pics of Eady publicly. RHOA season 16 is now airing, and recent episodes revealed allegations that before the incident, Eady had made threats against Moore involving a gun.
Neither Moore nor Eady took formal legal action against the other. Bravo TV did conduct an internal investigation to look into Eady’s revenge porn claims and as we now know, decided to remove Moore from the show. However, threatening someone, especially with a weapon, can lead to criminal charges. Let’s break down whether Eady may have committed crimes against Moore.
Did Eady Commit Assault Against Moore?
Before Moore’s hair spa event, she and Eady attended a dinner hosted by their castmate Angela Oakley and other Atlanta housewives Shamea Morton, Drew Sidora, Kelli Ferrell, and Porsha Williams. During dinner, Eady repeatedly cursed at Moore and repeatedly mentioned a pistol. She also stated, “Don’t play with me ... play that sh*t in front of the cameras, don't play that with me. I don’t play them games. I got whips, pistols, everything.”
State law determines what’s considered assault. In Georgia, where Moore and Eady both live, assault can be either of the following:
- Trying to hurt someone physically.
- Making someone feel like they could be hurt.
You don't have to touch the person for it to be assault. Using words can be enough if those words cause the person to be reasonably scared for their safety. For example, if you threaten to harm someone in a scary way, like with gun threats, it can be considered assault even if you don't do anything physical.
If Moore wants to press assault charges against Eady, she must prove that Eady’s statements made her reasonably afraid that she might be hurt. She would have to show that Eady’s comments about the pistol made her scared that Eady might use it. It doesn’t matter whether or not Eady had a gun or intended to use it. The fear and intimidation can be enough to be considered assault under the law.
In Georgia, there are two types of assault. Simple assault is a misdemeanor and doesn’t involve a serious injury or a weapon. Aggravated assault is a felony and occurs when someone tries to severely injure another person or uses a weapon in the threat or attack. If Eady was convicted of simple assault, she could spend up to one year in jail and pay a maximum fine of $1,000. If she were found guilty of aggravated assault, she could go to prison for one to twenty years.
Eady appeared on Watch What Happens Live (WWHL) for the first time earlier this month and told Andy Cohen that despite her gun comments about the pistol, she did not have a gun with her during the altercation with Moore.
Related Resources
- Assault Torts and Injury Law (FindLaw's Learn About The Law)
- Assault and Battery Overview (FindLaw's Learn About The Law)
- RHOA: Did Kenya Moore Really Commit Revenge Porn Against Brit Eady? (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
