TEEN Mom Kailyn Lowry has hired a high-powered lawyer after her nemesis Briana DeJesus demanded she pay over $120,000 in legal bills from their defamation lawsuit.
Kailyn, 30, sued Briana, 27, for defamation in June after she claimed the star “physically beat” her baby daddy Chris Lopez.
A Florida judge dismissed the lawsuit in April after their nasty court war.
But The Sun can exclusively reveal the battle isn’t over yet, as Kailyn filed a notice of appearance for new lead lawyer Christopher A. Aguirre of the Trembly Law Firm located in Miami, Florida.
New York-based Nicole Haff is no longer listed as the lead attorney on the court docket.
The attorney’s bio on the law website reads: “Christopher A. Aguirre is a Senior Litigation and Trial Attorney with Trembly Law Firm. Christopher has extensive experience in Florida trial and Federal trial litigation.
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“Christopher has successfully and effectively represented many clients with their contractual disputes for over 10 years and has made commercial, business and employment contract litigation his primary area of practice.
“Prior to joining Trembly Law Firm, Christopher also worked with renowned members of the judiciary in resolving complex business, commercial, real estate, labor and insurance disputes via managed contractual arbitration cases and mediations. He has worked and drafted orders on behalf of former Florida Supreme Court Justices and District Court Judges.”
The change comes as Briana has vowed to fight for Kailyn to pay her attorney fees.
Briana has accrued $120,096.87 in attorney fees.
The reality star’s lawyer Marc Randazza told The Sun: “The anti-slapp law gives us the right to seek attorneys’ fees, and we intend to get Ms. Soto every penny to which she is entitled.”
Marc isn’t concerned over the lawyer change, as he told The Sun: “I anticipate an amicable resolution. I believe the war is over.”
Kailyn revealed on former Bachelor star Nick Viall‘s podcast The Viall Files how much she owes her attorneys in the legal war.
She said: “I lost. Well, it was dismissed. I didn’t lose. It was a waste of $200,000, but you live and you learn.
“I actually don’t regret it because I stood up for myself. I felt like I was taking, just like, a lot and I stood up for myself. So, ultimately if nothing else that’s what I got out of it.”
The legal bill comes as Kailyn has announced she is leaving Teen Mom 2 after 11 seasons.
Kailyn, who shares her 12-year-old son Issac with ex Jo Rivera, eight-year-old son Lincoln with ex Javi, and three and one year old sons Lux and Creed ex Chris Lopez, confirmed the rumors of departure on Facebook.
The post read: “I am done! Declined the new show, TMFR & girls night in.”
The Ashley’s Reality Roundup broke Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2 will be combined into one series called Teen Mom Legacy.
The reality star recently flipped off an MTV executive producer in a shocking tantrum caught on camera.
Kailyn claimed she was being “disrespected,” as she refused to discuss her personal life and “film” with her ex Javi Marroquin.
She said: “MTV is going to fire me after this.”
Executive Producer Larry Musnik tried to ease the situation with Kailyn, who claimed she “was fired.”
Larry explained: “You’ve got four boys. Three dads. And a lot of moving pieces.”
The MTV mom confessed she was still podcasting during her sabbatical.
She revealed: “I make more money podcasting than I do on Teen Mom.”
Although Larry said he was “proud” of her success,” he also mentioned that “the show made it possible.”
The clip ended with Kailyn pointing her middle finger at Larry.
The Sun has extensively reported on the nasty legal war between Kailyn and Briana.
In Kail’s initial complaint against Briana filed in June, her legal team claimed that her co-star’s comments are false and were made “for the purpose of causing Lowry harm.”
The court papers continued: “Defendant used Lowry to gain additional media attention for herself.”
Kailyn then went into their long-standing feud in the court papers filed on June 25, which began when Briana joined Teen Mom 2 in 2017.
Kailyn claimed Briana “has a history of making false public statements regarding Lowry’s family life,” including when she allegedly responded to a Twitter user “[Lowry] gets beat the f**k up by Chris in front of her kids.”
Kailyn mentioned in the lawsuit when she was excluded from the June 8, 2021, Teen Mom 2 episode.
Briana claimed she wasn’t included because she allegedly “committed violent, physical crimes towards Mr. Lopez. Defendant also asserted that Lowry was arrested for breaking and entering into the home of Mr. Lopez’s mother.”
Briana alleged Kailyn “didn’t want to film” about the alleged incident.
Kailyn claimed she did not break into Chris’ mother’s home or beat him up.
She claimed the statements “threatened” her “ability to earn a living” and that she suffered “personal humiliation and mental anguish.”
She requested $30,000, reasonable costs and attorneys’ fees, and a jury trial.
In Briana’s answer to the complaint, her attorney claimed his client could not have defamed Kailyn with “false” stories because she was arrested for the alleged assault on her ex.
The attorney wrote: “She verifiably was arrested for this, and her arrest garnered media attention.”
Briana’s lawyer called Kailyn’s lawsuit “meritless” and demanded the entire case be dismissed.
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Also in the court documents, Kailyn alleged Briana claimed she obtained the arrest information from “credible source” Chris, 27.
Briana also credited the source of the information as “production,” meaning the producers and crew that film Teen Mom 2.
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