RHOA‘s Kelli Reveals Where She Stands With Her Ex-Husband After Accusing Him of Cheating & Stealing $500K
Jason Pham
She may technically no longer be a “housewife,” but Kelli Ferrell is bringing the heat to The Real Housewives of Atlanta, especially when it comes to sharing the juicy details of her from her ex-husband, Mark Ferrell.
Kelli is one of four new cast members on Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, along with Shamea Morton, Brit Eady, and Angela Oakley. She also joined returning cast members Porsha Williams, Drew Sidora, Phaedra Parks, and Kenya Moore, who exited early into Season 16. While Kelli’s ex-husband hasn’t been shown on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, the Bravolebrity hasn’t been shy when it comes to talking about him and the messy details that led to their nasty divorce. Meet Kelli’s ex-husband ahead.
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Who’s Kelli Ferrell’s ex-husband from The Real Housewives of Atlanta?
Kelli’s ex-husband is Chuvalo Mark Ferrell, a restaurateur and owner of Uncle Butch’s Chicken -N- Waffles in Conyers, Georgia, a rival to Kelli’s Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles in McDonough. “Creator • Restaurateur • Proud Father•Virgo • Building dreams, one dish at a time. 🍽️ Faith, family, and flavor.” @unclebutchschickenandwaffles,” Mark’s Instagram biography reads.
Kelli and Mark married in 2011 and share three children: daughters Chance, Chasiti, and Chelsi. (Kelli is also a mother to daughter Chloe from a previous relationship.) They filed for divorce in 2022 and finalized their split in 2024. Kelli announced the news in an Instagram post at the time.
“2 years, 8 months, and 22 days 🙏🏽 Here’s an open letter to myself: Today is my final day as Mrs. Kelli Ferrell,” she captioned a photo of white roses, which symbolize new beginnings. “You were a wife, mother, bonus-mother, friend, lover, and business partner for 11 years. You went through the ups and downs. You encountered some of the best years of your life, and yet some of the most traumatizing memories. However, I must say, you handled it ALL so gracefully. You never broke; you never folded.”
She continued, “To the world, it looked so easy, but your family and true friends saw you at your lowest points in life. It DAMN sure wasn’t easy, but I know this next chapter is worth it. You are raising 4 beautiful daughters who have watched you smile, laugh, and cry. At times, they knew you needed them more than they needed you, but they are so proud of you. Some of your family folded on you, while others supported you and prayed for you daily. Some of your friends gossiped, and some came through when you needed them the most. You have experienced all of the seasons by yourself and you MADE IT. God sent some people into your life for reasons, some for seasons, and some for a lifetime. The Devil attacked you in more ways than one, but girl… GOD showed the world He doesn’t play about you. Look how far you have come, look at how much you’ve endured.”
She ended her post by referring to herself by her maiden name: Kelli Potter. “I’M PROUD OF YOU 🙏🏽 Get ready to walk into your season, get ready to fulfill your purpose. Your test was your testimony. GOD had to make sure you could handle everything you have prayed for before He sent you the biggest blessing you’ve been asking for. Those last months of hell were your preparation for the most beautiful life that you so DESERVE,” she wrote. “Let’s go, Kelli, you got this. You finally made it to your final chapter in THIS book ‼️ It’s time for your new story to BEGIN ❤️🙏🏽🥰 YOU ARE OFFICIALLY DIVORCED… I Love You, Kelli Potter P.S. This post is to show the next woman, mother, friend, or stranger… DON’T GIVE UP, sis. Your BIGGEST BATTLES will come before YOUR BIGGEST BLESSINGS 🫶🏽.”
What was Kelli and Mark’s divorce settlement?
According to legal documents obtained by In Touch, a judge ruled for Kelli and Mark to share joint legal custody of their children after their divorce, however, Kelli was awarded primary custody over the rights to make any decision regarding the kids’ education and non-emergency healthcare.
Mark was also ordered to pay $3,99w per month in childsupport and maintain health insurance for their children. The judge also ruled that the two would split the proceeds over the sale of their marital home.
The settlement read, “The parties owned and operated a restaurant together during the marriage, Nana’s Chicken N Waffles, and through that business venture, the parties incurred various debts. Regarding marital debts, the parties guaranteed multiple business loans from various third parties and creditors.” The documents show that Kelli was awarded $175,000, and $90,000 went to Chuvalo. The legal papers also noted, “During their separation, the parties defaulted on accrued federal sales taxes and Georgia state tax liabilities stemming from business operations from 2017 to 2022,” with Chuvalo having “disposed of approximately $790,000 of marital assets.”
Kelli also received all the household furniture, which was worth $45,000, in the settlement. She was also awarded a 2021 Navy Blue Cadillac Escalade, a Rolex Oyster watch, a diamond necklace, and her wedding ring set. The settlement came weeks after Mark was arrested for failing to pay child support. On August 7, a judge granted Kelli’s request to have Mark arrested until he paid the $14,889 he owed.
Why did Kelli and Mark Ferrell divorce?
Kelli accused Mark of Infidelity and theft in an episode on Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. “It was cheating. He took almost $500,000 out of the company’s money,” she told cast member Brit Eady.
Kelli went on to claim that Mark cleared out the bank account for Nana’s Chicken and Waffles which led her to file a lawsuit against them and leave their marital home in fear for her safety. She told Brit that her leaving their home resulted in a “physical” altercation between her and Mark. “Honestly, I probably should have an Oscar for as much as I made my marriage or my family look like it was all together. From me sleeping in my closet some nights, police being called numerous times. It became the house of hell,” she said in a confessional interview.
Where’s Kelli’s ex-husband now?
Kelli told People in an interview that she didn’t care what her ex-husband thought about her talking about their marriage on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. “The only thing that I can say to that is I speak my truth no matter what that looks like,” she said. “So if it’s something that is shared or talked about, I know for me that I’m always telling my truth and sharing my story and my experiences.”
Kelli also confirmed to the magazine that she and Mark are no longer in contact and she “wouldn’t know” what he thought about her airing their dirty laundry on Bravo. “If someone doesn’t want to hear those things,” Kelli said, “then maybe I should have been treated a lot better.”
The Real Housewives of Atlanta streams on Peacock.
