The daughter of the president of Cameroon is again asking a judge to quash the lawsuit summons ostensibly served on her by a singer from that African country, in which the fashion-conscious entertainer says the leader’s offspring and a friend defamed the plaintiff on social media.
The plaintiff is known professionally as Dencia, but her real name is Reprudentia Sonkey. Dencia is known for her fashion statements and appearances on red carpets at the Billboard Music Awards, the Grammys, and the American Music Awards.
Dencia, 33, of Simi Valley brought the Van Nuys Superior Court suit against both Anastasie Brenda Biya Eyenga, the daughter of Cameroon President Paul Biya, as well as a friend of Eyenga, Marie Therese Yabit. The complaint also alleges civil harassment and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
In December 2024, Judge Huey Cotton granted a motion by Eyenga finding that she was not properly served. Eyenga’s attorneys contended that the alleged service of documents at the Hilton Hotel Yaounde in Cameroon by a bailiff was insufficient. Then, on Thursday, Eyenga’s attorney once again filed a motion to quash Dencia’s latest summons served in Switzerland, alleging that it once again fails to pass muster in a California court.
The case is now before Judge Shirley Watkins. According to Eyenga’s attorney’s pleadings, the summons was served at a courthouse and on another attorney representing the defendant, but nothing was directly given to Eyenga and therefore she had no actual notice of the lawsuit, an alleged violation of her right to due process.
“Any one of these defects is sufficient to require this court to quash service,” Eyenga’s lawyer contends. “Together, they demonstrate that this court lacks personal jurisdiction over (Eyenga) and that this action must be dismissed.”
In addition to being an entertainer, Dencia has created several skin care and clothing brands, set up various businesses and founded the skin care brand Whitenicious by Dencia, of which she was the president and CEO, the suit filed in March 2023 states. Her companies flourished due to her reputation as a popular Cameroonian singer and trustworthy entrepreneur in skin care products, the suit additionally states.
In July 2015, Dencia was contacted by Eyenga’s public relations manager, who told the plaintiff that Eyenga, who eventually moved to Beverly Hills, admired her work and wanted her help in producing a photo shoot and in setting up her own brand, the suit states.
“During the years that followed, both (Dencia) and Eyenga maintained a cordial relationship,” the suit states. “They would both make text exchanges on a regularly basis.”
Eyenga returned to Cameroon in 2019 and the two lost contact, the suit states. In June 2021, Dencia was preparing to go to Cameroon the next month in the company of other musicians, including rapper Trey Songz, when a representative for Eyenga allegedly contacted the plaintiff about a birthday engagement and performing at Eyenga’s new hotel.
Eyenga asked Dencia for help getting her Instagram account certified, the suit states. But in a subsequent dispute, Eyenga accused Dencia of creating a fake account and trying to impersonate her, even though the plaintiff explained she was preoccupied with the death of her sister from cancer and could not help Eyenga get her account certified as the plaintiff had hoped, the suit states.
Eyenga, allegedly with Yabit’s help, accused Dencia on social media of identity theft and of being a “scammer” and a “fraudster,” the suit states.
“The news quickly made a media buzz about (Dencia) based on Eyenga’s allegations,” the suit states. “(Dencia’s) reputation was being trampled on by the daughter of the president of the Republic of Cameroon in a totally unjustified way.”
Dencia’s companies suffered losses and the stature she worked hard to establish has been damaged, causing her emotional distress, according to her suit, which further seeks a court order preventing any more allegedly defamatory postings.
Dencia has also designed outfits for such artists as Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Christina Milian.