Turkey Leg Hut has landed in yet another legal dispute, this time being sued by Grammy-nominated gospel artist James Fortune and his wife, Rhaquele.
The Fortunes, through their company J4 Productions, are taking legal action against Nakia Price, the embattled owner of Turkey Leg Hut. They claim they invested over $300,000 into the restaurant but were never repaid and were deceived in the process. Adding to the chaos, the establishment has been forced to close after being cited for a staggering 35 health code violations last week.
Fortune, beyond his gospel fame, is also an investor. Back in 2018, he and his wife met Nakia and husband Lyndel Price at the now-troubled Third Ward establishment, which at the time appeared to be thriving.
“We’d go to their home, we’d spend time (together). Our kids interacted with each other — so, very close,” Rhaquele told Houston’s KHOU 11.
However, things took a sharp downturn. In December 2023, during Nakia and Lyndel’s tumultuous divorce, Nakia reportedly sought financial help, borrowing $100,000 from the Fortunes. Just two months later, the situation escalated when Nakia allegedly made another desperate plea for financial aid, with Rhaquele recalling a frantic phone call.
“She was hysterical because the controllers were physically there to seize assets, and so she needed financial assistance immediately,” Rhaquele shared. In response, the Fortunes poured another $180,000 into Turkey Leg Hut for 15% ownership, showing signed agreements from Nakia to support their claim.
But the nightmare didn’t stop there. The following month, Nakia revealed she couldn’t cover the restaurant’s expenses, prompting Rhaquele to use her personal credit card to buy food supplies. They found themselves shouldering thousands more in costs. Then, on March 26th, the Fortunes were blindsided once again when Turkey Leg Hut filed for bankruptcy, claiming it had less than $50,000 in assets. Unfortunately, the restaurant had millions of dollars in debt.
“By then we’re, you know, we’re $300,000 in. Bankruptcy was filed a month after we had given that money,” James said.
Despite their efforts to keep the business running, including paying some employees out of pocket, the Fortunes were left devastated. They admitted that Rhaquele’s friendship with Nkia blinded the couple. Now, in a desperate bid to recover their losses, the Fortunes have filed a lawsuit, alleging they were defrauded and misled about the financial state of Turkey Leg Hut. The suit claims Nakia falsely represented that the restaurant was free of debt when selling them partial ownership.
Days ago, another business owner came forward with a similar story, claiming to have lent Nakia $70,000, which was never paid back. Back in 2020, Turkey Leg Hut co-owner Steve Rogers sued Nakia for fraud and embezzlement.
To make matters worse, a legal expert has suggested that new filings in bankruptcy court could lead to Turkey Leg Hut’s permanent closure following its forced shutdown due to serious health violations.
