A reality TV friendship that once charmed South African viewers across two cities has collapsed into a bitter legal dispute, with accusations of fraud, broken trust and looming court action.
What began as an unlikely bond between The Real Housewives of Durban (RHOD) star Nonku Williams and The Real Housewives of Cape Town (RHOCT) personality Bev Steyn has now moved far beyond the cameras. Steyn claims that Williams borrowed a substantial sum of money from her under a signed agreement – and then allegedly failed to pay it back.
Williams, a well-known RHOD figure who has also branded herself as a woman of faith and a pastor, strongly denies the allegations. She has described Steyn’s claims as “absurd and defamatory” and says she is taking formal legal action of her own.
From reality TV “sisterhood” to legal summons
The crossover friendship between Williams and Steyn first captured attention after the RHOD season five reunion, when cast member Jojo Robinson stunned viewers by revealing that her falling out with Williams had been linked to Williams’ simultaneous friendship with Steyn.
In the weeks that followed, and after Williams announced her exit from reality TV, Williams and Steyn took their bond public. They openly celebrated their friendship on social media, posting heartfelt messages about “sisterhood”, shared values and mutual support. Steyn says she believed she had found a genuine, faith-based ally.
Behind the carefully curated posts, however, Steyn says the relationship was evolving quickly – and becoming more complicated.
According to Steyn, what started as emotional support turned into financial assistance, as Williams allegedly confided in her about personal and business struggles and began asking for help with various expenses.
“She initially wanted R2 million from me. Thank goodness I never gave her that much, but I still trusted her with a substantial amount of money,” Steyn said.
Steyn, a businesswoman and reality star in her own right, says she declined the request for R2 million, citing what she called “red flags”. But she still agreed to lend Williams a sizeable amount of money, insisting from the start that it was not a gift.
“The money was never a gift. We signed an agreement, and she was meant to pay it back within 30 days,” Steyn highlighted.
That signed agreement now sits at the heart of the dispute.
“I share my experience of being defrauded”
Speaking to News24, Steyn used strong language to describe how she feels about what happened.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share my experience of being defrauded by someone I once considered my closest friend. Nonku Williams, who represents herself as a pastor and a woman of faith, deceived me with lies and manipulation,” she said in an interview.
“I opened my home and my heart to her, placing my trust in what I believed was a genuine friendship. Unfortunately, her intentions were far from sincere. Never could I have imagined that someone who professed to love God would exploit my kindness for financial gain.”
Steyn says the agreed 30-day repayment period came and went with no money returned. She claims that she then gave Williams more than six months’ grace, trying repeatedly to recover the funds informally before escalating the matter.
When her attempts reportedly went unanswered, she says she finally handed the issue over to her legal team. According to Steyn, a summons was expected to be issued in Pinetown this week.
“The betrayal not only cost me but also shattered my heart and the trust I had in our friendship,” she said. “This ordeal has been a painful lesson, but I am determined to seek accountability and move forward with resilience.”
Steyn insists her fight is not about revenge or destroying Williams’ brand, but about enforcing a promise she believes was broken.
“I loved her as a friend. I still love her,” she said. “But I can never trust her again. This isn’t about revenge, it’s about survival and accountability. What’s mine is mine, and promises need to be honoured.”
Williams hits back: “Absurd and defamatory”
Williams, however, has hit back hard at the accusations.
Responding to News24, she denied any wrongdoing and questioned Steyn’s version of events.
“I am mortified by the behaviour and falsehoods being circulated by Bev Steyn. The allegations you have outlined are absurd and defamatory”.
The mother of three says she is already engaging with her legal team over Steyn’s public claims and what she describes as broader conduct around the dispute.
Speaking further, she said she was engaging her legal representatives about the allegations Steyn made against her “and the broader conduct surrounding them”.
“I am taking formal legal action against Bev Steyn and will pursue action against anyone who attempts to defame my name, character or brand,” Williams continued. “Given that this matter is now subject to legal process, I will not be providing further comment at this stage”.
Her response confirms that this is no longer just a personal fall-out but a two-sided legal battle: Steyn is reportedly pursuing civil action to recover her money, while Williams is preparing defamation proceedings to defend her reputation.
Fast friendship, rapid fallout
Steyn says that once the cameras stopped rolling, her friendship with Williams escalated quickly. In her account, Williams allegedly leaned on her for emotional backing while disclosing financial pressure – both personal and business-related – and then began making requests for financial help.
From Steyn’s point of view, what she thought was loyalty and mutual care has, in hindsight, begun to look like manipulation and exploitation.
She describes a pattern in which her home, heart and finances were opened to Williams, only for her to end up feeling used and abandoned once she sought repayment.
According to Steyn, their bond had even become strong enough to weather the complicated dynamics within the Real Housewives universe. After the RHOD reunion, and after her own entrance into the wider franchise circle, Steyn appeared to be welcomed into the Durban friendship group. Williams and Jojo Robinson, whose earlier clash had partly revolved around Williams’ closeness to Steyn, appeared to mend fences, and Steyn was publicly embraced.
But while the public image of unity was being pieced together, Steyn says, the private reality was unravelling. The loan agreement, missed deadline and months of silence she describes stand in stark contrast to the images of bonding and “sisterhood” once shared online.
Money, image and faith in the Housewives universe
The dispute comes against a wider backdrop of money troubles and legal spats that have become almost synonymous with Real Housewives franchises, both locally and abroad.
In global versions of the show, stars have faced court over unpaid debts, tax issues, fraud charges and business collapses. In South Africa, too, storylines often revolve around luxury lifestyles, designer labels and high-end business ventures – all of which are expensive to maintain and often tightly bound up with public image and personal branding.
In this case, the clash is particularly charged because of Williams’ public persona as a woman of faith. Steyn’s remarks repeatedly highlight the disconnect she feels between Williams’ religious messaging and what she describes as financial betrayal:
“Never could I have imagined that someone who professed to love God would exploit my kindness for financial gain.”
For Steyn, the pain appears to be as much about spiritual and emotional trust as it is about the money itself. She talks of a “painful lesson” and shattered trust, even while saying she still loves Williams as a person.
Williams, meanwhile, is clearly conscious of the damage such allegations could do to her already high-profile brand. By framing Steyn’s claims as “falsehoods” and “defamatory”, and by signalling immediate legal action, she is drawing a hard line in defence of her name, character and brand.
Legal showdown ahead
With both women now lawyered up, the next phase of this saga is likely to play out less on social media and more in legal documents and courtrooms.
On Steyn’s side, the crucial questions will be:
- What exactly is contained in the signed agreement she refers to?
- Can she show clear terms, a specific amount and a 30-day repayment clause?
- Did she make reasonable attempts to secure repayment before escalating the matter?
- Is she suing for the principal amount only, or also for interest and costs?
On Williams’ side, her planned defamation action will hinge on whether she can prove that Steyn’s public statements are untrue, unlawful and harmful to her reputation. She will likely argue that the way Steyn has framed the issue – including words such as “defrauded” and “deceived” – crosses the line from a private contractual dispute into unlawful reputation damage.
For viewers who once saw the Williams–Steyn bond as a rare, heartwarming crossover between two Real Housewives cities, the story now looks very different. What was once sold as sisterhood and shared values has turned into a test case in accountability, image management and the very real risks that come with mixing friendship with money in the glare of reality TV fame.
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