Monrovia — The long-running marital dispute involving House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon has taken a dramatic legal turn, with Madam Cecelia Kpor Koon, filing a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Macdella Cooper, Political Advisor to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh | [email protected]
Madam Koon, through her lawyer, Sylvester G. Lormie Jr. of Kailondo & Associates Law Firm, has dragged Ms. Cooper before the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court, demanding US$3.5 million in damages for what she describes as “willful and malicious interference” with her legally subsisting marriage to Speaker Koon.
The lawsuit, filed on December 30, 2025, is styled as an “Action of Injuries to Domestic Relations and Damages” under Liberia’s Domestic Relations Law.
Claim of a Still-Valid Marriage
In her complaint, Madam Koon insists that her marriage to Speaker Koon remains legally intact, despite a divorce petition currently pending before a competent court. She argues that until a final divorce decree is entered, no other woman can lawfully claim marital status with her husband.
To support her claim, Madam Koon attached a marriage certificate issued by the State of Delaware, showing that she and Richard Nagbe Koon were legally married on July 29, 2015, in Wilmington, Delaware, before Clerk of the Peace Kenneth W. Boulden Jr.
Her lawyers argue that the marriage is protected under Chapter 2, Subsection 2.1 of the Domestic Relations Law, and that any third-party interference is actionable under Liberian law.
Allegations Against Macdella Cooper
The lawsuit accuses Ms. Cooper of publicly and repeatedly presenting herself as the “new spouse” of Speaker Koon while knowing that his marriage to Madam Koon has not been legally dissolved.
According to the complaint, Ms. Cooper allegedly made such claims through social media posts, voice recordings, videos, and public appearances—actions the plaintiff describes as a “brazen and deliberate intrusion” into her marriage.
Madam Koon claims the conduct was intended to alienate her husband’s affection, humiliate her publicly, undermine her legal standing as a wife, and prejudice her pending divorce proceedings.
Screenshots of social media posts and transcripts of recordings have reportedly been submitted to the court as exhibits.
Emotional Distress and Legal Remedies
Madam Koon says Ms. Cooper’s alleged actions caused her severe emotional and psychological trauma, including anxiety, depression, public humiliation, and damage to her reputation and social standing.
Invoking Chapter 13, Subsections 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3 of the Domestic Relations Law, the plaintiff argues that any person who willfully interferes with a valid marriage can be held legally liable.
She is asking the court to award US$3.5 million in general damages for emotional distress, loss of affection, and public disgrace, as well as special and punitive damages, including medical and therapy costs, to be determined at trial.
Madam Koon is also seeking a permanent injunction barring Ms. Cooper from contacting Speaker Koon or claiming to be married to him, and an order compelling Ms. Cooper to issue a public retraction of all alleged marital claims.
A Politically Sensitive Case
The lawsuit adds a new layer of controversy to an already politically sensitive saga involving the Speaker of Liberia’s House of Representatives and a senior presidential advisor. Although Speaker Koon is not named as a defendant, the case has renewed public scrutiny of his personal life amid his high-profile political role.
Ms. Cooper previously made headlines after publicly announcing that she was a spouse of Speaker Koon. The two have been seen together at public events, including a gathering in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, where she reportedly identified herself as his wife.
Weeks later, Madam Koon appeared on Spoon Radio and online platforms, accusing the Speaker of bigamy. She asserted that she is his legitimate wife, citing their 2015 marriage in Delaware, and disclosed that she had filed for divorce at the Civil Law Court in Monrovia, but claimed the Speaker has yet to respond.
Speaker Koon has denied her claims, asserting that Madam Koon is his biological (paternal) sister, a claim she has publicly rejected.
As of publication, Ms. Cooper has not publicly responded to the lawsuit, and no date has been announced for the court’s first hearing.
The case is expected to test the scope of Liberia’s Domestic Relations Law, particularly regarding third-party liability in marital disputes involving public officials.
