Reality TV star Shamea Morton accused an Atlanta doctor of negligence in a malpractice lawsuit she filed on October 31.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta star said a chemical peel performed by dermatologist Jing Jing Wong Harris at her Pretty Faces Atlanta clinic caused “permanent scarring.”
The lawsuit accused a third party defendant of “negligently burning” her during the chemical peel procedure and causing extensive permanent scarring, Us magazine exclusively reports.
Shamea underwent the chemical peel at Pretty Faces Atlanta on March 13, 2024.
The chemical peel was treatment for discoloration caused by tinea versicolor on her back and arms.
Tinea versicolor is a fungal condition that causes light or dark patches on skin.
Some people in the Black community commonly refer to tinea versicolor as “acid.”
The condition is treated with antifungal creams and shampoos.
Shamea said she didn’t realize she had the fungal condition, or that the chemical peel was “completely inappropriate” due to her “African American skin.”
She said, “even if she had simple hyperpigmentation,” the doctor should have used “much less aggressive treatments than what was performed.”
The lawsuit stated the third party defendant performed the chemical peel without Harris’ supervision, which resulted in “second degree burns, blistering and permanent scarring.”
Shamea claimed she “cried in pain due to sensations she was experiencing.”
“[Shamea’s] screams were so loud that [Harris], for the first time that day, entered the room where the procedure was being performed and inquired as to what was going on,” the suit alleged. “When [Morton] reported intense pain to [Harris], [Harris] told her that she was being dramatic.”
Shamea’s lawsuit stated that only after seeing her tears, did Harris spray an unknown solution on her back.
“Harris never consulted, examined, or approved the treatment plan for [Morton] prior to the application of the chemical peel,” Shamea’s lawsuit alleged.
She demanded unspecified damages.
Shamea submitted photos taken after the procedure that shows her skin peeling days after the chemical treatment.
Darren M. Tobin, Shamea’s lawyer, told Us magazine, “What happened to Shamea when she was burned is unacceptable and inexcusable. We intend on pursuing full justice allowed under the law.”
(L-R) Porsha Williams, Shamea Morton, Kenya Moore and Cynthia Bailey attend Kenya Moore’s hair spa grand opening at Kenya’s now-shuttered Hair Spa on June 6, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
