Oprah's Mom Countersues Over $150K Bill

By Eileen Finan

10/01/2008 at 01:45 PM EDT

Oprah Winfrey's mother is countersuing a Milwaukee fashion store over a nearly $156,000 unpaid bill, according to the Associated Press.

Milwaukee-based Valentina Inc. claims that Vernita Lee owes the store $155,547 in purchases and interest as of July 1, and that she fell behind her minimum monthly payments of $2,000, the AP reports.

But Lee says Valentina should never have extended her credit. In her counterclaim, filed Friday, she argues that the store took advantage of her "lack of knowledge, ability, and-or capacity" – an argument stemming from a 2002 case involving a $175,000 bill Lee owed to the company, the resolution of which stipulated that the store was prohibited from extending further credit to her.

Calls by the AP to Valentina co-owner Tony Chirchirillo were not returned.