Ex-‘RHOC’ Star Jen Armstrong Sued by Ex-patient for Alleged Fraud, Accused of Using Illegal Black-market Substances for Cosmetic Procedures

In the suit, Desmond accuses the defendants of fraud and battery. She accused Armstrong and Lee of conspiring together to insert illegally-imported substances and materials that were not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for import or use in the United States into Armstrong’s patients.

Armstrong is a cosmetic dermatologist who runs an office out of Newport Beach, California.

Further, she said Armstrong allowed Lee to perform medical-type procedures on Armstrong’s patients even though he was not a licensed physician having lost his license to practice medicine “after he was convicted by a federal jury for committing several federal felonies, including healthcare fraud, using contaminated medical instruments on patients, and submitting false statements to bankruptcy court.”

Desmond said Armstrong and Lee “were able to profit off the use of cheaper, unregulated, and illegal black-market substances and devices such as neurotoxins, dermal fillers and facial threads on unwitting patients who believed they were receiving top of the line aesthetic facial procedures, with FDA-approved substances and materials, by physicians licensed in the State of California.”

The suit claimed, “By using her patients who she lured into her Newport Beach, California office as prey for their deceitful scheme, ARMSTRONG did not have to pay pharmaceutical companies and representatives for more expensive, quality, regulated, legal products, and LEE could continue to earn a profit by serving not only as a middle man for black-market, illegally imported substances and devices but also by acting as a licensed physician.”

The filing accused Armstrong of paying Lee $129k for his illegal goods and services in 2020. Desmond said Armstrong “falsely advertising herself to the public as a dermatologist and using illegal, unregulated goods and services, was able to rapidly grow her practice(s) Jennifer Armstrong, M.D., P.C. (JAMD) and Advanced Skincare Medcenter, Inc. (ASM) by in a short amount of time and achieve her dream of notoriety as a cast member on” Real Housewives of Orange County.

Desmond said she was one of the many “unwitting patients” that Armstong and Lee “duped” and used illegal non-FDA approved cosmetic medical devices on her.

The patient said she has suffered ongoing anguish, distress and severe emotional distress as a result of the ordeal. Further, she said Armstrong has refused to produce her medical records. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the alleged harm.

In response, Armstrong argues that the ex-patient failed to show how she would have known about Lee having been disciplined by the California Medical Board.

“Dr. Armstrong did not employ Donald Woo Lee and no representations were made to plaintiff that Mr. Lee had any affiliation with any of the defendants in this matter,” the motion read.

Further, she said the ex-patient has failed to show evidence to back up her claim of battery.

“In the present matter, plaintiff fails to plead any facts that either Dr. Armstrong, Jennifer Armstrong, M.D., Inc. or Advanced Skincare Medcenter, Inc. touched her with the intent to harm. The totality of plaintiff’s allegations involve the alleged touching of her face by Donald Woo Lee at some when allegedly placing threads in her face,” her lawyer argued.

Jen Armstrong tells RadarOnline.com, "The patients were extraordinarily happy with their treatment and the before and after pictures document an excellent result.They both were treated with the utmost care and respect. The products used for their treatment were approved and commonly used for cosmetic procedures. Any questions or issues regarding Donald Lee should be addressed with his attorneys.”