Celebrity investor and FUBU founder, Daymond John, has slammed former Shark Tank contestants with a restraining order. He accuses Al “Bubba” Baker, his wife Sabrina, and his daughter, Brittani, of damaging his reputation.
The Baker family, in a public statement, accused John of “misleading” them and stealing their profits, and depriving them of lucrative opportunities.
In a statement to Fox News, John said, “After repeated attempts to give the Baker’s the ability to correct their violations. It is unfortunate that it has come to this.” The statement, signed by Zach Rosenfield, a spokesperson for John, added, “This temporary restraining order is due to the Baker’s blatant actions to undermine a business partnership and the legal parameters they agreed to 4 years ago.”
He is seeking a temporary restraining order on the owners of Al “Bubba” Baker and his family for the allegations. “Their belief that they can unwind poor business decisions through slanderous social media posts and articles will no longer be tolerated,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports that a federal judge in New Jersey dismissed the case this week without prejudice. This allowed the daughter of Bubba Q’s, Brittani, to continue to publicize the “Shark Tank” business deal on social media.
She shared multiple email communications between Bubba Q’s and the “Shark Tank” business partners, causing John to take legal action against the family.
In 2013, Al “Bubba” Baker, a former NFL player, appeared on Shark Tank, a popular entrepreneurial show in America. At the time, his business, Bubba’s Q Boneless Baby Back Ribs, needed capital injection to stay afloat. Although he was initially skeptical about making an appearance, his daughter convinced him to do so.
He later impressed the panelists, and after what seemed like a never-ending back-and-forth negotiation, he accepted Daymond John’s offer of $300,000 in exchange for a 30% stake in his company.
According to the Los Angeles Times, within three years, Baker’s business was promoted on the show, with various press accounts as one of the biggest Shark Tank success stories, generating $16 million in revenue.
Baker claimed that what started as their “Shark Tank” dream, they say, “has been a nightmare.” He accuses John of not only misleading them but also trying to take over their business and depriving them of the profits from potentially lucrative partnerships.
