Shark Tank star and celebrity investor Daymond John is seeking a temporary restraining order against former contestants/entrepreneurs who appeared on the ABC reality series.
John is requesting the TRO against Al “Bubba” Baker, his wife, Sabrina and daughter, Brittani, who have made claims in recent months that John attempted to take over their business — Bubba Q’s Boneless Baby Back Ribs — and cut them out of potential profits, following their appearance on Shark Tank.
Zach Rosenfield, a spokesperson for John, released a statement to ET denying the claims made by Baker and explaining their decision to file for a restraining order.
According to Rosenfield, there have been “repeated attempts to give the Baker’s [sic] the ability to correct their violations.”
“It is unfortunate that it has come to this,” the statement adds. “This temporary restraining order is due to the Baker’s [sic] blatant actions to undermine a business partnership and the legal parameters they agreed to 4 years ago. Their belief that they can unwind poor business decisions through slanderous social media posts and articles will no longer be tolerated.”
According to a report in Los Angeles Times, the Bakers claim that they were offered $300,000 for 30 percent of the company when they appeared on the show during season 5 back in 2013. The family then alleged that John revised the terms of the investment, offering $100,000 for 35 percent of the company, and entering the company into business with Rastelli Foods Group.
Additionally, the family claimed that they’ve only seen around 4 percent of the publicly stated $16 million in revenue from the business, and claimed that Al Baker had been intentionally left out of important business meetings and decisions after John came on board.
John has publicly denied the claims made by the family, taking to social media to share what he claims is his side of the story. Additionally, Rastelli Foods Group has also filed for a temporary restraining order against the Bakers over their claims.
Following the initial LA Times report, John sent the Bakers a cease-and-desist letter stating that they were “in breach of the agreements” of their contracts and the letter demanded that they stop “making publicly disparaging or defamatory remarks” against him and their associates.
The Bakers allegedly penned a letter to the judge in response to John’s petition, arguing, “Sharing our experience on social media is an honest and truthful account of our journey. We firmly believe that the truth is in the best interest of the public.”
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