Daymond John has secured a court victory that puts a stop to the spreading of disparaging remarks about him and his business relationship with former “Shark Tank” contestants.
Last month, it was widely reported that he was seeking a restraining order against Bubba Q’s Boneless Baby Back Ribs owners Al “Bubba” Baker, his wife Sabrina, and their daughter Brittani. The business-minded trio appeared on season 5 of the hit show that pairs contestants with industry titans to help fund the scale of their enterprises.
A May 18 Los Angeles Times investigative piece profiled the Bakers and their experience partnering with John, and since then the celebrity investor has gone to the courts to get the family to stop discussing him.
John claimed that the allegations cost him a television show that was in the works, a speaking engagement, and a pending deal with a “major brand,” according to The Los Angeles Times.
As a result, the Baker family was ordered to remove any social media posts and barred from making further public remarks about their former business partners.
On July 21, the FUBU co-founder was granted a permanent restraining order in a New Jersey federal court hearing. A judge ruled that the Bakers’ claims of their “nightmare” experience working with John breached a non-disparagement clause they agreed to in a 2019 settlement involving John and Rastelli Foods, their meat manufacturer.
Four years ago, Baker and his family agreed to a $300,000 deal that gave John a 30 percent stake in their business. However, they allege that the terms of the agreement were quickly abrogated when John attempted to take a 35 percent cut.
In public Instagram and TikTok posts, they accused him and Rastelli Foods of withholding profits. They also allege that John misled them about his intentions to help expand Bubba Q’s Boneless Baby Back Ribs.
John said the court victory was a moment of vindication. “The federal Judge’s opinion have confirmed that I did not — and could not have — committed any wrongdoing. I have always upheld transparency and honesty throughout my journey as an entrepreneur.
“I am grateful for the support that I’ve received during this time and will continue defending my reputation with the same passion I bring to empowering fellow entrepreneurs,” he said in a statement to Deadline.
“Daymond John must be one of the worst human beings next to Musk. To get a restraining order saying “you cant talk bad about me” after allegedly ruining their lives?” wrote one person online.
Another commented, “It says “SHARK tank” for a reason, those people are shameless capitalist scoundrels.”
As of Monday, July 24, all of the Bakers’ disparaging social media posts have been removed. The Los Angeles Times report is not affected by the ruling.
