Unpacking The 'Financial Sabotage' That Bankrupt The Creator Of The Viral Pink Sauce
Back in January, self-proclaimed "trailblazing food products innovator" Dave's Gourmet announced an official partnership with the mastermind behind the TikTok viral Pink Sauce. But now, according to the creator herself, she has been "silenced and financially sabotaged" by the company.
Veronica Shaw, also known as Chef Pii on TikTok, has created a GoFundMe to raise $100,000. She claims Dave's Gourmet left her in such a dire financial situation that she doesn't "even have enough money to buy [her] kids food on [her] own."
"As a young entrepreneur with big dreams, I followed my intuition and went forth toward my dreams to create something new. I made a few mistakes on the way. Which lead me to trust a company that is trying to take everything away from me. They lied to me," she wrote on the fundraiser page.
Shaw went on to accuse Dave's Gourmet of not being transparent about financial records, refusing to reimburse her for marketing expenses, and not paying the royalties that she is reportedly owed.
"I am currently facing an eviction that has gone into default the sheriffs can come to my door any day now," she continued. "I need legal help... I don't know what else to do. I can't give up. I need help."
According to Yahoo, Shaw became an overnight sensation after selling her homemade Pink Sauce on social media. She tried to fulfill thousands of orders with a three-person staff, but was ultimately forced to partner with a larger manufacturing company after customer complaints about the product.
While Shaw maintains that Dave's Gourmet owes her royalties and reimbursements, the company itself has continued to sell her product. Within just five months of the deal, Pink Sauce launched at 4,300 Walmart locations. It's still listed as "in stock" on the retailer's website.
Fans took to Twitter with concerns about her recent allegations. "It has to be pretty bad for this," one user wrote on the platform. Another chimed in, writing, "i feel bad for herr omgg. how if they’re not paying her back bc she’s not profiting enough."
A rep for Dave's Gourmet released a statement addressing her claims; the company has not yet responded to Delish's request for comment.
"Dave’s Gourmet has adhered to the terms of the agreement with Ms. Shaw. We disagree with Ms. Shaw’s allegations," the statement said, per Blavity. “Dave’s Gourmet has paid Chef Pii over $120,000 to date and it continues to make all payments as due and on time based upon the terms of the contract."
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