Veronica Shaw, creator of the TikTok viral Pink Sauce, stated that the company that took her sauce to legit status in Walmart stores nationwide hasn’t paid her.
Last week, in a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $100,000, Shaw, who also goes by Chef Pii, revealed that she was facing financial difficulties because the company that supported her sauce’s legitimacy hadn’t fulfilled their agreement.
“As a young entrepreneur with big dreams, I followed my intuition and went forth toward my dreams to create something new,” she wrote. “I made a few mistakes on the way. Which led me to trust a company that is trying to take everything away from me. They lied to me. They are not paying me and are not being transparent about records.”
Without explicitly naming the company, which is presumptively Dave’s Gourmet, Shaw alleged that they had not reimbursed her for the marketing costs she paid out of pocket.
“I have been silenced and financially sabotaged,” she continued. “I am a single mom, and I do everything for my kids. Right now, I don’t even have enough money to buy my kids food on my own.”
A spokesperson from Dave’s Gourmet refuted Shaw’s allegations in a statement provided to Blavity.
“Dave’s Gourmet has adhered to the terms of the agreement with Ms. Shaw. We disagree with Ms. Shaw’s allegations,” the statement reads. “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. We’ve offered to reimburse Ms. Shaw for her lawyer’s time to go over the terms of the agreement and how it relates to the payments that were made to Ms. Shaw. She indicated that she’s open to an amicable resolution of the dispute, and the parties are in discussions.”
The initial version of the sauce faced controversy due to its lack of FDA approval, and reports of it exploding during shipping added to customer concerns, given its $20 price per bottle. The heightened online attention led to a partnership with Dave’s Gourmet, selling the sauce in over 4,300 Walmart stores and online. Its availability started earlier this year and ended in July.
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