Daymond John is seeking a temporary restraining order against three former contestants of Shark Tank.
Al “Bubba” Baker, along with his wife Sabrina and daughter Brittani, claim that John excluded them from receiving profits and attempted to take over the operations of Bubba Q’s Boneless Baby Back Ribs, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In a statement to People, John is taking action against them for their alleged efforts “to undermine a business partnership and the legal parameters they agreed to four years ago,” according to his spokesperson Zach Rosenfield. “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. Their belief that they can unwind poor business decisions through slanderous social media posts and articles will no longer be tolerated.”
The Bakers initially appeared in a 2012 episode pitching their pre-cooked boneless baby back ribs. The Bakers have since claimed that John’s $300,000 offer for 30 percent of the company was revised behind closed doors to $100,000 for 35 percent.
In a recent investigation conducted by the L.A. Times, the family was featured, making allegations against John, claiming his attempts to assume control of the business and raising additional concerns regarding their business arrangement with both John and the manufacturer, Rastelli Foods Group.
According to the family’s claims, they assert that they have only received around 4 percent of the publicly declared $16 million revenue generated by the business. Additionally, they allege that Al Baker has been excluded from crucial business meetings. To support their assertions, the Bakers have taken to social media, sharing a sequence of videos that aim to substantiate their claims using emails and other relevant documents.
A federal judge in New Jersey dismissed a case without prejudice, and Rastelli has also started seeking a restraining order against the Bakers, per the Times.
After the reports surfaced, John called the interview flawed with a “false narrative” in his own TikTok video and sent a cease-and-desist letter to the family demanding they “making publicly disparaging or defamatory remarks against Plaintiffs, and further, cease publicly revealing Confidential Information,” according to the publication.
“The journalist, I believe the underlying issue here is, did not understand business as well as I would have liked her to,” John stated.
In a letter directed to the judge, the family wrote that John and Rastelli’s practices have caused “irreparable harm, particularly as the time on our patent is running out,” says the Times. “Sharing our experience on social media is an honest and truthful account of our journey,” they wrote. “We firmly believe that the truth is in the best interest of the public.”
