Brittany Dawn Davis settled a lawsuit filed in Texas on April 25th alleging deceptive business practices related to her past fitness influencer business, and what the creator owes her follower fan base. It put an end to years of debate about whether
The 32-year-old, who now posts foster- and Christian-related content on social media under the handle @realbrittanydawn, was due to start his jury trial on May 15. An unusual public forum for influencers. Neither Davis nor her attorney responded to Yahoo Life’s request for comment.
Information regarding the monetary value or terms of the settlement was not disclosed. The Attorney General’s Office sought fines of $1 million from him and court costs from $250,000.
Background
A lawsuit filed by the state of Texas in February 2022 alleges Davis sold thousands of personalized online health and fitness plans costing between $92 and $300 since 2014. She used to call herself an “eating disorder soldier,” and clients came to trust her to have “special training” on the topic. At least 14 of her Davis clients had eating disorders, according to state filings, which were not adequately addressed by the “personalized” health plans Davis sold.
In 2018, Davis’ customers began sharing concerns about her fitness plan in a private Facebook group called “Brittany Dawn Fitness Business Complaints.” In February 2019, Davis addressed her complaint in her now-deleted apology video, saying she “deeply apologizes for any harm” she may have caused. she performed good morning america To take “full responsibility” for her “mistakes”.
Davis took a short break from social media and returned in November 2019 to announce a rebranding to Christian content, marking the end of an era of accountability.
“Fitness and health are no longer my identity. My identity is in Christ,” she said in the video.
But as of 2023, Davis has taken a different approach. on her podcast chisel and coldshe identifies herself as a victim of a “cancel culture” that has been a victim of society’s desire to “see influencers collapse.”
“The world was watching me… labeling every gruff, false, scathing title possible during the fallout,” she said on the March 22 episode. I don’t want to wake up…but guess what? It happens. Life happens.”
Meaning of reconciliation
The settlement may be seen as an unsatisfying ending, especially after she withdraws her apology, but whatever the outcome, it would have set a new precedent for taking influencers as business people seriously.
As it stands, customers who are unsatisfied with products sold by influencers are often fired for buying into fictional stories that social media makes so easy to create. This lawsuit out of Texas took testimony from more than a dozen people who said they felt duped by Davis and treated their stories as seriously as they would take their brick-and-mortar business. , it is unlikely that this incident will have a wide-ranging impact.
Dawn has long refused to speak directly to the media about allegations of fraudulent business practices, but on both social media and her new podcast, we’re happy to tell you all about what happened at Brittany Dawn Fitness. I got
What sets Davis apart
What sets Davis apart from other influencers, aside from the fact that state attorneys general stepped in to look into her business, seems to have successfully rebranded herself after the cancellation. As a Christian influencer, she now appeals to an audience with a worldview that promises radical forgiveness for past actions. You cannot cancel that you have been called.”
Some Christians have criticized Davis for using the goodwill of her followers as a “weapon to get away with sin,” but she still thrives. It increased exponentially and her losses due to “cancellations” were gone. During this time, Dawn gained her 1.3 million followers on her TikTok and almost doubled the number of subscribers on her YouTube page, according to her Social Blade, an analytics platform. But now her group of 40,000 members on her Reddit called r/BrittanyDawnSnark is monitoring her actions and offering criticism and accountability.
A few months before her trial began, Davis entered yet another new era and began sharing foster parenting content. Kirsta Bowman, who is a parent, told BuzzFeed News that given her history of “cheating and concerned behavior,” she was “petrified for the welfare” of the two children who have been in Davis’ care. obscures the children’s faces and withholds details about their cases, but she briefly mentions one child’s medical problems. Some expressed concern that it might affect their chances of being reunited with their families.
A new flavored post could make Davis’ new content and controversy forgettable. At least, unknown to her ever-growing audience. As a Foster Care influencer, Davis positions herself as a hero, offering her help in a system that requires manpower and reform. As a Christian influencer, she targets audiences who are quick to push away her past in favor of forgiveness.
She still posts selfies at the gym and encourages people to use affiliate links to buy the workout clothes she wears, but she spends her days creating personalized exercise and meal plan PDFs. seems far removed from her time. But that doesn’t stop her from pitching her own lifestyle to her audience.
Is it really a bad thing for influencers to learn from their past actions and evolve? That is the goal of empathetic communities to hold someone accountable. But Davis is more than just a person. She is an influencer who wields power over vulnerable communities. With no longer the possibility of holding her accountable by the law for her alleged actions, she decided to create her own new narrative of what happened in her fitness business and move on unscathed. I got the chance.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, call us. National Eating Disorders Association Hotline 1-800-931-2237.
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