Viral ‘Pink Sauce’ Creator Launches GoFundMe After Allegedly Going Broke, Says Company She Sold Product To ‘Lied’ About Their Agreement & Hasn’t Been Paying Royalties

Veronica Shaw

Viral ‘Pink Sauce’ Creator Launches GoFundMe After Allegedly Going Broke, Says Company She Sold Product To ‘Lied’ About Their Agreement & Hasn’t Been Paying Royalties

The chef who went viral on TikTok last year for her polarizing pink sauce claims she’s been “financially sabotaged.”

Veronica Shaw, aka Chef Pii, started a GoFundMe account last week, alleging she’s experiencing financial hardship despite striking a major deal to take her product nationwide.

In the bio page of the fundraiser, which has a goal of $100,000, Shaw wrote:

“Hi, my name is Veronica Shaw, I am the founder of The Pink Sauce LLC. one of the most viral sauce sensations of 2022. 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.”

She continued:

“They lied to me. They are not paying me and are not being transparent about records. I have tried on multiple occasions to try and come to one accord with them but they refuse to reimburse me for marketing expenses that I spent my own funds towards. I have been silienced and financially sabotaged.”

The internet influencer went on the state that she can’t even afford food to feed her children and is also facing eviction. With her mother allegedly only able to give $20 here and there from her disability check, Shaw pleaded for help from anyone willing to donate. In the 8 days since the account was created, the entrepreneur has raised $921 towards her goal, with the largest gift being $100. A few who gave to the cause, however, didn’t do so without snarky commentary.

One donor referred to Shaw’s current situation as “karma.” The comment seemingly relates to the controversy that surrounded the product when it was first released. Before signing a deal with food retailer Dave’s Gourmet, Shaw came under fire due to her unwillingness to share the sauce’s ingredients, as well as her laissez-faire approach to gaining FDA approval. The chef caught even more flack after suggesting she didn’t need the government’s stamp due to the product not being medical.

However, after continually seeing viral success and interest in the product, Shaw was able to acquire the deal with Daves Gourmet that legitimized the sauce, which reportedly led to the item being sold in over 4,300 Walmart locations. It seems things have not been going smoothly since inking the agreement, however. Though she didn’t name the company, Shaw made it clear she feels she’s been misled and lied to about the product’s earnings and her subsequent royalty payments.

https://www.tiktok.com/@chef.pii/video/7262746408443235630

Dave’s Gourmet has since denounced the accusations. The company reportedly released a statement that reads:

“Dave’s Gourmet has adhered to the terms of the agreement with Ms. Shaw. We disagree with Ms. Shaw’s allegations,”

And continues:

“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.”

It is unclear whether or not Shaw is currently in talks to settle things with Dave’s Gourmet at this time.

[VIA]

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