DALLAS — A social media influencer in Dallas-Fort Worth scammed thousands of clients whom she sold fitness and nutrition plans to, according to a new lawsuit from the Texas Attorney General’s office.
Brittany Dawn Davis has close to one million TikTok followers and half-a-million on Instagram where she shares fitness and health tips. She also runs a YouTube channel with nearly 250,000 subscribers.
But the Texas Attorney General’s Office has filed a Deceptive Trade Practices Act lawsuit against Davis claiming she never provided any of the personal coaching promised and that the plans weren’t customized.
Cori Reali of Wisconsin spent $115 on a plan back in 2014 when Davis began selling them.
“She made it sound so easy: 'Just reach out. I want to help all of you,'” Reali said.
The plan, though, didn’t have her name on it, and Reali said she never received specific feedback. Instead, she gained nine pounds after two weeks.
“The red flags started to go up,” Reali said. "I was not individualized. I was not part of this ‘Team Brittany Dawn.’ It set me back. It actually pushed me back into my eating disorder.”
When complaints started in 2019, Davis posted videos saying her customer service team was refunding clients. She also apologized on Good Morning America, admitting she had asked clients she refunded to sign non-disclosure agreements and that she deleted comments on her social media channels from people who called out her business practices.
“I jumped into an industry that had no instruction manual,” Davis said in 2019. “I’m basically going through uncharted territory, and I’m doing the best that I can to the best of my ability.”
Reali said she doesn't buy that.
“You clearly are not sorry, and you need to be held accountable,” Reali told WFAA on Monday. “She literally just took the money and ran with it.”
Reali filed a complaint with the attorney general’s consumer complaint division in 2019, but never heard anything - until the office reached out last week after filing the case.
“I’m happy that there’s some progress to shine a light on her and her practices because maybe, just maybe, people will connect that it’s the same person,” Reali said.
The suit from the state attorney general’s office claimed, in one instance, two clients with a 140-pound weight difference discovered their recommended calorie intake was only 60 calories different. Davis also allegedly provided plans designed for weight loss to clients who were trying to gain weight.
WFAA attempted to contact Davis multiple times for a comment, but we did not get a response.
At least 14 customers who asked for refunds mentioned an eating disorder, according to the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Davis also allegedly charged a shipping fee for plans, even though they were emailed. The plans ranged from $92 to $300.
The attorney general’s office is asking for between $250,000 and $1 million.
“I’m sorry for anyone who feels hurt or scammed,” Davis said in a 2019 video posted to her channel.
The influencer has continued to post content online.
In 2020, she received more than $20,000 in forgivable paycheck protection loan money for her business.
After the issues with her health program, she pivoted from fitness to spirituality content and created the account @SheLivesFreed. Davis' new spirituality program plans to host a one-day retreat in Fort Worth in April for $125 per person.
Reali slammed that move, too, calling it "disgusting.”
“It’s just another scam,” she accused.