Fitness influencer Brittany Dawn is being sued by the state of Texas, accuse of misleading customers with eating disorders and engaging in deceptive promises of customized nutrition plans.
The Texas Attorney General’s office filed the lawsuit against Brittany Dawn Fitness LLC on 1 February and is seeking $250,000 and $1m in penalties and court fees, according to court documents published by The Dallas Morning News.
Dawn’s online nutrition and fitness packages, which she advertised on her now-taken-down website, ranged in price from $92 to $300. Davis supposedly promised weekly training and one-on-one coaching for the full 30-day or 90-day duration of each purchase, but failed to deliver individualised plans, according to the suit.
Clients realised they had been given the same individualised nutrition and fitness plans through a Facebook group, “Team Brittany Dawn.”
At least 14 clients mentioned in the complaint who sought refunds from Brittany Dawn suffered from eating disorders. One noted that they were led to Dawn’s fitness plan because of her social media presence and YouTube videos, where she explained that she overcame her eating disorder through “exercise and healthy eating.” However, customers said they received nutrition plans designed for someone who needed to lose weight, not put it on. The court documents said Davis denied accepting customers with eating disorders.
Who is Brittany Dawn? The 30-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas described herself as “your coach, your confidant, your biggest supporter & friend” on her website. The fitness influencer, who has has 464,000 followers on Instagram, is a “Jesus seeker” and “Kingdom chaser,” according to her bio.
Dawn, who’s legal name is Brittany Dawn Davis, began selling personalised nutritional guidance and individualised fitness coachings in 2014 after gaining a large following on social media. On YouTube, Dawn posts videos of exercise tips, vegan recipes, and low-calorie Starbucks orders.
This is not the first time Dawn has received complaints from her clients. According to court documents, consumers made complaints on social media back in 2019, prompting Dawn to make a video apology posted to YouTube.
The fitness influencer has yet to make a public statement regarding the complaints. However, she limited comments on her Instagram and shared an inspirational message on her TikTok account on Tuesday with the caption, “Someone needs this.”
The Independent has reached out to Brittany Dawn for comment.
