HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / REALITY TV

Former NFL player forced to sell his home after dream 'Shark Tank' deal turned into a nightmare

The athlete banked on his appearance on ‘Shark Tank’, to start a new chapter in his life. Despite securing a deal, things went horribly south.

Former NFL player, Al 'Bubba' Baker banked on his appearance on ‘Shark Tank’, to start a new chapter in his life. Despite securing a deal, things went horribly south for Baker and his daughter Brittani as they ended up losing their family home. In 2013, Bubba and Brittani presented their pitch before the sharks for their Bubba’s Q Boneless Ribs. The owner of the renowned fully cooked boneless ribs caught the eye of none other than Daymond John himself, offering $300,000 in return for 30% of the company. Wanting to expand the business, the Bakers took the deal. During a 'Shark Date' update episode, John said of Baker’s ribs, “I still believe that this will potentially be my biggest deal ever,” as per LA Times. 

However, the partnership soon turned sour. Despite generating $16 million in revenue, the Bakers claimed they received only $659,653, which is less than 5% of their total sales. According to Bubba and Brittani, Daymond and his partners misled them, took control of their business, and stopped promoting the product. Worse yet, the father-daughter duo asserted they made it hard for consumers to buy Bubba’s Q Boneless Ribs, which only further hindered their business growth. Financial struggles continued to mount leaving the Bakers in a desperate state of affairs. They were forced to close their restaurant and drain their savings just to stay above water, which wasn’t enough. Eventually, they had to sell their family home. 

Additionally, they also faced difficulties with one of their most important business associates, Nate Holzapfel, who was later indicted for fraud, and Rastelli Foods Group, a business that was supposed to develop Bubba’s business. The Bakers consider the deal with Rastelli unfair as they saw very little of the profits. They continued selling ribs online until 2023.

The same year, John filed a restraining order against Bubba and Brittani, which restricted them from making any negative comments about him and his company, DF Ventures, Entertainment Weekly reported. John also released a public statement, thanking fans for their support and for not falling for the 'flashy clickbait headlines.' 

“The actual facts, the record, and the federal judge’s opinion have confirmed that I did not and could not have committed any wrongdoing. Let this be a reminder of the importance of the truth in an age of misinformation and clickbait. I have always upheld transparency and honesty throughout my journey as an entrepreneur,” the statement read. 

Baker wasn't the only one to make claims against John. Contestant Alan Kaufman, from ‘Shark Tank’ Season 1 also filed a case against John, ABC, Sony Pictures Television, and the producers of the show in 2010. Kaufman accused John of misrepresenting himself to the audience as a successful investor when he has a record of breaching business contracts. He claimed that John had agreed to invest in his business but showed very little interest in being an actual partner, and went so far as to threaten to pull out of the deal unless Kaufman appeared on a follow-up show. The lawsuit settled for $20,000. Daymond denied any wrongdoing, saying these types of lawsuits were common when one was a public figure.