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'Shark Tank': Why did His & Her Aphrodisiac Bar founder cry? Shark says 'don't fake emotions for pity'

Even former guest shark Daniel Lubetzky wasn't impressed with Michael crying and called him out on Twitter to point out that the tears were fake

Husband and wife duo Michael and Jennifer Gallagher stepped into the tank with the hopes of reeling in the sharks into investing in their unique product — "His & Her Bar", which they are marketing as the world's first aphrodisiac bar. The couple's pitch started off on a high note, as the husband-wife duo performed a catchy rap number to explain their product and present their pitch. The sharks were instantly drawn in and were interested in hearing more about the product.

Michael and Jennifer then proceeded to share the backstory, and this is when things began going south for the entrepreneurs. Michale shared that he was a part of the Navy and after his service, he became a firefighter. Unfortunately, he was let go off from his job because he couldn't fit in with the crew. But, that evening on his way back home, he came across a rock with a motivational message written on it, which pushed him to not give up and pursue his dreams. While Jennifer spoke about how working for corporate America didn't fulfill her, so she quit her six-figure job and invested all her savings and money into setting up a clothing business.

Unfortunately, that company went bust, and so did all her money. The couple had no choice but to sell their house and move cities to restart their life. They moved from South Florida to Arizona, and there they began working as servers at a restaurant. On the side, the couple also began working on their brand-new business idea "His & Her Bar". The sharks liked what they were hearing and were intrigued by the product too. But when they enquired about the sales, Jennifer hesitantly explained that they only made $2000 in sales, due to the pandemic. 

On hearing the sales number, Kevin O'Leary declared that he went limp, while the other sharks unanimously decided that the duo weren't ready yet for an investment and should get a job while working on their business simultaneously, instead of putting all their eggs into the business.  Michael broke down on hearing the harsh truth from the sharks and began crying hysterically. He then proceeded to share an emotional story of having a brain aneurysm, with the hopes of persuading the sharks to not just invest their money into the business but also to mentor and guide them. Unfortunately for Michael, his waterworks didn't help him much either, for the sharks stuck to their previous decision, and wished the duo luck and reiterated their suggestion of them getting a job.

'Shark Tank' fans have never been big on the emotional sob stories shared on the show, but Michael's somehow seemed to irk them a lot more. Many of them were even convinced that he was faking his tears to gain sympathy from the sharks. A fan tweeted, "That was one of the strangest pitches I’ve ever seen on #SharkTank I can’t believe I just watched a grown ass man start bawling his eyes out because he couldn’t get a deal for his sex chocolate bar." Another fan wrote, "crocodile tears much... notice how he didnt even actually cry, mood switch up was unnatural, just fake whining noises like bro that’s so cap. #sharktank." Another said, "OMG! So fake and he hasn't even started his *sob* story. #SharkTank."

Even former guest shark Daniel Lubetzky wasn't impressed with Michael's fake cry. He tweeted, "While I admire authentic vulnerability, I rather someone that doesn’t show their emotions over someone who fakes them to create pity. So unappealing. Entrepreneurs should be real. Don’t share a dramatic story if it doesn’t come naturally. #SharkTank." Many fans joked about Michael's White privilege being hurt on hearing a no from the sharks. A fan shared, "I think his white male privilege pride was hurt. #SharkTank." Another said, "CaN I TeLl U a sToRyyyyy cried (?) a white man with no relevant story explaining his categorical failures #SharkTank."

What did you think of Michael and Jennifer Gallagher's pitch on 'Shark Tank'? Let us know. 'Shark Tank' Season 12 airs every Friday at 8/7c only on ABC.