Brittany Dawn Davis, a former fitness coach and Texas social media influencer, is currently on trial in Dallas, facing allegations of scamming clients who bought her online fitness and nutrition program. The lawsuit against her claims that she did not deliver the promised coaching, check-ins, and personalized fitness packages to her clients. The plaintiffs allege that the packages for clients “were not individualized,” and Davis “failed to provide the promised coaching and check-ins.” In addition, court filings reveal that over $1.5 million in deposits to Davis’ PayPal account “derived from consumer payments through Defendants’ website.”
Davis, who now goes by Brittany Dawn Nelson on her social media pages, had remained silent for over four years, enduring slander, harassment, defamation, stalking, and the destruction of her reputation by strangers on the internet. She recently posted on social media that she’s ready to “fight back” against the allegations. In a YouTube video titled “The Tea: It’s Trial Week…”, Davis briefly discusses the trial but doesn’t provide any details.
Davis is also the founder of She Lives Freed, a group of 14 women who organize faith-based retreats for women that cost $600 per person. The organization has hosted six retreats to date, starting with one in Austin in January 2021, and the next one scheduled in Oklahoma.
Davis owns Brittany Dawn Fitness LLC, which sold online fitness and nutrition packages to thousands of customers, promising personalized nutritional guidance, individualized fitness coaching, and macro nutritional assessments. The packages ranged from $92.00 for a one-time macro consultation to $300.00 for three months of personalized macros, training, and coaching.
However, the lawsuit claims that the packages were not personalized, and Davis did not deliver on the promised coaching and check-ins. Customers who requested refunds were denied, and some were told that they waited too long to ask for their money back. The lawsuit also alleges that Davis and her company mostly ignored consumer complaints and only offered partial refunds when they did respond.
In 2019, during an appearance on Good Morning America, Davis apologized for misrepresenting her coaching brand and blamed her lack of understanding of a new industry. However, her legal team apparently only handed over receipts for a total of $169,000 in payments, leaving thousands of clients out of their discovery.
The trial against Davis has been delayed indefinitely after initially being scheduled for March 6, 2023. If found guilty, Davis could face a million-dollar lawsuit, which would have significant implications for the influencer industry, particularly in the fitness and nutrition sector. Customers who purchase services from influencers have to rely on their reputation, and the Davis case highlights the importance of ensuring that influencers deliver on their promises.
As lawmakers push for age limits and social media limitations, Kelsey Bolar, Senior Policy Analyst at the Independent Women’s Forum, suggests that parents play a role in protecting their children from social media downsides. In this case, customers who signed up for Brittany Dawn Fitness’s programs had no guarantees that they would receive the services that they paid for. The Brittany Dawn case highlights the need for influencers to be transparent and accountable for the services they provide.
