Former NFL player Al “Bubba” Baker claims he was misled by Daymond John and his team of “Shark Tank” investors after accepting a deal for his boneless ribs business.
Baker appeared in two other competition series and had big dreams of expansion after reinventing the ribs experience for his wife, who found them to be “messy.”
He went from being known for football to being known for removing the bones from his barbecue ribs after cooking them while still maintaining that tasty signature flavor. Baker patented his boneless ribs in 2007 and his cooking process in 2011.
His daughter, Brittani Bo Baker, recommended he sign up for the ABC series, where he pitched his grand idea in order to snag a big-money deal for expansion and instant fame.
“The show was putting itself out there as the American dream,” he told the Los Angeles Times during a recent interview.
Baker and his daughter won the judges over after appearing on the show in September 2013 during its fifth season. He shared tasty samples of his ribs recipe and the backstory about his family’s barbeque restaurant back in Avon, Ohio.
The former athlete accepted John’s offer of $300,000 in return for a 30 percent stake in Baker’s company, contingent upon the former All-Pro defensive end receiving a licensing deal with a meat processing company.
Bubba’s Q Boneless Baby Back Ribs generated $16 million in revenue within three years after their products were promoted on the show. However, the Bakers say they only received 4 percent of that money — which equals $659,653 — and it’s “been a nightmare” ever since.
The Bakers have accused John and his partners of trying to take over and strip him of the profits for several money-making partnerships. They’ve since sold their home, their business has been struggling, and their family savings have been drained to help keep things afloat. After failing to keep up, Baker was forced to sell the…
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