Brittany Dawn
Brittany Dawn Nelson (formerly Davis and Greisen, and commonly known as Brittany Dawn; born c. 1991 or 1992) is an American former businesswoman and social media personality. She gained attention in 2019 as an online fitness instructor and self-claimed nutritional expert who offered services through her company, Brittany Dawn Fitness LLC. She promoted diet plans, individualized fitness instruction and other products that were allegedly not received by customers. The controversy led to an ongoing lawsuit filed by the Texas Attorney General against Dawn for misleading Texas consumers about her services.
Brittany Dawn | |
---|---|
Born | c. 1991 or 1992 (age 31–32)[1] |
Other names |
|
Years active | 2014–present[5] |
Known for | Controversy regarding her business practices |
Spouse |
Jordan Nelson (m. 2021) |
Personal life
Dawn is from Texas and was previously married.[6] She claims to have worked as a veterinarian technician for five years.[7] In September 2021, Dawn married her second husband, former police officer Jordan Nelson.[8][9] Nelson formerly worked for the Kansas City, Missouri police department and was sued by the American Civil Liberties Union for excessive use of force on an unarmed black man.[10][11] Dawn is a practicing Christian and has been accused of changing her online brand from primarily fitness content to Christian-based content in order to escape controversy.[12]
Fitness and social media career
Dawn started her fitness career in 2014 and formed the company Brittany Dawn Fitness LLC.[13][14] Her business claimed to have provided tailored personal fitness plans, nutritional advice and text message communication from Dawn.[15] Complaints of Brittany Dawn Fitness not providing services that were paid for began to emerge in 2015; customers alleged that their personalized plans were generic and that Dawn never contacted them to initiate their plans.[15] Later, complaints made about her business were deleted from her social media profiles.[16] She later appeared on ABC's Good Morning America in February 2019 to address the controversy and later posted an apology video on YouTube.[2] Dawn later began offering refunds to customers in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).[17] It was announced in February 2022 that the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Dawn and Brittany Dawn Fitness LLC for violating Texas state consumer protection laws and seeking up to US$1 million in damages.[18] As part of her fitness business, which was defunct as of 2019, Dawn received $20,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.[19] She operated Brittany Dawn Fitness, LLC under her previous name, Brittany Dawn Greisen.[3]
In 2022 Dawn started a Christian ministry, She Lives Freed, and hosts conferences and retreats.[20][21] It has been described as Pentecostal and a mix of Christianity and New Age.[22]
Notes
References
- "How Dallas-area influencer Brittany Dawn found herself at the mercy of social media's double-edged sword". Dallas News. 17 February 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- DiFurio, Dom (14 February 2019). "'I'm done hiding': Texas fitness influencer Brittany Dawn suspends personal coaching as clients wait for refunds". Dallas News.
Dawn, whose legal name is Brittany Dawn Davis,...
- "PPP Loan Data". federalpay.org. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- "TikTok Star Addison Rae Removes 'Holy Trinity' Bikini Instagram Post After Criticism". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
"I felt sick to my stomach, and the first thought that popped into my head was: 'Why is it always Christians?'" Christian influencer Brittany Dawn Nelson said in a TikTok video, which she reposted on Instagram, in response to Rae's photo.
- "Conversations with the Inspiring Brittany Dawn". Voyage Dallas. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- "D-FW influencer Brittany Dawn faces deceptive trade practices lawsuit from Texas attorney general". Dallas News. 7 February 2022.
- Press-Reynolds, Kieran. "A YouTuber and fitness influencer said her husband shot her dog instead of taking him to the vet after a vehicle hit him". Insider. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- "'You can't cancel me': embattled TikTok star reinvents herself as a warrior for Jesus". The Guardian. 5 October 2022.
- Cooke, Bruno (9 February 2022). "Meet Brittany Dawn's husband and 'father of their future kids' Jordan Nelson". The Focus.
- "Police Brutality Against Black Kansas City Man Caught on Video". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- "ACLU files lawsuit against former KC police officer over use of force". KMBC. 4 October 2018.
- Weekman, Kelsey. "Followers Of Christian Influencer Brittany Dawn Said They Are Angry That She Pivoted To Religion To Avoid Scrutiny Over Her Fitness Scam". BuzzFeed News.
- Patterson, Charmaine. "Influencer Brittany Dawn Sued by State of Texas for Allegedly Misleading Clients with Eating Disorders". People. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- "Texas Sues Social Media Influencer For Allegedly Misleading Fitness Clients With Eating Disorders". Oxygen. 10 February 2022.
- "Fitness Influencer Brittany Dawn Allegedly Billed Hundreds of Women for Diet and Workout Plans". Inside Edition. 15 February 2019.
- Santiago, Ellyn (13 February 2019). "Brittany Dawn Fitness: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- Shamsian, Jacob. "A 'scammer' fitness influencer is starting to give refunds for her nutritional programs — but she's asking people to sign an NDA first". Insider. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- DiFurio, Dom. "AG Ken Paxton Files Lawsuit Against DFW Influencer Brittany Dawn". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- "Dallas social media influencer sued by AG Ken Paxton for deceptive practices". ABC13 Houston. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- Alcindor, Nicole; Reporter, C. P. (19 February 2022). "Texas AG sues Christian social media influencer for allegedly scamming consumers with fitness plans". The Christian Post.
- Mark, Julian. "People with eating disorders sought help from a fitness influencer. Some got weight-loss plans, lawsuit says". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- Weekman, Kelsey. "I Went To Former Fitness Influencer Brittany Dawn's Conference And I Guess I Understand Her Now". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 21 November 2022.