Banking giant American Express issues cease and desist letter to Nelly Yoa

BANKING giant American Express has sent a cease and desist letter to Nelly Yoa as several of his claims continue to be publicly debunked.

Mr Yoa was adamant he was a paid ambassador for Amex.

BANKING giant American Express has threatened legal action against Nelly Yoa as a string of his claims continue to be publicly debunked.

It comes amid revelations Mr Yoa — who yesterday was adamant he was a paid ambassador for Amex and Nike — may have been employed by a third party charged with updating merchandise including signage, pens and stickers.

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The fall out continued today after the 29-year-old rubbished claims he plagiarised a front-page article in The Age and made a string of false statements about his career, brand endorsements and his high-profile friendships.

“I’m OK, I embrace this kind of publicity,” Mr Yoa said.

Nelly Yoa. Picture: Nicki Connolly

The Herald Sun understands American Express did not respond to Mr Yoa who emailed a senior staff member “seeking employment’’ on January 5.

“We have never had a direct relationship or awareness of Mr Yoa and there has been no sponsorship or personal endorsement beyond the subcontracted marketing services,’’ Amex Australia and New Zealand public affairs vice president Jon Stewart said.

“American Express has issued a cease and desist letter to Mr Yoa requesting he refrain from further misrepresentation of his relationship with American Express.’’

This afternoon Mr Yoa’s social media bio still suggested he was brand ambassador for the bank and, additionally, was sponsored by Nike.

He had previously used his Twitter account to post a photo of some Nike shoes suggesting the range had been sent to him for his birthday.

But a source within Australia’s Nike headquarters said the photo showed a line of women’s shoes from several seasons ago.

Mercedes Benz, Kmart and Peter Jackson Australia were among other brands to distance themselves from any association with Mr Yoa after loose suggestions he was affiliated with them.

Mr Yoa also sought to clarify yesterday that despite purporting to have strong connections with sprint stars Usain Bolt and John Steffensen, he: “wouldn’t call it a solid friendship’’.

Mr Yoa had previously told the Ballarat Courier on November 7 2016, the pair had travelled with him to Ballarat to greet his newborn daughter, and Bolt had helped him in his recovery after a machete attack.

Questions were also raised over a low-quality online ad for Mercedes-Benz Australia, in which he promotes a new car. Mr Yoa confirmed he had made the ad but was not associated with the luxury brand.

Victorian Multicultural Commission chairwoman Helen Kapalos said Mr Yoa had tried to make the commission pay for promotion and advertising of a documentary about his life in October 2016, but contacted him last week after suggestions he had been working directly with Sudanese youth.

“We wanted to see if we were able to lend any assistance, (but) he was unable to provide any names or details,” she said.

She said he had promised to organise meetings with Apex members or other troubled youths but never did so.

Mr Yoa last night denied seeking payment for his ­documentary from the commission and said his views on the Sudanese community should be considered “as a community member, not a leader”.

The Age, which published a front page co-author­ed article in which Mr Yoa urged authorities to do more to stop the African gang crisis, apologised stating: “Several of the ­assertions made by Nelly Yoa in this article about his personal circumstances have been challenged, exagg­erated or found not to be true.”