Influencer sued after $420 charge sparks fury among followers

The 30-year-old is being sued for up to $1.4 million for allegedly misleading followers who paid hundreds for her fitness program.

A US influencer accused of charging shipping fees for an online fitness program sent via email is being sued for allegedly misleading customers.

Brittany Dawn is a Texas-based influencer with more than 1.5 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

The Texas Attorney-General has confirmed the state is suing the 30-year-old for penalties and legal fees of up to $1.4 million for online fitness programs Ms Dawn sold to her followers.

In 2014, Ms Dawn, then known as a fitness and healthy influencer, began selling “individualised” fitness programs to thousands of customers, charging up to $420 per plan.

Brittany Dawn no longer shares fitness content and instead posts about marriage and Christianity. Picture: Instagram/@realbrittanydawn

According to legal papers seen by The Dallas Morning News, the lawsuit claims the plans were not personalised and “failed to provide the promised coaching and check-ins”.

Customers who purchased her plans were also reportedly charged for shipping despite the program being sent by email, the lawsuit claims.

Several of Ms Dawn’s customers had sought out her plans believing she could help them with their eating disorders after the influencer claimed she had overcome her own issues through good diet and exercise.

But Ms Dawn instead provided weight-loss plans to clients who needed to put on weight, with “at least 14 consumers who sought refunds from her mentioned eating disorders in their complaints,” the lawsuit claims.

One of her clients “almost passed out from inadequate nutrition”, the legal claim alleges.

Ms Dawn has denied accepting clients who had eating disorders.

The lawsuit claims Ms Dawn told followers she had overcome her own eating disorder through good diet and exercise. Picture: Instagram/@realbrittanydawn

Paying for Ms Dawn’s program meant customers had membership to Facebook group Team Brittany Dawn, which eventually led them to realise they weren’t receiving the individualised plans and feedback they had signed up for.

Instead many customers received “generic and non-substantive” feedback such as, “You’ve got this babe!” Buzzfeed reports.

When complaints about Ms Dawn’ fitness plans were made, customers allege they had social media comments deleted and their refund requests were ignored.

Concerns about Ms Dawn’ fitness programs were first raised in a February 2019 report by US breakfast show, Good Morning America.

In response Ms Dawn apologised and suspended her fitness program.

Ms Dawn hasn’t responded to the lawsuit, however, in 2019 apologised to customers unhappy with her program. Picture: Instagram/@realbrittanydawn

“I made a mistake. I made a mistake. I made a mistake,” she in a now-deleted YouTube video. “I have taken full responsibility for it. I made things right and I did whatever it took to make things right.”

In November 2019, Ms Dawn shared a YouTube video revealing she had a new “identity” after a “season of hiding”.

“Fitness and health are no longer my identity. My identity is in Christ,” she said.

Ms Dawn now posts about married life and Christianity, as well as running ministry She Lives Freed which hosts one-day retreats for $175.