‘Shark Tank’ Star Daymond John Granted Permanent Restraining Order Against Former Contestants, Who Are Now Banned From Making “Disparaging” Posts About Him

Shark Tank star Daymond John was granted a permanent restraining order against three former contestants from the show who posted about their “nightmare” experience with him on social media, according to court papers obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

Former NFL defensive end Al “Bubba” Baker, his wife Sabrina and daughter Brittani — who created Bubba’s Q Boneless Baby Back Ribs — are now banned from speaking publicly about their experience working with John. Moreover, they must delete “disparaging” content from their social media pages regarding John and Rastelli Foods Group, the manufacturer that supplies meat for their company.

“All the Bakers’ posts are negative, disparaging, or both and certainly could impact DFV’s and John’s reputation, goodwill, and credibility,” Judge Robert Kugler wrote in his court order, referring the DF Ventures, the entity John established to do business with the ribs company. “These posts clearly caused reputational harm that John will now have to deal with and counter.”

The Bakers — who appeared on Season 5 of Shark Tank in 2014 — accused John and his partners of misleading them, trying to take over their business, and refusing to give them the profits. According to the family, they accepted an offer from John for a $300,000 investment for 30% of their company on the episode. However, they allege that their offer was later trimmed down to $100,000 for a 35% stake in the company.

The permanent ruling comes one month after John was granted a temporary restraining order.

When the initial restraining order was granted, John had testified that “a major television network canceled a show” that was “previously green-lit” as a result of the Bakers’ comments, per the LA Times. He also claimed that he lost a “speaking engagement” as well as a deal with a “major brand,” who abandoned discussions with him after the Bakers’ allegations.

A judge further found that the family had “breached” a 2019 settlement agreement’s non-disparagement clause, in which they agreed not to disparage John and Rastelli.

Following Friday’s (July 21) ruling, John called the decision against the Bakers, their company and their “false statements” a “moment of vindication.”

“The actual facts, the record, and the federal Judge’s opinion have confirmed that I did not — and could not have — committed any wrongdoing,” he said in the statement. “I have always upheld transparency and honesty throughout my journey as an entrepreneur.”

John added, “I am grateful for the support that I’ve received during this time and will continue defending my reputation with the same passion I bring to empowering fellow entrepreneurs.”