Lawsuit dogs Shark Tank stars
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/09/2021 (1800 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Kevin O’Leary, star of Shark Tank, and co-star Kevin Harrington are being sued by several people who claim the famed businessmen were part of a scam to defraud entrepreneurs.
In a 102-page lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, over 20 plaintiffs allege the crowdfunding companies InventureX and Ideazon, which touted O’Leary and Harrington’s involvement, took advantage of them through the alleged use of “fictional executives, false promises of financial success, and even illusions of being on the show Shark Tank itself.”
According to the lawsuit, InventureX and Ideazon claimed to help up-and-coming entrepreneurs launch their businesses but were “facades designed to lure in unsuspecting victims, extract their money and then virtually disappear under the guise of delays, minimal to no performance, and no results.”
“Each and every victim’s story is virtually the same,” the complaint adds. “Relying on these Shark Tank powerhouses, Plaintiffs bought into the dream, paid their money, and then went through agonizing months, if not years, of frustration and distress of trying to get their products launched and businesses started with no results.”
In a statement provided by his lawyer Andrew B. Brettler, O’Leary denied knowing about the alleged scheme, saying that “it appears that someone has been using my name and likeness without my knowledge, permission, or consent.”
“I’ve never heard of any of these purported companies and have never conducted business with any of the plaintiffs who filed this suit,” he added. “Obviously, I want to get to the bottom of it too, as my rights have been violated. We will make sure that the bad actors are held accountable.”
USA Today has reached out to Harrington’s rep for comment.
Tre Lovell, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, responded to O’Leary’s comment, saying videos of the Shark Tank star discussing the companies in question suggest otherwise.
“The statements of Mr. O’Leary came directly from videos where he discusses both InventureX and Ideazon, and specifically endorses principals (sic) of each company, by name,” Lovell said in a statement. “The transcriptions of each video are in the complaint.”
Lovell added that Harrington was “prominently featured as a partner on the IventureX website” and that plaintiffs were provided personalized videos of Harrington saying he was told about their product and that he was “in” and wanted to “partner up” with them.
— USA Today
