This has to be one of the strangest public lawsuits in recent memory involving a big-name athlete. Wayne Gretzky faces a $10 Million lawsuit for allegedly lying about losing weight from chewing gum.
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According to court documents filed in Los Angeles and obtained by TMZ, Steven Sparks, creator of "OMG gum," alleges in the lawsuit that he hired Wayne's wife, Janet, to promote his product.
Sparks claims that things started going downhill after Wayne had lied about the product Janet was paid to promote — Wayne initially claimed he lost 35 pounds in two-months from chewing the gum. Sparks believes Wayne made up the lie to help boost the company's stock, which Gretzky "surreptitiously purchased under his family's name," as per TMZ.
Sparks says he then invested additional money and resources into the company without knowing Wayne had been lying. But, when Wayne apparently admitted to fabricating his results from the gum, the company's stock tanked and Sparks was left with up to $10 million in losses.
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According to the legal documents, BuChew — which was created to market and distribute OMG gum — hired Janet Gretzky in 2017 as a spokesperson of BuChew’s products.
In 2018, Gretzky allegedly claimed he "chewed multiple pieces" of OMG gum on a daily basis and that he "loved" how it tasted before saying he dropped "35 pounds in six to eight weeks" while using the product.
Then, according to the lawsuit: “on or about February 20, 2020, Wayne stated to Steven that he ‘really did not lose 35 pounds.’ This admission was not repeated to those investors who had invested expressly based upon their belief in ‘OMG gum’ because it had been endorsed by the ‘Great One.’”
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As part of the lawsuit, Sparks is asking for $500,000 in attorney fees to be paid by Gretzky — with 10 percent interest.
Gretzky, who played 20 seasons in the NHL, and is widely regarded the greatest athlete of all time, has an estimated net worth of around $250 Million.
The couple, who have been married since 1988, have five children together.
