Texan fitness influencer Brittany Dawn strikes deal with state
A North Texas fitness influencer accused of deceptive business practices has reached a settlement with the state of Texas, court documents show.
Social media personality Brittany Dawn Davis faced a lawsuit over a fitness plan that state officials said violated consumer protection laws and misled followers with eating disorders.
The settlement comes two weeks before a Dallas County trial was scheduled. A court coordinator said a final hearing will be scheduled to finalize the deal, although no date has been set.
Terms of the settlement were not made public, and Davis’ attorneys nor the Texas attorney general’s office responded immediately to requests for comment. The attorney general’s office was seeking up to $1 million in fines and court costs.
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The lawsuit centered on Davis’ business, Brittany Dawn Fitness, which offered a personalized health and fitness coaching service.
Beginning in 2014, Davis sold online fitness packages ranging from $92 (one-time consultation) to $300 (three months) to thousands of clients, according to the lawsuit. But the plans weren’t tailored and Davis didn’t provide coaching and check-ins as promised, the state said.
On social media, Davis positioned herself as having overcome her eating disorders with nutrition and exercise, the lawsuit said, leading clients to believe she was trained to deal with such conditions.
A former client, who at one point weighed less than 80 pounds, was quoted in the lawsuit as saying she chose Davis because she advertised herself as an “eating disorder trooper.” Another said she nearly passed out from inadequate nutrition.
A woman contacted Davis asking for help. “I really need guidance, help, the right information and support right now. I have an eating disorder. Horrible body image views. I’m underweight for my height.”
Davis replied: “Great! Welcome to the #teambrittanydawn family.”
In some cases, Davis provided weight loss plans to clients who needed to gain weight, according to the lawsuit.
Davis has denied accepting customers with eating disorders, the lawsuit says, but at least 14 customers who have asked for refunds have mentioned eating disorders in their complaints.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office began receiving complaints in 2019 as customers sought refunds, often without success.
Davis apologized Good morning America that year and shut down her fitness website bdawnfit.com. The website is now active, even if the shop is closed.
Since then, Davis has shifted her focus to social media platforms from fitness to faith, often posting inspirational and Christian content. She has maintained a large following, including 480,000 followers on Instagram and 1.3 million on TikTok.
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