She doesn’t just scam sex workers. She scams small businesses too.
She dm’d my brand (Div9ne Collective) back in May asking for jewelry in return for a story shoutout & she never did it. Over $1.5k in products was sent to her. A thread: https://twitter.com/pinknews/status/1299873720903905280
She dm’d my brand (Div9ne Collective) back in May asking for jewelry in return for a story shoutout & she never did it. Over $1.5k in products was sent to her. A thread: https://twitter.com/pinknews/status/1299873720903905280
I planned to cut my losses and never post about this because cancel culture is toxic, but since Bella happens to be trending for scamming people, I feel an immense obligation to speak out on behalf of small businesses.
For the record, she reached out to me initially offering promotion in exchange for custom Chanel pieces. I did not reach out to her first.
Amid all that has been going on, I refuse to be affiliated with someone who has affected thousands of people in the way that she has. Div9ne promotes inclusivity, equality, and representation of all — which is the opposite of what she has done hence the flame underneath her.
I try to keep div9ne all about positivity & love so while I don’t want this situation to be a marker of my company, it does frustrate me knowing someone with a platform as big as hers is willing to rip off a one woman brand just beginning to establish itself with zero remorse
This isn’t about clout. This isn’t about trying to exploit someone just for cancel culture. This is about bringing awareness to how celebrities & influencers are constantly taking advantage of small businesses because they know there is nothing they will do about it.
I know I’m not the only small business that has been scammed & exploited by a celebrity. Stealing and scamming is not something that should be overlooked just because you have millions of followers.
I originally was going to stay quiet about this, even potentially giving her the benefit of the doubt that maybe ONE DAY she’ll follow through. But she is simply not someone I want to represent my brand, especially not after what me & thousands of others were put through.
I sent her over $1500 worth of products that I could not afford to lose out on. Let alone during a global pandemic. I have remained incredibly patient and kind to her despite being ignored for months. I never hounded her, I gave her her time to do it when she wanted.
I didn’t want to be pushy considering she was doing me a favor— but she took advantage of my kindness & over compensation (spending hours of my time & hard earned money on CUSTOM pieces, expediting packages, changing the jewelry from gold to silver bc she doesn’t like gold, etc)
This is what I sent her to hold her over because she told me after I made her gold Chanel necklaces she actually likes silver and wants them in silver.
Her audio message: sorry didn’t see this, my messages get buried
Never addressing the pieces or saying thank you.
Her audio message: sorry didn’t see this, my messages get buried
Never addressing the pieces or saying thank you.
So I sent her the silver Chanel pieces after 2 weeks of trying to scramble to finish them (spending hundreds of more dollars to completely change the style) & she asked me to expedite them so she could wear them for a photoshoot (she didn’t wear them lol).
Since then, silence.
Since then, silence.
This is 4 months of no action, no commitment to keeping her end of the deal. From the beginning of May to now, SEPTEMBER.
If you own a small business, my advice to you is that just because someone with a large following asks to collaborate, that doesn’t necessarily entail they will have integrity. Please be careful and remember your time, money & energy deserve to be preserved. No one deserves this.
Dear sex workers, you are seen, heard & recognized. I stand with you. Dear small business owners who have been taken advantage of by her, you are amazing & will continue to grow. Please reach out to me and I will personally support you! Tag your business to this thread !!
