Marissa Carter has issued an emotional statement about popular tanning brand, Cocoa Brown.
The multi-award-winning entrepreneur launched Cocoa Brown alongside beauty distributor Sundrelle back in 2012, the same company which co-owns Suzanne Jackson’s makeup brand SOSU by SJ.
Taking to her Instagram Story today, the mother-of-two said: “A day has come in my life that I really just didn’t want to ever have to get to this point. But unfortunately, I have been forced into a corner that I have tried to get out of…”
“I’ve tried to get out of it in a way that was as un-confrontational as I could. I think what it ultimately comes down to is I feel a responsibility as a mother, I feel a responsibility as a woman to fight my corner.”
Marissa broke down in tears as she claimed to have had issues with her business partners over the last few years, which she described as “the worst experience” of her life.
“I said nothing because I was embarrassed… I was ashamed that I could let happen to me,” she said.
“I just haven’t wanted to fight them – to fight them legally, to fight them tooth and nail. I’ve just let it happen and I’m sick of it, I can’t take it anymore.”
“I’m sharing this because I don’t want to be ashamed any more, and I want to fight them, and I’m gonna,” she continued.
“And I know that for legal reasons, I probably won’t be able to say much… I feel a bit like Britney Spears.”
“But I want you guys to know that I have really loved every minute, every minute of creating beauty products.”
Marissa said she’s poured her “heart and my soul” into the brand, and “sacrificed so much to make Cocoa Brown what it is today”.
Marissa then pointed out that over the years she’s received multiple awards as a woman in business, and admitted she felt like an “imposter” because of what was allegedly going on behind the scenes.
“I just felt heartbroken that I was letting all this stuff in the background happen to me…”
“And I guess I felt like an imposter. I felt like I’m not this strong, you know, capable woman that everyone thinks I am,” she said through tears.
“Anyway, look I’ve been building myself up and I have the support of my family, and I have friends that are amazing, and I feel ready…”
“And I’m sorry about the little emotional breakdown there, but I just really felt like I just needed to get all of that off my chest.”
Marissa said she hopes to inspire others to “speak out”, and added: “I hope that they’re going to see me fight this, and they’ll think if she can do it, I can do it.”
“I gonna go make a cup of tea now and I’m gonna stop crying, and I am going to be strong and fierce.”
“And every single time I feel like I can’t do it or I’m going to give up, I’m going to remind myself of all the messages I’ve received over the years from people telling me that that little pink bottle has inspired them to go after their dream, that’s what’s going to keep me going.”
“So thank you. Thank you to everyone who has ever messaged me because I read them, I read them all.”
Marissa was the face and CEO of Cocoa Brown since it launched in 2012, with the world’s first 1 hour tan.
Since then, the brand has grown to include over 20 products, and successfully launched in the US after being featured on the Instagram feeds of Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian.
Goss.ie has reached out to Sundrelle and a Cocoa Brown spokesperson for a comment.Â
