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Snoop Dogg, Master P’s company sues Post claiming ‘bad faith’
A lawsuit filed by their company, Broadus, alleges Post “had no intention” of following through on the deal to make, distribute and promote the new Snoop Cereal.
LAKEVILLE, Minn. — Editor’s note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 in December 2022.
The company owned by A-list rappers Snoop Dogg and Master P is ready to drop its agreement with Lakeville-based Post cereal brands like it’s hot.
A lawsuit filed in Dakota County Tuesday, alleges Post “had no intention” of following through on the deal to make, distribute and promote the rappers’ new cereal brand.
The lawsuit filed by Broadus Foods, LLC, accuses Post Consumer Brands, LLC, Post Foods, LLC, and Walmart, Inc., of failing to honor their agreement reached in late 2022 to make the new Snoop Cereal readily available across major retailers, the largest distributor of which being Walmart.
While the lawsuit said Post tried to buy Snoop Cereal outright, the Broadus business partners “believed that selling the brand would destroy the whole purpose of leaving the company to their families as legacy.”
Broadus lawyers allege that’s why Snoop Cereal was “choked out” of the market.
“Essentially, because Snoop Dogg and Master refused to sell Snoop Cereal in totality, Post entered false arrangement where they could choke Broadus Foods out of the market, thereby preventing Snoop Cereal from being sold or produced by any competitor,” it read.
Despite the cereal’s initial success, court documents allege the product couldn’t be found on Walmart shelves shortly following its launch. The company said it later learned from employees at various stores that the cereal was in their stockrooms, but the boxes were “coded to not be on the store shelves.”
“Unlike the other Post branded boxes of cereal around them, these Snoop Cereal boxes had been in the stockrooms for months without ever being made available to customers,” the lawsuit claims.
Broadus Foods said that because Post and Walmart failed to honor their agreement, it resulted in losses that not only “cut into” profits, but
“Broadus Foods seeks to hold Defendants accountable and to preserve Snoop Dogg and Master P’s dreams of creating legacy for their families, adding diversity to the food industry, and giving back to their community,” the lawsuit said.
In response to the suit, Post claimed “consumer demand did not meet expectations.”
Post Consumer Brands was excited to partner with Broadus Foods and we made substantial investments in the business. We were equally disappointed that consumer demand did not meet expectations.
In response to its part in the suit, representatives for Walmart said they’ll wait to see what plays out in court.
Walmart values our relationships with our suppliers, and we have a strong history of supporting entrepreneurs. Many factors affect the sales of any given product, including consumer demand, seasonality, and price to name a few. We will respond as appropriate with the Court once we are served with the complaint.
Master P came by KARE 11 in December of 2022, just after the initial deal for Snoop Cereal was reached. He said the brand was created to “build economic empowerment,” “add diversity into these stores to be able to have an African-American-owned company,” and to make “delicious foods accessible to all.”
He added, “Post believed in our brand and Post believed in diversity.”
Broadus Foods is seeking $50,000 in damages for alleged expectancy damages; actual damage; lost profits; costs of marketing and other expenditures; specific performance; lost opportunities; lost reputation; legal costs and attorney’s fees and punitive damages.
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Police say the girl was struck near the intersection of 63rd Avenue North and Boone Avenue North just before 8:45 a.m.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — A 12-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle while waiting for the school bus Wednesday morning in Brooklyn Park.
Brooklyn Park Police say the girl sustained “moderate injuries” and was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Officers say the vehicle fled the scene and are asking anyone with information to reach out to the department at 763-493-8222.
Authorities say the girl was struck near the intersection of 63rd Avenue North and Boone Avenue North just before 8:45 a.m. The suspect vehicle, a white Hyundai Sonata, was traveling west on 63rd from the Bass Creek neighborhood and continues towards County Road 81, according to police.
Police released this picture of the suspect vehicle, and said that the rearview mirror on the passenger’s side is missing:
Plymouth Middle School Principal Tamiko Thomas confirmed in a letter to families that the 12-year old girl is a student at the school.
“Any time a young person is hurt or involved in an accident, it is upsetting for all involved and can be especially upsetting to students,” Thomas wrote. “Our staff at PMS are available for support if your student needs to connect with them.”
Tim Walz’s remarks weren’t his first mention of the shooting, but they offered the biggest stage yet to personalize an issue that has deeply affected.
MINNEAPOLIS — When the issue of gun violence came up at the vice presidential debate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had a personal story to tell: His teenage son, Gus, had been at a sports center last year when a shooting took place.
Gus Walz was at volleyball practice at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center in St. Paul the afternoon of Jan. 18, 2023, when a 16-year-old was shot and seriously wounded outside.
It wasn’t the first time Tim Walz had spoken about his son’s brush with gun violence, and the shooting itself was widely publicized locally. But the Democrat’s remarks Tuesday night at his debate with Republican JD Vance, as the public is still getting to know both vice presidential candidates, offered the biggest stage yet to personalize an issue that has deeply affected many American families.
On Wednesday, the youth’s volleyball coach, David Albornoz, praised Gus in an interview with The Associated Press for how he helped get other kids to safety and keep them calm amid the chaotic scene.
“I was impressed by Gus and the kids in general, and how they handled it,” Albornoz said. “Gus stayed with the kids as he was supposed to do.”
The shooting came up as Walz and Vance were debating gun violence.
“Well, I think all the parents watching tonight, this is your biggest nightmare,” Walz said. “Look, I’ve got a 17-year-old and he witnessed a shooting at a community center playing volleyball. Those things don’t leave you.”
Gus didn’t actually see the shooting itself, but he did witness the aftermath, said Albornoz, who is also aquatics facilities supervisor for St. Paul Parks. Among other things, he said, Gus saw Albornoz with blood on his hands from performing first aid on the victim.
Walz briefly brought up the shooting at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sept. 12, when he accused Vance and his running mate, former President Donald Trump, of minimizing gun violence at schools.
“My own son was in a location where someone was shot in the head. Too many of us have this,” the governor told the crowd.
Walz also mentioned it in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio in March, when he said Gus was still dealing with his feelings a year later.
“He was there with little kids, littler kids. He was kind of supervising. He shuffled them under the bleachers,” Walz told MPR.
Albornoz broadly backed up the governor’s version, although his memory was that Gus took the kids back to the pool area, where they waited behind locked doors until they got the all clear.
Gus got national attention during his father’s speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, when he was caught on camera standing up, tears streaming down his face. In a viral moment, Gus pointed to his father and exclaimed, “That’s my dad!”
After Gus got some derision for that, Albornoz posted a tribute on Facebook, saying they met when the teen sought him out to lead a volleyball team. He called Gus a “kid thrown into the fray and turmoil of our current divided and divisive political landscape, deserving of love and respect as he navigates his senior year.” He recalled how they and other kids would often go out for tacos after games.
“I also know him from when a kid got shot in the parking lot and he helped keeping everyone safe and calm, looking after the kids in the gym with us as I rushed out,” he wrote in August.
On Wednesday, Albornoz said Gus is just a regular teen who has suddenly been thrust into the national spotlight.
“He’s a normal kid in extraordinary circumstances,” the coach said.
In February, a judge sentenced Exavir Binford Jr., a rec center employee, to more than 10 years for shooting JuVaughn Turner. Binford pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in exchange for prosecutors dropping an attempted murder charge. Prosecutors say Binford shot Turner in the head during an altercation involving them and other teens. Turner’s family is now suing the city, saying he suffered permanent brain damage. They allege the city knew he had a history of violent conduct and threats to minors. The city has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, saying Binford was not acting within his official duties and had no police powers when he shot Turner.
On Tuesday night, after Walz brought up the shooting, Vance expressed his empathy.
“Tim, first of all, I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed a shooting, and I’m sorry about that. Christ, have mercy. It is awful,” Vance said.
“I appreciate that,” Walz replied.
MnDOT says all eastbound lanes will be closed for 10 days from Oct. 7-16, followed by a 7-day closure of westbound lanes from Oct. 17-27.
PLYMOUTH, Minn. — If you’ve driven the stretch of Highway 55 from Plymouth to Golden Valley recently, it comes as no secret: The heavily used roadway is one of the worst in the Twin Cities metro.
That will change soon with a major resurfacing project, but there will be inconvenience in getting to the finish line. MnDOT announced Wednesday that starting at 2 a.m. Oct. 7 and running through 10 p.m. Oct. 16, all eastbound lanes of Highway 55 will be shut down from I-494 to State Highway 169.
During this 10-day closure, MnDOT suggests motorists traveling eastbound on Highway 55 detour using southbound I-494 to eastbound I-394 to northbound Highway 169.
The next phase of the project involves shutting down the westbound lanes of Highway 55 starting at 2 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17, and winding up at 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27.
MnDOT advises drivers heading westbound on Highway 55 to use southbound I-494 to eastbound I-394 to northbound Highway 169 during this closure.
Be advised – all construction dates and work are weather-dependent and subject to change.
For more on the Highway 55 resurfacing project, visit the MnDOT website.
