Monique Rodriguez, the founder and CEO of renowned haircare brand Mielle is speaking out about the controversy that recently engulfed her products.
Back in September, Mielle Organics faced backlash after a TikTok user resurfaced a 2022 lawsuit against the brand.
The lawsuit accused the Black-woman-owned company of allegedly using cancer-causing chemicals in its hair-strengthening shampoo and violating Prop 65, which requires clear warnings about potential risks.
At the time, Rodriguez addressed the allegations, saying,
“When I made the decision to partner with P&G, it was driven by my vision to take Mielle to new heights and become a global beauty brand. That vision remains as strong as ever today.”
She also reassured customers that no changes had been made to the product formulas, encouraging them to compare ingredients and conduct their own research before believing false claims.
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Now, in a new video, Rodriguez is shedding even more light on the controversy—revealing that a competitor allegedly paid a creator to spread false claims about the brand.
“Good evening you guys,” Rodriguez began. “As most of you know, it has always been very important for me to keep you in the loop about this entrepreneurial journey because I have to be totally honest with you guys.”
Rodriguez highlighted the challenges of being a Black woman in the entrepreneurial space, sharing how the recent backlash had weighed heavily on her.
“It is not for the faint at heart,” she continued. “Okay? Especially being a Black woman and using my platform to serve and uplift and knowing that I have always dedicated my platform to serving and uplifting? But this has been heavy on my heart so I wanted to share this.”
She lightly touched on the controversy and acknowledged the support from her loyal customers, whom she affectionately called “mavens and mavericks,” for standing by her through it all.
“I have always been very transparent with you all and this situation is no different,” Rodriguez said. “As many of you have been seeing that Mielle has been buzzing in the media lately and some of you have stood up and shown support like true loyal mavens and mavericks…and I just want to say thank you. I truly truly appreciate it.”
The CEO then went on to drop a bombshell.
“But here’s the thing. We recently discovered that the original TikTok creator who sparked all of those rumors about Mielle products causing hair loss and falsely claiming that the Rosemary Mint Oil formula has changed, that creator has been paid by one of our competitors.”
According to Rodriguez, the TikTok creator was allegedly earning commissions to promote a competitor’s product while spreading misinformation about Mielle Organics
“Yes, this creator was earning commission to promote a competitor’s product while spreading misinformation about our products for their own personal gain,” she explained.
She also noted that some who joined in on the conversation appeared to have their own ulterior motives
So you know what they say,” Rodriguez went on. “When they go low, we go high. And out of respect for everyone involved, we tried to handle this situation quietly, but it has reached a point to where I feel it’s important to be transparent with you all.”
Rodriguez emphasized that the false claims had been addressed, and the original TikTok creator behind the rumors had been removed. She also reassured customers of the safety and quality of Mielle’s products.
“it is very disheartening because I have always operated with a spirit of belief in that there’s room enough for everyone to win,” she said. “But unfortunately not everyone shares that same belief.”
“So I just wanna reassure you guys that our products are safe, they’re based on consistent formulas, sourcing and processing and they are used and loved by millions of satisfied customers every day without a problem.”
Ending on a note of gratitude, Rodriguez expressed her appreciation to her supporters and urged them to help share the truth because “the truth matters and it\s up to us to make sure that the truth is heard.”
“I’m grateful for all of that support. I see you guys out there, standing up for us in the comments, fighting with people in the comments. I appreciate you guys more than you’ll probably ever know.”
“But now I need your help. Please spread this word and share this message with everyone that you know. Because the truth matters and it’s up to us to make sure that the truth is heard.”
Rodriguez also reiterated the importance of maintaining integrity in business.
“And I’ve always focused on integrity because you can never go wrong with being honest and having integrity. And, more importantly, I’m always gonna stand on business.”
Watch the video below:
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