CINCINNATI, Ohio – Singer Jewel Kilcher and event producer Trevor Drinkwater dey lock horns with Kroger supermarket over rights to their celebrated Wellness Your Way festival. Their lawsuit claims Kroger don breach contract after dem allegedly took over the event, cutting off Jewel and Drinkwater from their own creation.
When Jewel first launched the festival in 2018, she said her mission na to promote wellness and emotional fitness. ‘Na lack of empathy we dey face, and we need to correct am,’ she stated at the opening event. The festival featured cooking demos, yoga, and discussions about well-being, and attracted large crowds, as Drinkwater explained, ‘This is our chance to make the world better.’
But since then, tings don change. Jewel and Drinkwater allege in their lawsuit that Kroger end their five-year agreement suddenly, even though it still dey run under the guise of their festival. The complaint notes that they lost potential millions in revenue while Drinkwater suffered major financial losses.
Kroger no gree talk on the matter but dey try to have the case dismissed, claiming the former partners no get valid agreements. Legal documents show say dem file the lawsuit first in California in 2022 before refiling am in Ohio in late 2023. The case don enter spotlight recently following Kroger’s failed $25 billion merger with Albertsons.
McMullen, who resign from Kroger in March 2023 due to ‘personal conduct’ issues, led Kroger to greater heights before his sudden departure. His management had witnessed Kroger’s stock soar and the grocery chain become the largest in the United States. But with his exit, many people dey speculate if the festival lawsuit and his resignation dey interconnect.
‘It no easy to run a festival without support, and we expected our partnership to last,’ Drinkwater says. He pointed out that Jewel played a significant role, performing multiple shows and attending many panels, helping to bring in influential figures to the event. In 2021, the festival finally started turning profits, generating $500,000, still leaving Drinkwater in debt.
The lawsuit claims Kroger forced them to use a specific vendor for sponsorship, allegedly breaching their own anti-nepotism policy. Drinkwater’s attorney, Brian O’Connor, plans to probe Kroger’s culture and policies during the trial.
Kroger has made it clear they want to take a more prominent role in the festival, insisting on ownership, and Drinkwater alleges they conspired secretly to push him and Jewel out. Jewel reached out to McMullen directly at that time, saying, ‘It looks like we have been hijacked,’ which highlighted the nature of their fallout.
Even with the ongoing legal battle, Kroger plans to host the festival again this year, although Jewel won’t participate. Drinkwater’s team is poised to uncover intricacies during the continued litigation, and the full story behind Kroger’s leadership shakeup remains unclear.
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