Freedom Rave Wear Cofounder Alyssa Hodgen shared a video disputing three influencers’ apparent claims about the company’s business practices.
In June and July, Freedom Rave Wear (FRW) was the subject of TikTok posts made by two influencers who had previously partnered with the clothing brand in which they accused its owners of stealing an idea for a product line and exploiting them financially. FRW Cofounder Alyssa Hodgen has posted a video of her own to “set the record straight” with apparent screen shots of their interactions.
In the tearful 46-minute video, Hodgens discussed FRW’s dealings with the two influencers, who go by Reno and Netty on social media. She also talked about claims made by another called Sami LeBlunt in comments on various online forums.
Hodgens said that Reno’s June 12 video accused FRW of telling a third party that Reno’s content wasn’t worth anything and balking at the idea of paying her after she had earned the brand millions of social media views. Hodgens said that Reno removed the video after FRW provided her with “evidence contradicting her claims.”
Then, Hodgens says that on July 8, Netty posted a video claiming that FRW treated her poorly — and again, it was deleted after the brand provided evidence to the contrary. Hodgens alleged that Netty lied about nonpayments issues and mischaracterized how FRW had used her idea for a product line called the Wisteria Collection.
To support her case, Hodgens shared apparent screen shots of FRW generously reworking deals with Netty when she asked for more money. She also posted videos of the meeting in which she appeared to tearfully agree to pay Netty 7% in royalties for Wisteria after she allegedly argued that she was entitled to them for coming up with the name alone.
“For me, she was more important than the money, she was more important than that collection,” said Hodgens, who said that she considered Netty a friend and shared screenshots of their glowing interactions leading up to and after the dispute. “Our relationship was the most important thing to me.”
Hodgens also posted apparent screen shots of comments made by the third influencer, Sami LeBlunt, in which she claimed that “they didn’t respect my autism or ADHD” and vaguely alluded to further mistreatment. Hodgens claimed that LeBlunt had only ever said anything positive to FRW staff in their personal interactions, and she accused LeBlunt of selling an outfit that they gifted her and claiming that she couldn’t retrieve it from a former friend with whom she had fallen out.
EDM Identity reached out to Reno, Netty, and LeBlunt for comment and did not immediately hear back.
Hodgens founded Freedom Rave Wear alongside her fiancé, Michael, in 2014. The two traveled around the country selling their garments out of a trailer at festivals before opening their headquarters in 2018.
