January 12, 2023
Support Black Women: Pinky Cole Shuts Down Lawsuit Claims After ‘Today’ Show Segment Cancelled
Atlanta restaurateur and Slutty Vegan founder Aisha “Pinky” Cole is taking to social media to address the lawsuit she believes resulted in her Today show segment being canceled.
Cole posted a lengthy statement to Facebook and Instagram on Wednesday to deny claims made against her in a lawsuit. Filed by a former employee, the lawsuit claimed that the restaurant chain owner and her partners of Bar Vegan took portions of the employees’ tips and failed to pay them minimum wage.
The post came just hours after Cole announced her upcoming segment on Today.
“The only thing better than tomorrow is being a guest on TODAY,” Cole wrote in her initial Today show announcement. “Tune in tomorrow, LIVE!”
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But just three hours after expressing her excitement about the guest appearance, Cole returned to Instagram to post a short and direct note: “TODAY SHOW CANCELLED MY SEGMENT.”
Against her attorney’s advice, Pinky reminded people that she not only doesn’t handle the day-to-day operations of Bar Vegan, but she is a philanthropist with a big heart who would never steal anyone’s money.
In the post’s caption, Cole shared a long statement that shut down allegations made in a lawsuit.
“Since I was a kid, I have only operated with integrity. I don’t lie, I don’t steal and more importantly, I DON’T PLAY WITH PEOPLE’S MONEY,” Cole wrote.
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“This week, I was named in a lawsuit for one of my companies, Bar Vegan, alongside my partners, over alleged unpaid wages from one employee. Again, ALLEGED,” she explained.
“Up until this point, I was not familiar with this ordeal or the employee, because I don’t run day to day operations at Bar Vegan.”
Cole went on to call out the media who deemed the lawsuit as a “SEXY STORY” that makes “a community leader look like a bad guy,” while overlooking all the impactful work she’s done for the community and the countless other employees who have never made claims against her business practices.
“The people who know me, know I ONLY operate in integrity, so this is a wicked narrative especially when this is nothing more than an allegation,” Cole quipped.
But with the lawsuit making media headlines, Cole believes the incident is what prompted the Today Show to cancel her segment one day before she was set to make the appearance.
“My lawyers have advised me not to comment on this, but now my reputation is being compromised and I’m being removed from an opportunity that I worked my entire life for,” she explained.
Cole continued, “To get a call that I was removed from tomorrows show because they don’t want to be involved in the storylines, is bizarre to me, but all good,” she wrote.
On Thursday, Cole followed up with an update on a new property she closed on for another Slutty Vegan location in Washington, DC.
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Pinky Cole has become an Atlanta institution wither her Slutty Vegan brand, which was inspired by her own cravings for vegan junk food. She came up with the name Slutty Vegan as a provocative hook.
Cole has used her platform and influence to bring about change. She and fellow alumna Stacy Lee paid the tuition of 30 Clark Atlanta University seniors in September 2019. In May 2022, Cole gifted an LLC to every graduating student at the Clark Atlanta University commencement ceremony. Cole runs her own philanthropic organization, The Pinky Cole Foundation, which focuses on providing financial support and educational programs for children of color.
The Today Show has not responded to the claims.
We support you, Pinky! Keep fighting!