An openly gay pastor who sued Whole Foods last month is now dropping his lawsuit against the giant grocery chain.
Jordan Brown claimed that when he went to pick up a cake at a local Whole Foods, a homophobic message was written on the cake. The words on the cake were supposed to read “Love Wins” but Brown says the cake read “Love Wins F-G.”
Brown has now come clean and admitted that he made the entire incident up.
Brown released the following statement:
“I was wrong to pursue this matter and use the media to perpetuate this story. I want to apologize to Whole Foods and its team members for questioning the company’s commitment to its values, and especially the bakery associate who I understand was put in a terrible position because of my actions.”
The statement from Brown saved him from a costly countersuit lodged by Whole Foods for $100,000 claiming fraud. After Brown released his statement, Whole Foods released the following statement:
“We’re very pleased that the truth has come to light. Given Mr. Brown’s apology and public admission that his story was a complete fabrication, we see no reason to move forward with our counter suit to defend the integrity of our brand and team members.”
Brown attempted to use social media to bring attention to the homophobic hoax. He uploaded a YouTube video that showed him with the cake in his car and making claims that the workers at Whole Foods put the slur on his cake. In response, Whole Foods released security footage that showed Brown picking up the cake and paying for it at the register.
In addition, Brown has issued an apology to his church and to the LGBT community in Austin, Texas, for “diverting attention from the real issues.”
Brown has since shut down his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
