By: Natasha Archary
Melany Viljoen has responded to the Tammy Taylor’s $100 million lawsuit and claims that together with husband Peet Viljoen, the South African couple stole the American businesswoman’s name and brand.
In a 3-part video series on her social media, Melany says she will continue fighting for the nail salon empire she and her husband have in South Africa, which was built using the Tammy Taylor brand.
Tammy, the CEO and founder of the Tammy Taylor nail product brand has filed a $100 million lawsuit against Melany and Peet for infringing on the Tammy Taylor trademark and bringing her brand into disrepute with their alleged shady dealings.
The South African businesswoman said she had an agreement with Tammy Taylor to use her brand in South Africa to distribute nail products, but in 2022 Tammy ended the contract.
Melany says she only decided to speak out about the entire ordeal with Tammy after the latter took to social media to bring disrepute to her and her husband’s name and discredit them.
“Today, we stand firm in our ownership of the Tammy Taylor name in South Africa, ready to confront misconceptions and false narratives head-on. It’s time to set the record straight, to shed light on the reality behind the facade, and to reclaim our narrative.
Our journey with Tammy Taylor has been a rollercoaster of shattered trust and broken promises.
From false assurances of exclusive product origins to Billie’s story that only confirmed to me Tammy’s betrayal during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus my belief in Tammy’s integrity crumbled because she was still able to fool us in times of need.No more glossing over the facts: it’s time to expose the reality.
My main line of defense was always to remain silent, as it felt like a more mature approach to take. I am speaking my truth, the moments leading up to Tammy’s social media outburst.
And to Tammy, it is a shame that we couldn’t resolve this face to face. I valued our friendship, and I am deeply upset that you never allowed me the opportunity to get closure.
But enough is enough, if you want to resolve this matter amicably, in person, I will be more than happy to do so, but I cannot idly stand by and watch you misconstrue me on social media.”
@melviljoen ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: I am speaking my truth PART 1 We were lied to: TAMMY FOOLED US The moment my trust was broken: TAMMY SOLD IT TO BILLIE EILISH Carte Blanche: HAPPY SIMELANE Today, we stand firm in our ownership of the Tammy Taylor name in South Africa, ready to confront misconceptions and false narratives head-on. It’s time to set the record straight, to shed light on the reality behind the facade, and to reclaim our narrative. This video is a testament to our journey, our resilience, and our unwavering dedication to the truth. – – – #tammytaylor #tammytaylornails #mytruth ♬ original sound – Mel Viljoen
@melviljoen ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: Speaking my Truth Part 2 Our journey with Tammy Taylor has been a rollercoaster of shattered trust and broken promises. From false assurances of exclusive product origins to Billie’s story that only confirmed to me Tammy’s betrayal during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus my belief in Tammy’s integrity crumbled because she was still able to fool us in times of need. No more glossing over the facts: it’s time to expose the reality. Part 3 coming soon, Carte Blanche and Happy Simelane – – – #TammyTaylor #mytruth #tammytaylornails ♬ original sound – Mel Viljoen
@melviljoen Enough is Enough: My main line of defense was always to remain silent, as it felt like a more mature approach to take. I am speaking my truth, the moments leading up to Tammy’s social media outburst. Carte Blanche and Happy Simelane all unpacked in this video. And to Tammy, it is a shame that we couldn’t resolve this face to face. I valued our friendship, and I am deeply upset that you never allowed me the opportunity to get closure. But enough is enough, if you want to resolve this matter amicably, in person, I will be more than happy to do so, but I cannot idly stand by and watch you misconstrue me on social media. Thank you for allowing me the platform to speak. -Mel – – – #tammytaylor #tammytaylornails #mytruth ♬ original sound – Mel Viljoen
According to Taylor there are ongoing disputes regarding the matter, and she accused the Viljoen’s of bringing her brand into disrepute with their alleged shady dealings.
Over the years there have been a number of investigations into the South African couple, after a number of aspiring female entrepreneurs lodged complaints with the National Consumer Commission.
The women are said to have paid R345 000 to the Viljoen’s in hopes to open a Tammy Taylor Nails franchise which never came to fruition.
Carte Blanche did an expose on Melany and Peet Viljoen in 2020, after the women alleged they were scammed and bullied by the couple.
Also read: Vivian Reddy clears confusion between him and Visvin Reddy
