ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr announced today that the BrownGirls Experience and its sole owner and operator, Cemaka Means (a/k/a Cemaka Zeigler, Nikki Means, or Nikki Nicole), have entered into a settlement with the State of Georgia to provide refunds to consumers who paid to participate as models in, or to attend, “BrownGirls Experience Tour” modeling events across the United States and the Caribbean that were either canceled or did not take place.

The Attorney General’s Office alleges that, in 2017 and 2018, BrownGirls Experience and Cemaka Means advertised and held modeling events around the country and abroad entitled the “BrownGirls Experience Tour.” Specifically, they used social media, email, and ticket sales websites to advertise 22 different locations at which the BrownGirls Experience Tour events were to take place:  Atlanta, GA; Augusta, GA; Bahamas; Charleston, SC; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Columbus, GA; Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Jackson, MS; Jacksonville, FL; Jamaica; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Mobile, AL; Montgomery, AL; Nashville, TN; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, DC. In addition to selling tickets to these events, the company collected a $30 fee from consumers who wanted to participate in the event as models and receive a T-shirt. However, only the Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville events actually occurred. The Attorney General’s Office alleges that the remaining 19 events never took place and that many consumers who bought tickets to or paid to participate in those events have not received refunds.

In resolution of these allegations, the BrownGirls Experience and Cemaka Means have entered into a settlement with the Attorney General’s Office in which they agreed to pay $5,700 in civil penalties to the State and to pay restitution to consumers who paid to attend or participate in events that never occurred and for which they were never refunded.  Cemaka Means and the BrownGirls Experience have agreed to cease doing any type of business in the State of Georgia. If the company or Ms. Means violates any provision of this settlement, they must pay an additional $13,300 penalty.

Refunds

Anyone who paid the BrownGirls Experience or Cemaka Means to attend or participate in a BrownsGirl Tour event that never took place may be entitled to compensation under the settlement and should fill out and submit a prescribed claim form, along with supporting documentation, to the Georgia Department of Law. Claim forms must be postmarked, faxed or hand-delivered no later than 5:00 pm EDT on January 15, 2020 to be considered for restitution.

Eligibility

To be eligible for restitution, you must demonstrate that:

  • You made a payment to the BrownGirls Experience or Cemaka Means to attend or participate in a BrownGirls Experience Tour event that did not take place; and
  • You have not received a refund for the above-referenced purchase from the BrownGirls Experience, from Cemaka Means, or through a chargeback from a credit card or electronic payment processor (for example, PayPal or Square).

Filing a Claim

You can download a claim form here.

Completed claims and any documentation, should be submitted by mail, overnight delivery, fax or hand-delivery to: 

Georgia Department of Law - Consumer Protection Division
ATTN: The BrownGirls Experience Restitution
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, Suite 356
Atlanta, GA  30334-9077

Fax number:  (404) 651-9018

You may NOT submit the Claim Form by email.

Claims must be postmarked or faxed no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on January 15, 2020.