Walmart Is Being Sued, and You'll Never Guess Who's Behind the Suit

It's hard not to come in contact with a Snoop Dogg product these days. His 19 Crimes Wines are displayed at the front of my local liquor store. My grocery store carries his Dr. Bombay ice cream. Yesterday, I opened Instagram, and there was a promo ad for Bic Lighters with Snoop and his good friends Martha Stewart and Willie Nelson.

It seems Snoop is everywhere, except in Walmart's cereal aisle. He and his business partner, Master P, are not happy with that.

A year ago, Snoop and Master P's Broadus Foods brand and Post partnered on a collection of cereal called Snoop Cereal. (Broadus is Snoop's legal last name.) Part of the proceeds from Broadus products go to charities tackling homelessness and food insecurity.

Why Is Snoop Dogg Suing Walmart and Post?

In a press release from Post Consumer Brands in January 2023, Post announced it would "produce the cereal, as well as provide research and development, sales and other supply-chain support."

Snoop and Master P have sued Post and Walmart, claiming that "both companies intentionally left their cereal product off shelves and hid it in stockrooms in an attempt to sabotage their brand," according to NPR.  

According to the lawsuit, "Post entered a false arrangement where they could choke Broadus Foods out of the market, thereby preventing Snoop Cereal from being sold or produced by any competitor." Additionally, it claims that at "many" Walmart stores, the cereal was listed as "sold out" or "out of stock" even though store employees say the cereal was in stockrooms, "coded to not be put out on the store shelves."

Walmart and Post Respond to Allegations

Walmart responded to NPR’s request for a statement by saying that it supports entrepreneurs and that “many factors,” including consumer demand, seasonality, and price, can affect sales. Post said there was a lack of consumer interest in the breakfast cereals. 

As the lawsuit goes forward, it seems that Snoop and Master P have turned to Amazon to sell the Snoop Cereal that comes in three varieties—Fruity Hoopz with Marshmallows, Cinnamon Toasteez, and Frosted Drizzlerz. The brand’s Instagram page has mentioned in every recent post that the cereal is available on Amazon.