CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) — More than a month ago, Tessica Brown, a 40-year old Louisiana woman, ran out of her usual Got2B Glued brand hairspray and turned to a heavy-duty Gorilla Glue adhesive spray, believing it would hold down her hairstyle in a similar way.
In a TikTok video, she explained her conundrum, saying she had washed her hair “15 times and it don’t move.” She even demonstrated as much in the video.
At the time, she said her hair had been stuck in the hairstyle shown in the video for a month.
The video received more than 18 million views and prompted an official statement from Gorilla Glue to Beauty IRL the following day, saying:
“We do not recommend using our products in or on hair as they are considered permanent. If someone does use this on their hair, they can try soaking the affected area in warm, soapy water or apply rubbing alcohol to the affected area. In this case, the less aggressive solvent for her hair/scalp would be rubbing alcohol and we suggest that she saturate her hair, gently comb it out and then use shampoo. If her hair has truly been glued down to her scalp and immobile for a month with that many aggressive attempts to wash it out, it is possible her hair is fractured at the root but we certainly hope for the best. Her marketing team reached out to us and we have offered to speak with her to share these suggestions as well as checked in on her wellbeing. Safety is our top priority.”
After Gorilla Glue’s suggestion and further failed attempts at fixing her coif, Brown went to a local emergency room. However, the hospital visit didn’t solve her problem. Medical staff sent her home with acetone and sterilized water to remove the glue, but Brown said it burned her scalp and ended up hardening moments later.
Brown later flew out to Los Angeles to meet with a doctor who offered to help her free of charge.
TMZ reported on Feb. 8 that Brown has hired a lawyer and was considering a lawsuit against Gorilla Glue.
NewsNation affiliate WJZY legal expert Seema Iyer noted several issues that could factor in the likelihood of a lawsuit going past the filing stage:
- Brown didn’t give Gorilla Glue notice of the mishap in a timely fashion.
- The glue’s labeling clearly states that its intended and foreseeable purpose is not for the human body nor as a beauty product.
- A month has passed involving many washings and other intervening circumstances, thereby, causation is more removed.
Beyond these legal hurdles, Brown has a credibility problem, Iyer said.
Brown is listed as an influencer on the client list of Gitoni, Inc. along with reality stars such as JWoww from the Jersey Shore, several Real Housewives of Atlanta, and many more from the TV series Love & Hip Hop.
Most judges do not look kindly on plaintiffs with pecuniary motives, Iyer said.