TSR Investigates
Beauty brand Ebin New York is going viral — but for all the wrong reasons. Ex-employees have come forward to accuse the retailer, which is geared toward Black consumers, of discrimination and racism.
Additionally, they allege that the brand subjected them to multiple instances of mistreatment.
Now, beauty influencers are calling for the brand to be boycotted as consumers demand answers.
The Shade Room’s Justin Carter is getting to the bottom of the matter for ‘TSR Investigates.’
According to Carter, Samiyah Gaddy joined the brand’s marketing team in August 2023. Gaddy reportedly expected to be surrounded by other “like-minded” individuals.
However, she was allegedly in for a surprise.
“It was a work culture rooted in racism,” she reportedly told Carter, before later stating. “The office was full of Koreans, but what made me feel okay was that I seen a whole bunch of Black women in the hallways and stuff.”
Gaddy soon realized that the Black women she saw were beauty advisors who did not hold corporate positions within the company. However, as she proceeded with her career, she quickly found herself creating viral content for the brand.
But things took a turn one day after she realized the viral video she created was deleted. After inquiring about the reason why, Gaddy was allegedly told that the video garnered too many negative comments. However, something didn’t add up.
“[I was] still logged into their TikTok on my computer, so I go… and I’m reading the comments, and everyone’s laughing — everyone’s like, ‘Who’s on the marketing team? They need a raise,'” she recalled.
In addition to the viral praise, commenters inquired about whether the brand was Black-owned. According to Carter, the inquiries “struck a nerve” with Ebin’s Korean corporate staff.
“I felt comfortable there. They made me feel comfortable. They were speaking to me the whole time in English [but] that next day, completely different,” Gaddy explained.
Scroll above to watch as Carter explains how Gaddy’s treatment at Ebin “spiraled,” and she allegedly faced retaliation. In addition, watch as Carter speaks with another former employee about their alleged experience and reaches out to Ebin New York for their response to the discrimination allegations.
