Fake Frozen Yogurt Ads Plague Diamondbacks and Other MLB Teams

The piece digs into the rapid rise—and messy collapse—of Crèmily, a froyo brand that splashed its name all over MLB venues during the Diamondbacks’ World Series run. Lawsuits, controversy, and a tangled cast of characters followed close behind.

Reporter Sam Blum traces a lot of the trouble back to Steven Delaportas, a CEO with a long trail of litigation and unpaid bills in his wake. Meanwhile, founder Kylie Schuyler tries to navigate a weird mix of legit business and questionable connections.

The story stretches from upstate New York farms like Ronnybrook all the way to big-name stadiums. Partnerships started strong, with promises of compensation and stock options, but those deals fell apart and left a lot of partners hanging.

Crèmily’s Major-Venue Marketing Push

Crèmily pushed hard for legitimacy by putting its branding front and center at Chase Field during the Diamondbacks’ big run. It was a bold move—high-profile images, splashy partnerships—all meant to show the world they were growing fast.

But did the product actually exist? That question kept popping up. The company leaned on its French-inspired, sheep’s-milk keto yogurt branding, spreading to other venues and events, but some critics doubted anything real was behind the hype.

The Cast, The Deals, The Allegations

Kylie Schuyler started Crèmily, blending some legitimate business with a few eyebrow-raising connections. She stayed linked to Steven Delaportas even as his legal troubles piled up.

Investigative reporting shows their partnership was full of big branding promises. But there were also disturbing reports of unpaid partners and staff, repeating a pattern seen in Delaportas’s past ventures.

They brought in recognizable industry figures, like Brendan Cunningham from the Diamondbacks, to boost credibility. Still, several hires and partners say they never got the compensation or stock options they were promised. It started to feel like the effort was more about looking good than actually delivering a product.

Branding vs Reality: Evidence in Field

Photos from games and events show Crèmily logos at Angel Stadium, Madison Square Garden, and even during a Mets Women’s Day event. Fans saw the branding everywhere, but did anyone ever get real yogurt?

The whole thing looked like a slick advertising campaign, not a straightforward product launch. Fans and venues alike were left scratching their heads about what was actually being offered.

Despite the flashy visuals, independent critics and some partners questioned whether Crèmily ever produced or distributed real yogurt. That made things tricky for venues and organizers who had signed on, suddenly facing reputational risks they probably didn’t expect.

Ripple Effects: Farms, Venues and People

Upstate New York farms like Ronnybrook signed multi-year deals, hoping for growth. But payments dried up, and some farms nearly went under because of it.

The fallout didn’t stop there. Employees and former associates struggled to find new work after their Crèmily connections came to light, making the whole mess even harder to shake.

Many partners faced real financial strain and even industry stigma. The whole episode ended up highlighting just how risky these high-profile branding plays can be—and the very real human cost behind the headlines.

What Comes Next: Legal Actions and Industry Lessons

Legal actions and public scrutiny quickly followed Crèmily’s rise and collapse. Venues, farms, and staff scrambled to cope with the fallout from a branding effort that some folks called phony instead of forthright.

Sam Blum‘s investigation points to a pattern of alleged scheming and nonpayment. It doesn’t look like simple business misfortune at all.

For sports marketers and team partners, the Crèmily saga feels like a cautionary tale about due diligence and vetting product claims. There’s a real risk in relying on flashy endorsements without proof of payoff.

Honestly, the industry needs to protect itself from reputational damage when chasing sponsorships. It’s a tough lesson, but probably one worth learning.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Ads for allegedly fake frozen yogurt company causing headaches for Diamondbacks, other MLB teams