Uncle Nearest Receiver Requests Gag Order Against Fawn Weaver Following 'Widespread Confusion' From Employees, Vendors, Creditors, And Shareholders

Uncle Nearest’s receiver seeks to bar its founders from speaking publicly about the brand’s ongoing case.

In a new update shared by The Lynchburg Times, receiver Phillip G. Young Jr. requested that a federal judge issue a gag order that would prevent Fawn Weaver, Keith Weaver, and their related entity Grant Sidney from publicly discussing the receivership on social media or with employees, vendors, creditors, shareholders, investors, and distributors.

This request was made in a filing on Monday, March 23, notes the outlet.

The request comes after Fawn took to Instagram to announce that “the receivership has ended” and “the reorganization has begun.” The post coincided with a press release stating that Uncle Nearest was filing a lawsuit against its lender, Farm Credit Mid-America, in the New York Supreme Court for a smear campaign that made false claims of missing inventory, financial misconduct, negative cash flow, and insolvency. The receivership was put in place in August 2025 after the brand defaulted on more than $108 million in loans, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.

Furthermore, Fawn also said in the press release that the company was filing for Chapter 11 protection. However, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne Bauknight blocked the filing on March 19 because it violated orders issued by the case overseer, U.S. District Judge Charles Atchley Jr.

Young claims that Fawn also texted employees that Uncle Nearest declared bankruptcy.

“She also sent a text message to all Uncle Nearest employees sharing the same message — and then sent another text message to all employees announcing that she had appealed the Bankruptcy Court’s dismissal of her unauthorized bankruptcy filings,” the receiver said in his filing, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. “The result … has been widespread confusion.”

Young said that the confusion led to one distillery employee resigning as a result of the “whiplash” from the filings, according to the outlet.

That confusion also extended to creditors, vendors, shareholders, and those who were potentially looking to purchase the company’s assets, he noted.

“At least two potential asset purchasers emailed the receiver asking for confirmation that he would be able to deliver title to property, one of whom ‘put on hold’ their work on this transaction as a direct result of Ms. Weaver’s actions,” the filing stated, per the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Young also added that distributor payments have been delayed.

“This has to stop. The confusion created around the company since the autumn by Ms. Weaver’s filings and her social media communications has cost this receivership countless hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars,” the receiver said in the filing, per the outlet. “More importantly, she has significantly damaged the brand by these actions.”

Young previously asked for $75,000 in monetary sanctions. In Monday’s filing, however, he is now seeking a gag order in addition to the sanctions and requested that the court “should enjoin Fawn Weaver from speaking about this proceeding,” notes the Lexington Herald-Leader.