Meet LaShae Kimbrough, The Breakout Star Of The LuLaRich Documentary
The Amazon Prime docuseries "LuLaRich" came with many memorable moments, which isn't surprising considering that the main subjects, LuLaRoe founders Mark and DeAnne Stidham, told such fascinating tales of how they come from a long line of entrepreneurs and how their goal in life is to help others succeed — even if they succeed the most.
However, the true laugh-out-loud moment of the limited series was when LuLaRoe onboarding expert and retailer LaShae Kimbrough talked about the cruise that the Stidhams offered as a reward for their most successful clothing retailers. They extended her an invitation, but the Black woman was not about to go. "I did turn down the cruise," she said in "LuLaRich." "I love white people to death, but being on a boat in the middle of nowhere... I'll see you all when you all get back."
Kimbrough's frank, insightful, and often humorous comments on the job she held at LuLaRoe's California corporate office made her one of the breakout stars of "LuLaRich." It wasn't something that Kimbrough sought out or expected, but she is determined to make the best of it.
LaShae Kimbrough has become a pro at documentaries
"LuLaRich" isn't the first time that LaShae Kimbrough set out to tell the truth about LuLaRoe in a documentary. Vice produced a half-hour report on why retailers started leaving the company in 2019 and interviewed Kimbrough.
"I didn't know people would fall in love with me, and that's not why I did it," she told TVLine. "This is not my first documentary. When I did the Vice documentary on LuLaRoe, people barely noticed. This time, it feels like everyone noticed, and I never thought in a million years that a response of this magnitude could come from it. Not even close. I am just as surprised as anybody."
When Kimbrough first began working at LuLaRoe, it was in the home office in Corona, California, onboarding new retailers, as she explained in "LuLaRich." When she saw the kind of money some of the women in the new multi-level marketing company were making, she decided to become a retailer herself. But she also saw things at LuLaRoe that made her want to speak out.
"I'm fine with getting subpoenaed," Kimbrough said (via TVLine), regarding potential repercussions from the owners should she speak out about her experience at the company. "They can't say I'm lying because I have receipts. No one is going to threaten me or come for me. Just let us have our documentary, and I'm going to keep it moving."
'LuLaRich' gave LaShae Kimbrough a few surprises
Although LaShae Kimbrough was surprised at the attention she's received since "LuLaRich" premiered in early September 2021, she told Slate what surprised her the most about the docuseries was the attitude of owners Mark and DeAnne Stidham. "LuLaRich" features parts of their taped deposition for a Washington state lawsuit alleging that the company was a pyramid scheme; they settled the case in February 2021 (via BuzzFeed). The docuseries also features them happily and willingly being interviewed by producers.
"The deposition for me, I was just like, you guys, really? That is not the energy [Mark and DeAnne] would have at work, but OK. I was just — for me, if I had a billion-dollar company, I'd know the address of it," Kimbrough told Slate, regarding DeAnne not knowing where the company headquarters was located. "I can bet you, bottom dollar, they know that address of that million-dollar company that they have if somebody asks."
The Stidhams' interview segments, where they seemed stunned that anyone would think their company was not on the up-and-up, also caught her off guard. "I'm like, you two have the nerve," Kimbrough said. "What did you guys think this was? I really thought maybe, did somebody trick y'all to tell y'all to get on camera?"
She added: "For me, I was like, this is crazy. And they really don't think they've done anything. That's the crazy part, and they're still in business. That's what blows my mind."
LaShae Kimbrough explained her cruise comment
The natural reaction that LaShae Kimbrough displayed when talking about the LuLaRoe prize cruises was such a standout that it became the closing moment of the official Amazon Prime trailer for the docuseries. Kimbrough also offered apologies if anyone felt offended by her remark.
"I got offered the cruise twice, and I chose not to do it," she told TVLine. "I didn't feel comfortable going, and that's how I felt. I'm OK with what I said, but if that offended you, I'm sorry. That was my reasoning for not going."
She added: "Historically speaking, Black people on boats with white people don't have the best track record. Those who are offended don't know what it's like to have ancestors who were chained up on a boat and sold because of the color of their skin. I was being honest, and I refuse to water down my story, and nothing anyone can say is going to make me take that back."