Fawn Weaver Fired From CEO Role At Uncle Nearest

Fawn Weaver rose to fame and prominence in the business world as the CEO of the Uncle Nearest whiskey brand. Now that Uncle Nearest is no longer owned and operated by Fawn Weaver, she was fired by the court-appointed receivership from her role.

As reported by local outlet Nashville Tennessean, Fawn Weaver and her husband and Uncle Nearest co-founder Keith Weaver, were let go from their roles at the company on June 1. The news is just coming out of the firing after the receivership filed federal records on July 10.

The receivership is angling to sell Uncle Nearest and all of its holdings to an unnamed Black-owned investment firm. The final sale would still need approval from the judge overseeing the matter.

Weaver’s time at Uncle Nearest was replete with highlights, including plenty of media attention surrounding the lore of the brand and the rarity of a Black woman in such a large role in a major adult beverages company. Weaver was also a bold personality, using her platform not only to promote the whiskey brand but also to serve as an aspirational figure.

However, Uncle Nearest found itself over $200 million in debt and faced a lawsuit brought last year by Farm Credit Mid-America after the Weavers defaulted on a $100 million loan.

Among the other assets the Weavers held are a property on Martha’s Vineyard, vineyards in France, and a pair of restaurants owned by Mr. Weaver at the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tenn.

The receivership says that it has located buyers for some of the assets and believes that the transfer of sale of the existing properties could lead to a turnaround

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Photo: Getty