"Frigo," which means "cold" in Latin, isn't skivvies for shrinkage, it is an underwear brand that includes an adjustable pouch (for a "personal fit") and a mesh one that eliminates skin-to-skin contact and friction from sweat (reducing "awkward adjustments") during sporting activity, so it appeals to athletes (and wannabes) and is priced from $36 to $100. It brought on 50 Cent and baseball superstar Derek Jeter to help market the line, and he told Crain's last year: "Frigo fills a void in the marketplace and my closet. I was so impressed by its innovative technology and exceptional comfort that I became an investor."
But now it seems that relationship has soured. Jeter is now locked in a $30-million lawsuit with RevolutionWear, the company selling Frigo undies, and according to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Jeter didn't want to market them to gay guys.
"[Jeter] demanded that [Frigo] not market to the gay community and states that he did not want the Frigo brand to be 'too gay.'
"The underwear company claims it had a deal with Jeter in which he would serve as a director of the company and do major publicity events -- but Jeter backed out, in part due to the marketing strategy."
Jeter told TMZ the allegations were "categorically false" and that he is disgusted by the accusations. But the company is also claiming that Jeter demanded they not make Frigo too "sporty" because he thought it would harm his relationship with Nike. So who would Jeter actually think would buy these things?