What happened to BLK Water?

If you’ve been a long time fan of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, then you’ll likely remember BLK Water. The product featured in the show around 2011 but is it still a thing? Or did BLK Brand LLC sink into the murky depths after a certain controversy?

What is BLK Water?

If the Wilkie sisters are to be believed then the drink, Black Water, was first invented by, Jacqueline and Louise Wilkie, back in 2008. According to an article from The Hollywood Reporter, the story goes that the two sisters created the bottled alkaline water after their mother was diagnosed with cancer. The drink is essentially just water mixed with Fulvic acid and a collection of minerals that give it the iconic dark appearance.

They also went on to claim that Black Water provides numerous benefits to one’s health including anti-aging, lowering blood sugar, and helping with gut health; they also claimed that it miraculously cured their mother. Just like the drink the health benefits it actually provides aren’t clear – though it is certainly not curing cancer – a study from Health Digest suggests that although fulvic acid has some health benefits, taking in too much could be toxic.

Anyways, the Wilkie sisters joined forces with Real Housewives stars, Chris Manzo, Albie Manzo, and Chris Laurita to form the company BLK Water LLC in 2010. As a result the product was featured in The Real Housewives of New Jersey and became a household name as people bought into the whole story.

The Lawsuit

It turns out that story might not be entirely true as the company found itself at the center of a lawsuit back in 2011. The reason why was because another company known as Creative Thinkers alleged that they had invented the formula for Black Water and that the Wilkie sisters had stolen it and claimed it as their own before forming a partnership with the Manzo-Laurita families.

Creative Thinkers had shared the formula with the sisters as they had told the company that they had connections to Starbucks, however, they just ended up running away with the formula. According to an article at the time from Pillsbury Law, “[t]he suit alleges that the Wilkies entered into an agreement with Creative Thinkers to bottle BLACKWATER.” However, instead of working with them “the Wilkies stole the idea and trademark and marketed the product with the Manzo-Laurita family.”

The lawsuit also names members of the Manzo-Laurita family as they used their fame to spread the false story about the origin of Black Water. However, the accusation goes deeper, suggesting that the family and the Wilkies conspired to steal the idea after seeing it at a food industry trade show. BLK Water denied the accusations and sought to sue Creative Thinkers for trademark infringement.

The aftermath

Believe it or not, the case is still ongoing after more than ten years. The most recent article covering it comes from The Forge in February 2022 and it doesn’t look like the case has progressed much since 2011. Either way, Black Water is still available and still owned by the Manzo’s and Laurita’s for now.