There is no final outcome to the F-Factor lawsuits. As of May 2026, the consolidated defamation case that dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot filed against Instagram influencer Emily Gellis Lande remains open and in active discovery, the 2022 product liability suit brought by eight women has produced no public record of dismissal, settlement, or trial, and a separate class action investigation into alleged lead contamination closed without a lawsuit being filed.1UniCourt. Tanya Zuckerbrot MS RD et al v Emily Gellis Lande2ClassAction.org. F-Factor Lead Pregnancy Diet Lawsuits The core factual questions — whether the products harmed anyone, and whether Gellis Lande’s public accusations were defamatory — have not been answered by any court.
Where the Defamation Case Stands
Zuckerbrot and her company filed the first defamation suit against Gellis Lande on October 8, 2020, in the Supreme Court of New York County, alleging that a summer-long Instagram campaign of more than 4,500 posts had driven F-Factor’s monthly revenue from over $1 million to $90,000.3NYCourts.gov. Zuckerbrot v Lande, 2022 NY Slip Op 22072 A second suit followed on March 3, 2022, seeking more than $250,000 in damages and focusing on personal attacks — including allegations that Gellis Lande falsely claimed Zuckerbrot paid people to bully her and had an “excessive drinking habit.”4Page Six. Tanya Zuckerbrot Sues Emily Gellis in New Defamation Suit By mid-2025, both suits were consolidated under Index No. 655110/2020.1UniCourt. Tanya Zuckerbrot MS RD et al v Emily Gellis Lande
The case has moved slowly, largely because of discovery disputes. When Gellis Lande failed to respond to any discovery requests by the October 2022 deadline, Zuckerbrot’s attorneys moved to strike her answer. On March 30, 2023, Justice Joel M. Cohen called her conduct “plainly sanctionable” but gave her a final opportunity, ordering written responses within 20 days and document production within 45.5NYCourts.gov. Zuckerbrot v Lande, Decision and Order on Motion 004 A year later, on March 6, 2024, the court rejected Gellis Lande’s production of social media screenshots as insufficient and ordered her to hand over native-format electronic data or allow forensic examination of her devices.6Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP. Production of Screenshots of ESI Insufficient
Depositions were still being scheduled in mid-2025, and counsel was still filing letters with the court through the fall of that year. No trial date has been publicly set.1UniCourt. Tanya Zuckerbrot MS RD et al v Emily Gellis Lande
What the 2022 Ruling Actually Decided
The only substantive court decision so far came on March 17, 2022, when Justice Cohen issued a mixed ruling on Gellis Lande’s motion to dismiss the first defamation suit. The defamation and product disparagement claims survived, with the court finding the complaint adequately alleged that Gellis Lande had made false statements with “actual malice.” Claims for deceptive trade practices, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil harassment were dismissed.3NYCourts.gov. Zuckerbrot v Lande, 2022 NY Slip Op 22072
Two of Gellis Lande’s defenses failed. The court rejected her argument that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protected her, finding she was a “content provider” who curated and commented on posts rather than a passive conduit. It also dismissed her counterclaim under New York’s anti-SLAPP law, holding that the 2020 amendments to that statute did not apply retroactively. In the court’s words, an influencer’s “authentic” or “raw” persona does not confer First Amendment immunity for publishing false factual information.3NYCourts.gov. Zuckerbrot v Lande, 2022 NY Slip Op 22072
What that ruling did not decide is the central question: whether Gellis Lande’s statements about F-Factor were actually false. That issue was reserved for later proceedings, and those proceedings are where the case has been stuck.
The Product Liability Suit Brought by Eight Women
On October 12, 2022, eight women filed a separate product liability action in New York State Supreme Court against Zuckerbrot, her company, and Nutrablend Foods, the manufacturer of F-Factor’s branded powders and bars. The complaint alleged negligence, deceptive trade practices, and false advertising, and described injuries including intestinal blockages requiring emergency surgery, intestinal and rectal bleeding, impaired liver function, gallstones, kidney stones, hair loss, loss of menstrual cycle, and severe allergic reactions. The plaintiffs also alleged the products contributed to disordered eating.7Rolling Stone. Lawsuit Claims F-Factor Diet Made Influencers Sick
Their core theory was that F-Factor promoted “mega-doses” of fiber, citing marketing that suggested 50 to 78 grams per day from powder combined with whole foods, without adequately warning of the risks. The suit also alleged the supplements contained elevated levels of heavy metals, including lead.7Rolling Stone. Lawsuit Claims F-Factor Diet Made Influencers Sick8New York Post. New Suit Claims F-Factor Diet Causes Serious Health Issues
Zuckerbrot’s attorney Steven Harfenist called the case meritless, said the allegations had been “disproven by medical and scientific experts,” and predicted dismissal.9The New York Times. F-Factor Diet Lawsuit No dismissal, settlement, or trial has been publicly reported.
The Lead-Contamination Class Action Investigation
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org opened a separate investigation into whether F-Factor products contained excessive lead levels, with a particular focus on risks to pregnant women. F-Factor’s products carry a California Proposition 65 warning about chemicals that may cause cancer or reproductive harm.2ClassAction.org. F-Factor Lead Pregnancy Diet Lawsuits
As of February 2026, the investigation was listed as “finished” without a class action ever being filed. A safety assessment commissioned by F-Factor found no adverse event reports in the FDA’s database for January 2018 through March 2020 and concluded that estimated metal intake from the products was at least 2.4 times below the most conservative tolerable levels set by regulators.2ClassAction.org. F-Factor Lead Pregnancy Diet Lawsuits10F-Factor. CTEH F-Factor Safety Report The FDA has not publicly taken any regulatory action against F-Factor products. If you were waiting to join a class action over lead in F-Factor products, there is no active one to join.
What Happened to F-Factor
The company’s website is still active, and Zuckerbrot is still presented as its founder and public face.11F-Factor. Our Founder Reporting from late 2023, however, indicated the company had closed its New York City private practice and was winding down product sales at that time.12Business Insider. Tanya Zuckerbrot Elle Article F-Factor The legal fight over what the products did or didn’t do, and what Gellis Lande did or didn’t say truthfully, continues without a resolution date in sight.