The Sage Goddess lawsuit was a derivative action filed in June 2024 by co-owner David Meizlik against founder and CEO Athena Perrakis, alleging trade secret misappropriation and computer fraud on behalf of the California crystals and metaphysical goods retailer. It was dismissed without prejudice on April 27, 2026, after the parties filed a stipulated motion to end the litigation.1UniCourt. David Meizlik v. Athena Perrakis, et al.
What the Complaint Alleged
Meizlik filed the case on June 13, 2024, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, suing Perrakis in both her individual capacity and her role as a board member and CEO of Sage Goddess, Inc. The court classified the matter as contractual fraud under general jurisdiction.2Trellis Law. David Meizlik v. Athena Perrakis, Case No. 24CMCV00902
A derivative suit is one in which a shareholder or owner sues on behalf of the corporation itself, typically alleging that someone in leadership has harmed the business. The complaint asserted two core claims: misappropriation of trade secrets, and violations of the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act.2Trellis Law. David Meizlik v. Athena Perrakis, Case No. 24CMCV00902 The full complaint was not publicly available, so the specific conduct Meizlik accused Perrakis of remains unclear beyond those statutory categories.
Perrakis filed a demurrer on July 30, 2024, asking the court to dismiss the complaint on legal grounds. She withdrew that demurrer a week later, on August 6, 2024, and instead stipulated to an extended deadline to respond.2Trellis Law. David Meizlik v. Athena Perrakis, Case No. 24CMCV00902
Who the Parties Are
Athena Perrakis founded Sage Goddess as a small Etsy shop selling white sage bundles and grew it into an online retailer of more than 3,000 products, headquartered in Torrance, California, and reaching customers in over 60 countries.3Natfluence. Athena Perrakis Interview4Sage Goddess. Contact Us David Meizlik is a co-owner of the company and Perrakis’s husband. He petitioned for dissolution of the marriage on July 1, 2022, roughly two years before filing the corporate suit.5UniCourt. Meizlik, David vs. Perrakis, Athena
How the Divorce and the Lawsuit Were Linked
On February 28, 2025, the court granted a Notice of Related Case motion and moved the derivative lawsuit from its original courtroom to the Torrance Courthouse, where the family law case was already pending.2Trellis Law. David Meizlik v. Athena Perrakis, Case No. 24CMCV00902 The family case (No. 22TRFL00756) remained open into 2026, with filings on child support, spousal support, and a long-cause trial set for June 2026.5UniCourt. Meizlik, David vs. Perrakis, Athena
How the Case Was Dismissed
The derivative lawsuit never reached trial. Meizlik filed a stipulated motion to dismiss on April 6, 2026, indicating both sides had agreed to end the litigation. On April 27, 2026, the court entered a request for dismissal without prejudice as to the entire action and vacated the hearing set for the following day.1UniCourt. David Meizlik v. Athena Perrakis, et al.
A dismissal without prejudice means the claims were dropped but could theoretically be refiled. Whatever agreement produced the stipulated dismissal was not made public in the court records, and no news reporting described a settlement or explained the parties’ reasoning.1UniCourt. David Meizlik v. Athena Perrakis, et al.
Where Sage Goddess Stands Now
With the lawsuit resolved, Perrakis appears to have resumed an active leadership role. The company’s wholesale page states that “Sage Goddess founder Athena Perrakis has returned home — to refocus on what matters most: teaching, healing, and reconnecting with our core community.”6Sage Goddess. Sage Goddess Wholesale Program The divorce case remained open as of mid-2026, with an order to show cause regarding entry of judgment scheduled for November 2026.5UniCourt. Meizlik, David vs. Perrakis, Athena
A Separate Proposition 65 Case
Sage Goddess also faces a separate lawsuit unrelated to the Meizlik dispute. On November 19, 2024, the consumer advocacy group Keep America Safe and Beautiful filed a 60-day notice with the California Attorney General alleging that Sage Goddess sold brass incense burners containing lead without required warnings. That notice ripened into a complaint filed on March 20, 2026, in Marin Superior Court as KASB v. Sage Goddess (Docket No. CV0009507), seeking warning compliance and civil penalties.7California Attorney General. 60-Day Notice 2024-04896 That Proposition 65 action is a distinct matter from the derivative suit between the company’s co-owners.