Dallas-based wedding company faces national backlash for mocking man over dead fiancee
A Dallas-based wedding videographer faces national backlash after the company refused to refund a man whose fiancee died in a car crash months before the wedding, according to media reports.
Alexis Wyatt died in a car crash in Colorado in February. She and Justin Montney planned to get married in Colorado Springs in May. When Montney called Copper Stallion Media, the company the couple hired to film the wedding, the company refused to refund him the $1,800 deposit, according to KRDO-TV.
The Star-Telegram was not able to reach Copper Stallion Media for comment. The company’s Facebook account appears to have been taken down, and the number listed for the business no longer worked. The company had dozens of one-star Google reviews, with many comments bashing the company for being “heartless,” before the business’s profile apparently was removed from Google on Wednesday.
Justin Montney did not immediately respond to requests to comment.
Montney told Buzzfeed News that he did not hear from Copper Stallion Media in Dallas for months, and finally told the company he was going to post about the situation on social media. In response, the company threatened to sue Montney based on a negative review the family left on the business’ page on TheKnot.com.
Montney went to his local news station, KRDO-TV, and a story ran on the company’s refusal to refund Montney and Wyatt’s family on May 21. That day, Copper Stallion Media posted a now-deleted post on Facebook mocking Montney over Wyatt’s death and for going to the media, Buzzfeed News reported.
“After what Justin pulled with the media stunt to try and shake us down for a refund, we hope you sob and cry all day for what would have been your wedding day. Sorry, not sorry,” the post said, according to a screenshot posted by Buzzfeed News.
After KRDO’s story aired, Copper Stallion Media created a website at justinmontney.com, the station said. The website initially showed two paragraphs that said Montney tried to get a refund from the company, but the company’s policy is that all deposits are non-refundable, according to a screenshot from Buzzfeed News.
As of Wednesday, the website featured only a YouTube video of the song “Disillusioned” by A Perfect Circle.
According to the Wyatt family’s GoFundMe page, Alexis Wyatt was “a sweet, kind hearted, gentle soul.”
A YouTube Channel with the name “Justin Montney” posted several videos about Montney that are watermarked with the Copper Stallion Logo. Several of the videos appear to be are audio recordings of voicemails the company received in the backlash to Montney’s story.
“Copper Stallion Media, a wedding videography company signed a legally binding contract between Justin Montney and fiancee,” the YouTube channel says in its “about” section. “The fiancee later died in a car crash and Justin wanted his money back. He did not get his way so he went to the media and started a smear campaign. This channel is to document that campaign.”
The Star-Telegram was not able to reach Copper Stallion Media for comment about the YouTube channel.
