Who owns Doritos? Parent company under fire as mass boycott calls erupt over Samantha Hudson

On Monday, March 4, 2024, flavored tortilla chips brand Doritos made headlines after announcing transgender influencer Samantha Hudson as its brand ambassador in Spain. A 50-second promo titled “Crunch Talks” was also released, featuring the artist.

Trigger warning: This article mentions abuse, bullying, suicide, and more that may upset the readers. Discretion is advised.

In the wake of the announcement, several old tweets by Samantha Hudson from 2015 resurfaced, which are being deemed controversial. In one, she claimed she was interested in 12-year-old girls, while in another, she reportedly shamed r*pe victims for seeking shelter in “self-help centers to overcome their trauma.”

The Spanish transgender social media influencer also stated that bullying victims who end up taking their own lives make her “cry with laughter.” Amidst all these revelations, Doritos and its parent company, Frito-Lay (a PepsiCo subsidiary), are now facing severe online backlash for collaborating with Hudson.

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PepsiCo subsidiary Frito-Lay owns Doritos

According to zacjohnson.com, Doritos is owned by PepsiCo’s wholly-owned subsidiary Frito-Lay. Frito-Lay was originally two different companies, namely The Frito Company owned by Charles Elmer Doolin specializing in corn chips, and H.W. Lay & Company owned by Herman Lay which produced potato chips. In 1961, they merged to form Frito-Lay Inc. to expand their respective market.

However, it wasn’t until the early 1960s that the flavored tortilla chips were born at a restaurant called Casa de Fritos in Disneyland, managed by Frito-Lay. In 1965, Frito-Lay merged with Pepsi-Cola company, and PepsiCo Inc. was born.

Later, in 1966, Doritos was officially launched as a brand and quickly became popular for its tasty and crunchy tortilla chips. The first flavors included toasted corn and tacos. However, the brand kicked off globally when it introduced nacho cheese-flavored chips in 1972.

According to Four Week MBA, several individuals and a couple of organizations have shares in the brand including BlackRock Inc., The Vanguard Group, Dina Dublon, Hugh F. Johnston, Daniel Vasella, Ramon L. Laguarta, and Robert C. Pohlad among others.

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“Bad for kids’ health”: Doritos and its parent company faces mass boycott calls

On Monday, Doritos Spain announced that Samantha Hudson, a Spanish trans artist and YouTuber who became popular with her fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle-based content, would be their brand ambassador for Spain.

However, as soon as the news became viral, many past tweets from Hudson resurfaced online. Since then, she has been accused by netizens of being an alleged child abuser who mocked s*xually assaulted individuals and victims of bullying who died by suicide. Netizens also spotlighted how the YouTuber called for the abolition of the “traditional monogamous nuclear family.”

Since then, both the tortilla chip brand and its parent companies, Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, have come under fire, including calls for a boycott. Here are some of the backlashes from @EndWokeness’ post on X.

So far, neither 24-year-old Samantha Hudson nor the brand or its owners have responded to the mass boycott calls. Last year, in April, beer brand Bud Light faced a boycott after it collaborated with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a couple of campaigns.