Things Get Dicey at Nu Skin

Hell hath no fury like an ex-husband scorned, or something like that.

Just when Nu Skin is flying high on the success of its Ageloc skin care system, company execs have seen Nu Skin’s stock price tank. What gives?

A defamation suit filed in a Salt Lake City state court, alleges that Nu Skin shares (NUS) fell after an ex-husband of founder Sandie Tillotson allegedly disparaged her to “Wall Street insiders.” Tillotson is an executive VP and the largest individual shareholder of Nu Skin.

In Tillotson’s May 21st defamation suit against husband No. 2, Diederik van Nederveen Meerkerk, she alleges that the sometime actor and model sought money by threatening to publish a book about her. Sample chapters of van Nederveen’s “Trophy Husband” manuscript appeared on his website, www.diederikvannederveen.com.

Tillotson’s complaint alleges that van Nederveen said she used corporate aircraft to transport illegal drugs to Asia, that she founded an illegal pyramid scheme, and that she had worked as a prostitute. Tillotson alleges that her ex-husband boasted of communicating with Wall Streeters and precipitating the decline in Nu Skin shares—a price drop which she alleges cost her $60 million. She also blames her ex-husband’s statements for her decision to resign this year from Nu Skin’s board of directors. She remains an officer.