The promise was to become a "co-producer" of an animated feature film thanks to NFTs of teddy bears, sold for 1,250 euros each. Comedian Kev Adams, among other stars such as Camille Lellouche and rapper Gims, promoted crowdfunding of the animated film Plush on social media. But the latter never saw the light of day, notes Mediapart in an investigation published Sunday, April 23. Some 770 people invested in the project and lost around €1.5 million.

In an Instagram live broadcast on May 14, Kev Adams chained promises on this project which aims to raise more than 60 million euros. Buying a teddy bear NFT would allow you to be credited in the credits, vote on the script of the film and even recover part of the profits of the work. "On average, you'll do six to seven times what you put in twenty-four months. Which is huge, when you think about it! ", enthused the man dressed as a teddy bear on the Instagram live of the comedian. Faced with some critical comments, Kev Adams exclaimed: "No, we're going to ruin anyone!" The film was scheduled for release in the winter of 2023. But since June, there has been radio silence.

A T-shirt at 2,250 euros

Investors lost almost all of their stake. One of them, Wylem, explains to Mediapart that he only received a thank you T-shirt after buying two NFTs of teddy bears, for 2,250 euros. Comedian Kev Adams promised "a real thing to do, really cool, really fun." But for these investors, it's a cold shower. For nine months, no more communication is made on the film. The Discord has been shut down, Plush's social media accounts are silent, buying teddy bear NFTs is now impossible.

Teddy bears and cryptocurrencies in Dubai: Kev Adams

' bad film Some 700 investors have lost more than a million euros in the animated film project "Plush", promoted by the #KevAdams star. Mediapart reveals the black spots of this project 👉 https://t.co/VSzgCvFeys pic.twitter.com/nhevqidQHq

— Mediapart (@Mediapart) April 23, 2023

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The organizers defend themselves from a scam, recalling that 50,000 NFTs had to be sold for the film to be launched. The personalities who promoted the project are confined to silence. The company behind this campaign is called Illuminart, a name close to Universal Pictures' subsidiary, Illumination, which further fuels confusion. The company has, in fact, dangled a calibrated return on investment on the revenues of the latest films of Illumination. But the company Illuminart has never had the same capabilities as this studio which has produced recognized animated films such as Despicable Me or The Minions, recalls Mediapart.

Camel rental

Dubai-registered Illuminart has not renewed its business license, which expired in February. Even more surprising, the company is called "Illuminart calligraphers and painters" in English and "the minaret rental of horses and camels for excursions" in Arabic. Behind this stillborn project also hides Fabien Tref, whose profile raises many questions, reveals Mediapart.

The one who has never worked in the world of cinema says that the failure of the project comes from the crash of cryptocurrencies, the NFTs of teddy bears can only be bought with Ethereum, the second cryptocurrency in the world behind Bitcoin. Fabien Tref was the subject of a preliminary investigation in 2016 after a report from Tracfin, Bercy's anti-money laundering service. Kev Adams refused to justify himself to Mediapart and made no comment.

  • Entertainment
  • Cinema
  • Kev adams
  • Dubai
  • Scam
  • NFT