Sharon Chuter, Uoma Beauty & ‘Pull Up Or Shut Up’ Founder, Has Died

Sharon Chuter, a pioneering voice in beauty inclusivity and founder of the groundbreaking Pull  Up For Change movement, has died. She was 38.

Chuter’s body was found on patio in Los Angeles on August 14, 2025, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner report obtained by People. The cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Chuter’s fearless leadership and uncompromising push for accountability helped reshape the beauty industry. The Nigerian native launched Uoma Beauty in 2019. In 2020, amid global calls for racial justice, she launched the #PullUpOrShutUp campaign, challenging beauty brands to publicly disclose the percentage of Black employees in their corporate and leadership ranks. The movement, which reverberated across industries, pushed diversity from a marketing slogan into a measurable standard.

Her activism extended beyond Pull Up. In 2021, she launched the Make It BLACK campaign, reclaiming the word “Black” while driving awareness and funding for Black-owned businesses through high-profile product collaborations and philanthropic initiatives.

Chuter stepped down from her role as Uoma’s CEO in 2023 following a health scare, though she remained a stakeholder. She claimed the brand was subsequently sold without her knowledge. Earlier this year, Chuter filed a lawsuit alleging the brand had been undervalued and taken over without her approval by MacArthur Beauty and venture fund BrainTrust—an unfinished battle at the time of her death.

Across her career, Chuter was more than a brand founder — she was an activist, strategist, and change-maker. She challenged an industry to move beyond tokenism and deliver real equity, from billboards to the boardroom.

Her loss reverberates deeply among beauty professionals, advocates, and communities worldwide. Chuter’s legacy is not just in the products she created, but in the movement she sparked—one that demanded beauty reflect everyone.