Subway appears to have completely severed ties with Jared Fogle after news reports that its onetime spokesman had reached a plea deal with prosecutors in a child pornography investigation.
Late on Tuesday, the Milford, Conn.-based sandwich giant released a statement through social media and other outlets that it no longer has a relationship with Fogle.
We no longer have a relationship with Jared and have no further comment.
— SUBWAY® (@SUBWAY) August 18, 2015
That’s a clearer statement than the company had previously offered. In July, after law enforcement raided Fogle’s home in an Indianapolis suburb, Subway had said it suspended its relationship with the man made famous for losing 245 pounds eating Subway sandwiches.
“Subway and Jared Fogle have mutually agreed to suspend their relationship due to the current investigation,” the company said at the time. “Jared continues to cooperate with authorities and he expects no actions to be forthcoming. Both Jared and Subway agree that this was the appropriate action to take.”
The shift in tone comes amid reports that Fogle is expected to plead guilty to charges of engaging in sex acts with minors and receiving child pornography. A Fox affiliate out of Indianapolis first reported the plea agreement, citing sources.
Other reports, also citing sources, also indicate Fogle had made a deal.
Fogle was seen in federal court in Indianapolis ahead of an apparent plea deal, according to local television reports on Wednesday morning.
Fogle had been a key cog in Subway’s immense success. He started appearing in ads for the sandwich chain in 2000 after a story in Men’s Health magazine detailed how he lost 245 pounds eating Subway sandwiches, calling it the “Subway Sandwich Diet.” Fogle once weighed 425 pounds.
With Fogle as its spokesman, Subway became the first major restaurant chain to generate sales touting its menu as healthy. The Jared campaign is considered one of the most successful restaurant ad campaigns in history. Fogle filmed hundreds of ads, and in the time he was the company’s spokesman, the chain’s domestic sales quadrupled, from $3 billion in 1998 to $12.3 billion last year.
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