What We Know About the Sudden Death of Sharon Chuter: Her Uoma Beauty Created A Revolutionary 51-Skin-tone Foundation

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Sharon Chuter, the entrepreneur and activist who founded Uoma Beauty and launched the Pull Up for Change/ #PullUpOrShutUp accountability movement, has died at 38.

Here’s a comprehensive explainer on what’s confirmed, what remains unknown, and why her work changed the beauty industry.

The essentials

• Date & location: The Los Angeles Medical Examiner says Chuter was found deceased on a patio on Aug. 14.
• Cause of death: Deferred—meaning the official determination is pending further investigation. No manner of death has been announced.
• How the news spread: Reporter Kirbie Johnson (Ahead of the Kirb) reported that a former Uoma executive notified former employees of Chuter’s passing.

Career and industry impact

• Global beauty pedigree: Before launching her own brand, Chuter worked with L’Oréal and LVMH and famously persuaded Revlon to distribute in Nigeria, where she was born.
• Uoma Beauty (2019): Debuted at Ulta with 100+ products, including foundation in 51 shades, positioning Uoma among the era’s most shade-inclusive launches.
• Her philosophy: In 2019 she told WWD: it was vital to “allow people to be their ultimate selves,” centering uniqueness, origin stories, and identity in product development and marketing.

Pull Up for Change and #PullUpOrShutUp (2020–)

• The call: In June 2020, amid a global reckoning over racial equity, Chuter gave beauty and consumer companies 72 hours to disclose the share of Black employees in corporate and leadership roles.
• Response: Major brands—including Glossier, e.l.f. Cosmetics, and MAC Cosmetics—participated, shifting industry norms toward transparency and measurable progress.
• Objective: As she later told The Drew Barrymore Show, the campaign aimed to spotlight the lack of economic opportunity for Black professionals—especially inside beauty.

“Make It BLACK” (2021–2022)

• Language matters: Chuter launched a dictionary petition urging recognition of elevated, positive uses of the word “black” and removal of harmful, outdated definitions.
• Fundraising drive: During Black History Month 2022, nine major brands re-released hero products in black packaging; 100% of proceeds went to the Pull Up for Change Impact Fund to support Black-owned businesses and emerging founders.

Stepping back from Uoma—and a legal fight

• Medical leave and exit (2023): After a severe health scare early in 2023—rapid weight loss and hospitalization—Chuter said doctors initially feared stomach cancer (ultimately ruled out). She took medical leave, pursued a healthier balance, and later stepped down as CEO (remaining a shareholder).
• Brand ownership changes: Uoma Beauty closed in 2023, after which MacArthur Beauty was appointed the new owner.
• 2025 lawsuit: In February 2025, Chuter sued MacArthur Beauty, BrainTrust (an early investor), and Settle Funding, alleging BrainTrust took control of operations and pushed her out while she was on medical leave, and that operations were halted before her planned return in July 2023.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sharon (FKA Sharon Chuter) (@heysharonc)

Final public post

• May 21, 2025: Chuter’s last Instagram post shows her speaking onstage at a beauty event with the caption: “Doing what I do!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sharon (FKA Sharon Chuter) (@heysharonc)

What remains unknown

• Cause/manner of death: Still pending; the Medical Examiner’s “deferred” designation means additional inquiry—such as toxicology or further investigation—is underway.
• Circumstances: Apart from the location (“on a patio”), authorities have not released details about the setting, witnesses, or timeline.
• Family and official statements: No public statements from family or the current owners/investors regarding her passing were included in the information available here.

Why Sharon Chuter mattered

• Beyond marketing: Chuter forced concrete transparency from brands, reframing diversity from messaging to measurable corporate reality.
• Economic focus: She targeted hiring, leadership representation, and capital access—levers that drive durable change for Black professionals and founders.
• Consumer power: By tying disclosure to purchasing behavior (“pull up or shut up”), she showed how community pressure can move boardrooms.