Wayne Gretzky is being sued by a man who claims the former Edmonton Oiler lied about shedding pounds by chewing gum — which he says cost him a fortune..The complainant charges Gretzky’s alleged lie cost him a whopping $10 million, TMZ Sports reports..TMZ obtained a copy of the lawsuit that was filed in Los Angeles on Monday. In the suit, the man’s allegations are detailed..According to the suit, plaintiff Steven Sparks claims he created a “natural gum used to manage weight” and called it OMG Gum. Court documents outlined Sparks said he hired Gretzky’s former model wife, Janet Gretzky, as OMG Gum’s spokesperson..According to documents, the gum was in a sticky situation after not faring too well on the market. Sparks claims Gretzky then made made up a huge lie. The suit said Gretzky claimed he chewed OMG for around two months and it helped him lose a whopping 35 pounds..Sparks alleges that Gretzky used the lie to boost the company’s stock that “he surreptitiously purchased under his family’s name.”.Sparks said he had no idea Gretzky was allegedly making this claim about his impressive weight loss. Therefore, Sparks reinvested more money and services into the company.."Wayne eventually admitted he had fabricated the weight loss and it caused the company to tank, and hit Sparks hard in his wallet," TMZ Sports said..Sparks told TMZ Sports he’s now out $10 million. He wants that back from Gretzky and more..The Great One's net worth is roughly around $280 million. Gretzky contributed 20 years in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four different teams from 1979 to 1999. During his career in the NHL, he earned $46 million as an NHL salary..At the age of 17, Gretzky was signed to a seven-year personal services contract worth US$ 1.75 million in the World Hockey Association (WHA). .When he was 18, he signed a contract with Pocklington for a 10-year personal services contract worth $3 million..Later, Gretzky signed an $8 million contract with the New York Rangers as a free agent. .From endorsements, it's estimated he got an additional $50 million during his career, when combined, he earned around the same as $150 million after adjusting for inflation.
