Glen Powell Overcame A Harrowing Childhood Ketchup Incident To Launch His Own Condiment Brand

A big part of being a celebrity is using that fame to pursue other business ventures that appeal to you.

Like when Sammy Hagar put down his guitar and picked up one of those weird round-bladed tools you use to slice apart agave and started making tequila.

The Rock did the same and started making his own tequila. So did George Clooney.

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston? They started making mezcal… which is kind of like tequila.

So, I guess celebrities usually make tequila. 

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But this is because they enjoy it, so it's odd to encounter a celeb who got into making something he couldn't stomach himself.

So, say hello to formerly-ketchup-fearing Hollywood man of the moment, Glen Powell.

He has become a big star in recent years and is now launching his latest business venture, a condiment company.

I've heard of celebrities doing hot sauces, but never taking on the condiment empire that is Heinz. But that's what Powell is doing with his new company, Smash Kitchen, which will sell mayo, mustard, BBQ sauces, and, of course, ketchup.

That last one is ironic, given a story he told to the food-centric outlet Delish.

Glen Powell talked about a nightmare ketchup incident when he was a kid as he prepares to launch his own condiment company. (Getty Images)

"When I was a kid, I was the guy at lunch that poured ketchup on everything. And then there was a night when my buddy had a sleepover at his house. He had a little sister who was a year younger, and whenever she hosted a sleepover at the same time, the boys had to sleep outside on the trampoline," Powell said. "While we were sleeping, the girls came outside and poured ketchup all over us. I woke up in the morning, and the ketchup had baked in the sun. I was immediately gagging. I had to jump in the pool covered in ketchup."

Yeah, waking up to being covered in dried ketchup jerky would probably put me off the stuff for a few years too.

Also, I bet whoever owned that pool appreciated him clogging the filter with congealed ketchup.

"The most fun part of all this is now I literally have gotten past my horrific backstory," Powell continues. "It’s this ketchup. It really makes me think that there were certain ingredients or preservatives or bad stuff in it that reacted, but all I’ll say is that even people who don’t like ketchup love our ketchup. Especially the hot honey ketchup."

Maybe there was something in there, or maybe having some Heinz baked on to your skin doesn't make for a pleasant childhood memory.