Jacob Fatu recently found himself in the spotlight for controversial reasons, as a past incident from 2023 has come to light. The Bloodline member is accused of allegedly scamming a non-profit organization.
Jake’s Network of Hope, an NPO that provides hygiene products and other essentials to individuals of all ages, claims that Fatu agreed to participate in a charity wrestling event in April 2023. However, he canceled his appearance and did not return the $2,633 reimbursement he received for the event.
UPDATE: Jacob Fatu Is In The Clear, Ends Controversy
Development Director Jenn Harper said the following:
“Jacob called and said it was a family emergency. We gave him the benefit of the doubt and at Jake’s, we are 100% about family and said if you can’t make it, that’s fine.
We rescheduled the flight that he missed originally and about an hour after that flight took off, we were made aware from him that he won’t be coming.
After that, he ghosted us, he ghosted the production team that puts together the wrestling show and he ghosted the person that booked him for us.”
Following the resurfacing of this issue, a Reddit user, whose wife is associated with the non-profit, alleged that Fatu has not repaid the funds:
“No, unfortunately, he did not pay back the charity. He’s a fantastic in-ring performer, and it sucks that this is all I can think about whenever I’ve seen him since he debuted in WWE.”
Jake’s Network of Hope issued a statement through Sports Illustrated, clarifying that while Fatu has apologized, he has yet to pay the full amount back:
“Jacob Fatu and our organization are addressing this matter privately, beginning with a phone call and heartfelt apology back in May. While the full amount owed hasn’t yet been repaid, we appreciated Jacob’s acknowledgment. It can be tough to face up to your wrongdoings, and we commend him for taking steps toward confronting his.”
Fatu has not publicly addressed the situation, as the matter remains private. He briefly deactivated his X account yesterday.
According to Dr. Chris Featherstone, WWE is said to be conducting its own investigation into the incident:
“I have been told within WWE that they are currently investigating the resurfaced reports of Jacob Fatu ghosting a charity event.”
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