Last year, Jacob Fatu was accused of accepting advances for bookings at independent events and subsequently failing to appear for his scheduled appearances. One notable incident involved the Hits For Hopes charity event, organized by the nonprofit organization Jake’s Network of Hope. At that time, the organization alleged that they had invested $2,500 in Fatu’s appearance, covering expenses such as travel and hotel accommodations. Recently, the individual who initially raised these concerns took to Reddit to provide an update on the situation.
They said:
Hello I’m the one who originally posted about it. My wife worked for the non profit at the time, Jakes Network of Hope in Appleton/Neenah Wisconsin. 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 l’ve seen him since he debuted in WWE.“
Jake’s Network of Hope was contacted by The Takedown On SI who asked for an update on the situation. Jenn Harper, who is the Director of Development, responded with an official statement.
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.”
Jacob Fatu scammed a charity wrestling event for $2633 last year!
He lied to the organizers that he had a family emergency, no showed, didn't return the money, and then ghosted them. Today, the husband of Jakes Network of Hope provided an update and said:
"No, unfortunately,… pic.twitter.com/QtNrQBPS60
— AIR (@AIRGold_) November 4, 2024
This is terrible. Hopefully WWE can step in and make this right.