UPDATED: WWE's Jacob Fatu Repaid Charity Over No-Show Incident In June
Jake's Network of Hope has now revealed that Jacob Fatu repaid $2,633 owed back in June.
UPDATE (6 Nov 2024, 10AM GMT): Jake's Network of Hope has now revealed that Jacob Fatu repaid the $2,633 owed to the charity on 22 June. The group missed the payment, hence claiming earlier in the week that the WWE star had yet to repay.
A representative told Fightful:
"In May, Jacob Fatu reached out with a heartfelt apology, initiating a meaningful dialogue that allowed us to work together with all parties involved to find solutions and fully resolve the matter. This event aimed to confront the challenging realities of poverty and the immense obstacles to overcoming it. While not everything unfolded perfectly, we are grateful for the awareness raised around diaper need and the substantial costs of providing essential products to families.
We especially want to thank NOW Wrestling for their incredible support. Their commitment to raising awareness, along with their generous donation of 50/50 raffle proceeds from recent events, has been invaluable in advancing our mission to end diaper need. We’re also deeply appreciative of the wrestling organizations and media outlets that helped spotlight this cause, underscoring the importance of addressing poverty and meeting basic needs.
As Jacob Fatu embarks on his WWE journey, we wish him every success and are inspired by the solidarity shown across the wrestling community in support of this critical mission."
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WWE star Jacob Fatu has reportedly apologised to Jake's Network of Hope over monies allegedly owed to the charity, though he is yet to reimburse the group.
This is per a Jake's Network of Hope representative, who told Sports Illustrated that the matter is being dealt with privately - and began with a "heartfelt apology" from Fatu to the charity in May.
“Jacob Fatu and our organization are addressing this matter privately, beginning with a phone call and heartfelt apology back in May," said the representative. "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.”
The issue dates back to June 2023, when Fatu allegedly took advance payments from two indie promotions, Pro Wrestling King and Frontline Pro Wrestling, but no-showed the bookings. Pro Wrestling King later confirmed that Jacob had reimbursed the money. Frontline, who were not reimbursed, were running their show in aid of Jake's Network of Hope.
WWE's Jacob Fatu Still To Reimburse Charity After 2023 No-Show
Though the alleged no-show incident is over a year old, it returned to wrestling discourse via a Reddit post asking if Fatu had returned the money on November 3. Somebody associated with the charity via their spouse responded that Jacob had not. The situation grew from there, with Sports Illustrated and PWInsider before receiving confirmation from Jake's Network of Hope that the matter was at hand.
Fatu had briefly deactivated his Twitter account as the story started doing the rounds again, though he has since returned to the platform.
Jake's Network of Hope had previously asked Fatu to return the $2,633 owed for his non-appearance at Frontline Pro Wrestling. As with Pro Wrestling King, Jacob did not board flights booked for him, citing a family emergency as the reason behind his non-appearance.
Ultimately, this regrettable situation was bound to resurface in public discourse following Fatu's surge in visibility as a WWE star. The 32-year-old signed with the market-leading wrestling promotion in April 2024, debuting two months later through the era-defining Bloodline storyline, in which he has stood out in his role as Solo Sikoa's dangerous enforcer. Whatever his reasons for not repaying the monies owed earlier, it would be in his best interests to resolve the matter.