Jacob Fatu resolved payment issue with non-profit organization in June

An update regarding Jacob Fatu’s payment dispute with the non-profit organization Jake’s Network of Hope (JNOH) is available.

The issue stems from a fundraiser wrestling event the organization held along with NOW Wrestling in April 2023. Fatu was paid $2633 for the show but then needed to cancel due to a family emergency. Jake’s Network of Hope representatives spoke with NBC 26 in June 2023 and stated that Fatu never returned the payment he received.

Yesterday, a since-deleted thread on Reddit asked if Fatu ever returned the money. A user responded to the post writing, “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.”

Following this, JNOH’s Director of Development, Jenn Harper, told Sports Illustrated that they are dealing with the matter privately.

In the latest development to this story, Jake’s Network of Hope confirmed with Fightful today that Fatu actually paid the organization back in full earlier this year, stating he made a payment on June 22 that the organization had missed.

They issued the following statement to 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.”

More information about Jake’s Network of Hope and the work they do can be found here.

“Jake’s Network of Hope is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that believes in a world where every human feels worthy. This empowers individuals to live their best lives, creating full and active communities. Our programs provide resources that fulfill various human needs: basic, social, emotional and educational.”