Will and Jada’s charity reportedly shutting down
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on March 26, 2024
Founded in 1996, The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation is shutting down, Variety is reporting.
Citing financial data from ProPublica, the trade says the charity, which claims to “connect the Smith family’s distinctive interests to social impact endeavors,” took a major hit in donation ever since Smith’s infamous Oscars slap in 2022.
Donations to the charity went from $2,138,660 in 2021 to just $365,870 in 2022, according to ProPublica data, as former corporate donors apparently distanced themselves from the embattled actor. The most recent tax data Variety flagged shows more than $3,000 in bank overdraft fees for the organization.
Citing a source within the charity, the trade reports the celebrity couple had already been planning to wind down the endeavor even before Smith’s image took a hit with the Oscar night incident, with the source saying they plan to privately donate to various charities instead.
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