Latest news with #JacobWells
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Crowdfunding Site Catches Heat for 'Playground Karen's' Fundraiser— And the CFO Shares Why He Supports Her Cashing In
The controversy surrounding a white mother who called a Black child the N-word during an incident at a Minnesota playground is heating up as fundraising for the woman – who admitted to using the term on camera – approaches one million dollars. Now, as people continue to debate whether or not it's ever OK to give money to someone for being unapologetically racist, the co-founder of the site that hosts her donation page is weighing in. In an interview with NewsNation, GiveSendGo co-founder and CFO Jacob Wells said that while he doesn't condone Shiloh Hendrix's behavior, the First Amendment gives Americans the right to express themselves – something he believes is a strong argument against cancel culture. 'In America, we have freedoms that came at a very high price,' he said. 'This mob mentality has absolutely ruined so many people's lives over the past several years.' But lots of people, including the interviewer, think it's wrong that Hendrix's racism is making her rich – especially since the money is being collected on a Christian-based crowdfunding site. Hendrix's page, which she says was started to protect her family from targeted attacks and to help support their potential relocation, has collected over $750,000 to date, even as the mom of two wrote 'I called the kid out for what he was' on the page. 'I would have a hard time going to bed at night knowing that my website is making that woman a millionaire,' the NewsNation host said. Wells responded by doubling down on people's individual right to donate to causes they support. He added that GiveSendGo isn't making money from Hendrix's campaign because they don't take a percentage of donations as other crowdfunding sites do. Donating to the site is optional. 'I believe in freedom of speech, freedom of association. These are foundational tenets to the society that we live in,' he added. 'And when you start going down the road of cancellation and cancel culture, it actually breeds the very thing that we're against. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fundraising exec DEFENDS racist woman who called nine-year-old the N word in disgusting slur
The head of controversial Christian fundraising site GiveSendGo has defended a white woman who was filmed directing a vile racial slur at a five-year-old black boy in a Minnesota playground. The woman, identified as 34-year-old Shiloh Hendrix, has become a lightning rod in a saga that all began with a viral video - and from which she has now managed to raise more than$761,000 from supporters across the country. In a move has left civil rights groups stunned and critics seething, the head of the fundraising site hosting Hendrix's campaign is not only refusing to remove her page but defending her cause. 'You have to take a step back from the emotion of these because they are very highly emotional issues,' said GiveSendGo co-founder Jacob Wells in an interview with NewsNation. 'I believe in freedom of speech, freedom of association. These are foundational tenets to the society that we live in.' Wells, whose site has been used in the past to fund January 6 defendants and other high-profile right-wing causes, insisted that Hendrix's page was no different. 'When you start going down the road of cancellation and cancel culture it actually breaks the very things that we see that we're against,' he said. That statement comes as Hendrix's GoFundMe-style campaign skyrockets past three-quarters of a million dollars, with a goal of $1 million. Her pitch is that she and her children are in fact the victims in this case, forced to endure harassment and threats after she was caught on camera repeating the N-word while holding her own toddler. The incident that sparked this controversy unfolded in late last month at Soldiers Field Memorial Park in Rochester. In the video, Hendrix is seen clutching her child while being confronted by a man who accuses her of calling a young black boy the N-word after a dispute over a toy. 'So that gives you the right to call the child, five-years-old, a n*****?' the man asks in disbelief. Hendrix responds: 'If that's what he's gonna act like,' before repeating the slur toward the man and making an obscene gesture. The confrontation, which Hendrix later claimed began when the child allegedly took a toy from her son's diaper bag, spread across social media. The footage, posted by influencer Michael McWhorter (aka TizzyEnt), was viewed more than 10 million times within 48 hours, but what followed was even more shocking as a torrent of financial support flowed in for Hendrix. On her GiveSendGo page, Hendrix wrote, 'I called the kid out for what he was.' She claimed her Social Security number had been leaked, that her family was being 'attacked,' and that she needed funds to 'relocate and protect' her children. 'I've never felt so scared, yet reassured in my life,' Hendrix wrote. 'It's truly a whirlwind of emotions. I'm still very frightened, and I don't think I will feel safe until we can escape completely.' To many, the very idea that someone could rake in nearly a million dollars after verbally attacking a child with a racial slur is a damning indictment of modern America. 'Who knew racism could be so profitable?' one person wrote on X. 'Wow. SMH. She has raised enough money to move out the country if she wanted to… just by being racist towards a 5-year-old boy with autism. This country is so sad bro,' another posted. Wale Elegbede, president of the Rochester NAACP, condemned the incident as 'deeply disturbing and unacceptable.' His organization launched a counter-fundraiser to support the young boy's family, raising more than $341,000 before being paused amid concerns over online threats and privacy. Rochester Mayor Kim Norton also issued a stark message: 'Not In Our Town! Hate has no home here.' But Hendrix has defenders - and not just in anonymous comment threads. Appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored, right-wing influencer Lilly Gaddis stunned viewers when asked whether she would support a white woman using the N-word. 'Yes,' Gaddis replied. 'I do it quite frequently.' Morgan, visibly taken aback, asked why she would support 'a white racist.' Gaddis fired back: 'Because I want to support free speech.' Jacob Wells isn't backing down. In his NewsNation interview, he described the public backlash against Hendrix as 'mob mentality,' claiming that outrage over her words was hurting free society more than it was helping. 'Shiloh is going to a dark moment, just as much as this other family is,' Wells said. 'And we want to be in all of these moments.' He added that her actions were not 'unprovoked,' and that the child's behavior should also be considered. Legal experts note that while the First Amendment protects Hendrix's offensive language, any associated threats or harassment could still result in criminal charges. The Rochester Police Department has confirmed it has concluded its investigation and submitted findings to the city attorney for review. The child's family, choosing to remain anonymous for safety reasons, released a statement through the NAACP: 'We as the parents of the young boy demand that those responsible for this tragic event… be held fully accountable. Our child deserves justice and we will not rest until it is served.' They also expressed dismay that Hendrix appears to be 'benefiting financially' from the encounter, while their own family has been left to navigate trauma and fear with far limited resources.
