Lil Wayne Denies Misusing $9 Million Pandemic Relief Funds Amid Controversy

Recently, Lil Wayne has responded to claims that he misused pandemic relief funds—more especially, the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) money—for lavish parties, designer clothes, and private jets. When asked about these allegations, the rapper seemed perplexed.
According to an interview with Rolling Stone, Lil Wayne responded, "I don't know what that means." His manager, Fabian Marasciullo, also dismissed the allegations, saying, "He ain't got nothing to do with none of that s*it. It's not the way his money comes and goes." Marasciullo further assured that Wayne’s finances are properly handled, stating that his accounts are "audited and clean."
The initial source of these accusations was a 2023 Business Insider article that asserted that organizations connected to Lil Wayne obtained almost $9 million via the SVOG program. In order to help independent venues and arts organizations that experienced financial losses during the pandemic, the government launched the initiative.
Only $327,000 of the money was utilized for tour-related costs; the remainder reportedly went toward opulent hotels, designer labels, extravagant parties, and trips. The report also stated that after reporter Katherine Long reached out to Lil Wayne for a comment on the story, he allegedly sent her a heated text message.
In his recent interview, Lil Wayne did not directly deny sending the "explicit text," but defended his actions by saying, "Any female that texts me is going to probably receive a s****l comment."
He explained his view on private communication, adding, "My phone is a personal phone, so if you even got my number, that means you went out of your way and did too much, and if you texted me and I send you something you don't like, then.."
Other musicians like Chris Brown and Marshmello were also mentioned in the 2023 report in comparable circumstances.
Lil Wayne, meanwhile, is getting ready for the June 6 release of his eagerly awaited album, ‘Tha Carter VI.’ Wyclef Jean, MGK, Miley Cyrus, opera singer Andrea Bocelli, and the New Orleans supergroup The Gumbo—which consists of Jon Batiste, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, and Ledisi—all collaborated on the album.