Restaurant Owner Who Saved Fyre Festival Demands $100,000 From Ja Rule
Fyre Festival restaurant owner Maryann Rolle thinks Ja Rule owes her big time for feeding scorned festival employees and attendees.
Maryann Rolle, the restaurant owner who shelled out more then $50,000 of her own money to feed everyone trapped on Grand Exuma in the Bahamas during the April 2017 event, told TMZ she believes the rapper owes her $100,000. She added that she received and apology from the "I'm Real" rapper, which she feels came "from the bottom of his heart."
"I don't know if he was aware of the pain and heartbreak I went through," she said.
Rolle added, 'He did apologize, so that in itself speaks volumes. He cares."
The Bahamian restauranteur is the subject of a GoFundMe campaign, which went viral after Netflix debuted their documentary, Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. The campaign has raised more than $100,000, but Rolle says she was surprised Ja Rule wasn't among the donors.
"If he's sorry he should be donating something to me," she said. "Sorry is more than a word, it's an action. I hope he puts his sorry into action."
Rolle told the outlet she felt $100,000 from the recording artist would be appropriate. She hopes to use the money to "bless some folks here in the Bahamas."
While he's been painted part of the problem, Ja Rule maintains his innocence in organizing Fyre Festival. After Netflix and Hulu released documentaries about the planning of the event and the subsequent fallout, he went on a Twitter rant alleging that viewers "think they have all the answers..."
"I had an amazing vision to create a festival like NO OTHER!!! I would NEVER SCAM or FRAUD anyone what sense does that make???" He tweeted.
Ja Rule added, "I too was hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead [SIC] astray."
Co-organizer Billy McFarland pleaded guilty to wire fraud and using fake documents to get investors interested in Fyre Festival. He agreed to forfeit more than $26 million. McFarland was later charged with selling fraudulent tickets to high-profile events, like the Met Gala, Coachella and more while on bail.
He has been sentences to six years behind bars. Ja Rule had not been convicted of any crimes related to Fyre Festival at this time.