Lil Wayne and Chris Brown allegedly misused pandemic relief aid on lavish parties, private jets, designer clothes and even “mystery women.”
According to a new report from Business Insider, the pair are among a number of celebrities who received payouts from the Shuttered Venue Operations Grant, a government initiative designed to support independent venues and arts organizations facing challenges during the pandemic.
Lil Wayne reportedly received a whopping $8.9 million from the little-known pandemic relief program, which helped finance his lavish lifestyle for two years.
The report found he spent over $1.3 million of the relief fund monies to fly on private jets. The largest chunk went to “commissions to then-manager Mack Maine,” with another $460,000 going towards designer threads and $15,000 on travel and accommodation for various women, including “a waitress at a H######-type restaurant and a p### actress.”
Weezy also allegedly billed nearly $88,000 on expenses related to a concert appearance he canceled.
Like Lil Wayne, Chris Brown also applied to the fund, receiving a $10 million grant.
He paid himself more than half of the money and billed taxpayers another $80,000 for his 33rd birthday party. Among the expenses for the bash was $2,100 for nude models in body paint.
Chris Brown also spent almost $180,000 of the grant on his celebrity basketball tournament. Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox was paid $20,000 for playing on Brown’s team.
Neither Lil Wayne nor Chris Brown responded to inquiries from Business Insider. However, the publication alleges Weezy “made a sexually explicit overture to a reporter” via text but “did not respond to questions.”