GoFundMe Freezes $212,000 Raised for Woman CNN Falsely Identified as a Mother on Verge of Eviction

CNN said on Monday that GoFundMe was reviewing more than $200,000 in donations for a woman the network falsely identified as a “mother” of three children.

The error first appeared in a three-minute story produced by CNN’s Nick Watt, who shared it in an August 2 segment of CNN’s Outfront, where Kate Bolduan was filling in for Erin Burnett. “A single mother of three is about to be evicted if the White House and Congress don’t act,” Watt told viewers in his story about Dasha Kelly, a woman affected by the July 31 expiration of an eviction moratorium related to Covid-19.

“Do they know what is going on?” Watt asked Kelly at one point in the interview, as footage showed three children in the home. “Not really,” Kelly replied. “How do you explain that to your kids, you know what I mean? I don’t have words. I think I’ll break down crying and just hug them.”

CNN referenced Kelly as the children’s mother on numerous occasions in the days following Watt’s report. Bolduan did so again in an interview with Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) immediately after the report, asking Bush, “You just heard the desperation from that mother. … What do you tell her?” Bush replied that she was “fighting and working hard.”

Burnett, in her August 3 return to Outfront, personally interviewed Kelly, who appeared with the three children. Describing her as a “desperate mother,” Burnett said the network’s attention to her plight allowed Kelly to raise $89,000 on a GoFundMe page. Kelly, for her part, said one contributor left a message that said “Bless you and the adorable girls,” while another said, “I’m sorry you had to fight so hard to keep your kids safe.” CNN’s Amanda Jackson published an online version of Kelly’s story earlier in the day.

Burnett invoked Kelly’s name once more on August 4. “She’s a mom of three girls and faced evictions,” she reminded viewers. “She sold her possessions, sold her blood plasma and she was worried.”

CNN quietly disclosed in a Monday note appended to the online version of its story that its description of Kelly had been false. The correction — which was labeled as an update — stated:

After CNN aired a story about her potential eviction, Dasha Kelly clarified to CNN that she is not the mother of the three children featured in the story. CNN has verified she takes care of the children in her home for periods of time. She says she originally described herself to CNN as a mother because she considers herself to be like one to them. CNN has learned the children are also cared for by their mother, Shadia Hilo, and their father, David Allison, who is Kelly’s boyfriend. GoFundMe tells CNN they are in close contact with Kelly and funds will stay on hold until they verify her information. GoFundMe says no funds have been withdrawn.

The headline, initially titled, “More than $170,000 raised in 24 hours for mother and three kids facing eviction,” was also changed to state, “More than $170,000 raised in 24 hours for Las Vegas woman facing eviction.” The correction, to be clear, did not retract claims that Kelly is facing the other hardships CNN described.

The update omitted any reference to the on-air claims made by Watt, Bolduan, and Burnett, and did not say when Kelly allegedly corrected the network. As of Tuesday, Kelly’s GoFundMe page indicated she had raised a little more than $212,000.

Watch above via CNN.