(CNN) — It’s been a rough few months to be Mary J. Blige.
First there was that controversial Burger King commercial she starred in for the chain’s crispy chicken wrap (which, following criticism, was quickly snatched out of rotation), and now her charity is being sued for allegedly not paying a $250,000 bank loan.
According to a court filing dated May 15, her charity, Foundation For Advancement of Women Now – otherwise known as FFAWN – is being sued by TD Bank for the principal amount and interest for a loan that was taken out in June 2011.
Blige told CNN in a statement that she’s working toward straightening out FFAWN’s problems.
“As soon as I was informed of the issues at FFAWN,” Blige said, “I immediately called my advisors and lawyers to get to the bottom of what was happening. As Founder and CEO of FFAWN, I am ultimately responsible for anything that goes wrong.”
The problem, she continued, “is that I didn’t have the right people in the right places doing the right things. This should have never been allowed to happen, but it did and now we are fixing it. The good news is that we have been in touch with the MJB Center in Yonkers and the scholarship program, and both are in good shape.”
The organization has no plans to shut down, Blige added, saying that “FFAWN is working as quickly as possible with a new team of experts that includes a philanthropic consulting firm, a non-profit law firm, and a forensic accountant. Their goal is to get the Foundation back on track, rectify outstanding issues, and make good on all of FFAWN’s obligations.”
By Tomika Anderson, Special to CNN
