If it did not, then where is the money that Odom raised and where did it actually go?
Odom’s wife, the always loquacious Khloe Kardashian, came to her husband’s defense after several media outlets, including tmz.com, produced findings that contradict her husband’s claims her “husband personally contributed more than 90% of the money raised by the foundation.”
Kardashian continues: “All of the funds donated by Lamar and the other contributions to Cathy’s Kids were used for one of the foundation’s intended charitable purposes. Not one penny went to help Lamar personally or any member of his family. No charitable funds were misused, and the IRS has repeatedly given Cathy’s Kids a clean bill of health, confirming that there were no improprieties.”
“Cathy’s Kids was formed with several purposes in mind, including benefitting underprivileged youth and cancer research. A decision was ultimately made that the charity should focus on one of those purposes — to help enrich the lives of underprivileged inner-city youth.”
The tallest Kardashian continued, saying that her husband’s money raised went to benefit “underprivileged youth” in the AAU basketrball league. However, according to the AAU president Henry Forest, the AAU has not received any money nor have they ever been contacted by Odom nor Cathy’s Kids’ officials.
Cathy’s Kids, which was started in 2004 in remembrance of Odom’s mother who died from cancer, has been taking a national public relations beating since ESPN’s “Outside the Line” placed the charity under intense scrutiny after airing its alleged corruption. It didn’t help that Odom defensively and stupidly responded to ESPN’s inquiry with the flippant, “It’s my money.”
Odom is far from the first celebrity whose charity’s finances have come under the microscope. Here are other “foundations” the media looked askance at.
