Fact Check: Taylor Swift 'Hasn't Donated a Penny' to Hurricane Helene Victims?

Claim:

Taylor Swift has not donated any money to help victims of Hurricane Helene.

Rating:

False ( About this rating? )

Context:

Taylor Swift made a $5 million dollar donation to the charity Feeding America to support victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

In October 2024, conservative and conspiracy-minded influencers began sharing the claim that pop star Taylor Swift hadn't donated any of her $1.3 billion fortune to help victims of Hurricane Helene. "She's so disgusting," one account with more than 500,000 followers posted while sharing a meme with the claim on X:

"Taylor Swift is now worth an estimated $1.3 billion," the meme said. "Hasn't donated a penny to help with Hurricane Helene victims."

This claim was false. In reality, the food bank charity Feeding America announced on Oct. 9, 2024, that Swift had made a $5 million donation to help feed victims of both Hurricane Helene and the more recent Hurricane Milton. Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot made the announcement on Instagram :

We're incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for her generous $5 million donation to Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts. This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms. … Thank you, Taylor, for standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need.

Vanity Fair, among other entertainment news outlets, independently confirmed the donation, as well.

Because Swift has, in fact, donated several hundred million pennies to relief efforts associated with Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the claim that she "hasn't donated a penny" to such causes is false.

This is not the first time Snopes has addressed claims about Swift's alleged lack of support for Hurricane victims.

Sources:

Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DA6s565tofH/ . Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.

Wickman, Kase. "Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million to Hurricane Helene and Milton Relief." Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2024, https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/taylor-swift-donates-5-million-to-hurricane-helene-and-milton-relief.