Brad Pitt

What was the Accusation?

In September of 2018, two Louisiana residents sued famed actor Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation, accusing the organization of supplying them with “substandard” housing.  The houses, 109 in total, were built for citizens of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast in 2005.  They were meant to be cutting edge dwellings as they were storm-safe, solar-powered, and insulted.   However, homeowners argued that the actual results were quite different.  Residents had to deal with mold, rotting wood, poor air quality, plumbing issues, heating and electrical problems, and mortgages higher than the actual value of their homes.  The lawsuit states that the problems began in 2018, but they believed Pitt’s foundation would come around and “make it right,” as their name suggests.   One resident asked, “Where is Pitt?  I wonder, if he saw that house, what would be the first words out of his mouth?”   No one from the organization came around for repairs, but the Make it Right foundation did provide homeowners with a non-disclosure agree that stripped away many of their legal rights. Pitt has yet to respond officially, but did release some comments about the lawsuit through a spokesperson who reaffirmed the actor’s intention to keep his promises to the people of the Lower Ninth Ward.

Key  Apologia  Strategies:

Corrective Action, Bolstering

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Pitt’s comment released by spokesperson to People Magazine:

We began an extensive review of homes just after the tenth anniversary of Katrina. Thanks to the dedication of the MIR team, we have been coordinating repairs of homes experiencing problems since early 2018 and I have total faith in our team on the ground to see this through. I made a promise to the folks of the Lower Ninth to help them rebuild ” it is a promise I intend to keep. 

Sources

Fernandez, A. (2018, September 11). Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation sued over ‘substandard’ homes built after Hurricane Katrina.  People Magazine.  Retrieved from:  https://people.com/home/brad-pitts-make-it-right-foundation-sued/

Lam, K. (2018, September 12). Brad Pitt’s foundation sued over claims post-Katrina homes are falling apart.  Fox News.  Retrieved from:  http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/09/12/brad-pitts-foundation-sued-over-post-katrina-homes-residents-claim-are-falling-apart.html

Zadrozny, B., Ramgopal, K., & Amiri, F. (2018, September 12). Brad Pitt built dozens of homes in New Orleans after Katrina.   Now they’re falling apart and residents are suing.    NBC News.  Retrieved from:  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/brad-pitt-built-dozens-homes-new-orleans-after-katrina-now-n908651