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‘Mom’ of 3 raised $200k in donations after claiming to be facing eviction—now admits she was the babysitter

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A Las Vegas “mother” who claimed she was facing eviction, which prompted donors to offer up in excess of $200,000, is just the babysitter of the three kids she identified as her children in a CNN report.

Dasha Kelly, 32, ended up confessing to CNN on Monday that she’s not the biological mother of the girls, ages 5, 6 and 8, who were featured alongside her in a segment last week on the federal eviction moratorium that had ended days earlier. CNN said Kelly’s story “generated a lot of interest” after its initial report, which featured video footage of her and the girls inside her home after the network found her online fundraiser seeking $1,900 to pay back rent.

“My name is Kelly and I have 3 daughters in Nevada,” her plea read. “We were maintaining just before this pandemic hit. Now we are suffering … Please help with anything you can.” The three young girls referred to Kelly as their mom during CNN’s visit, but another woman, Shadia Halo, later identified herself as their biological mother, reporter Nick Watt said.

“And yes, Shadia Halo is their mother,” Watt said. “We have seen the birth certificates. And now we know that Dasha Kelly is dating the girls’ father.” Kelly spends a “significant” amount of time caring for the three girls at her apartment, where Halo said she had dropped them off for a week, CNN reported.

Kelly said she described herself as the girls’ mother because she considered herself to be a maternal figure to them. Halo was “understandably upset” by that claim, according to CNN’s report. An emotional Kelly appeared on CNN a second time last week alongside Missouri Rep. Cori Bush after the Biden administration announced a new 60-day eviction moratorium in counties where the transmission of COVID-19 is either substantial or high.

Kelly’s fundraiser had raised more than $212,000 as of Tuesday. Her GoFundMe page has now clarified that the three girls recognize her as a “mother figure” and that the former casino card dealer loves them unconditionally. A rep for GoFundMe told the network that the funds raised by Kelly will remain on hold until her information is verified and that no amount had been withdrawn. Anyone who donated to Kelly can request a refund through Aug. 23, the spokeswoman said.

ARTICLE: PAUL MURDOCH

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE
PHOTO CREDITS: BLACK ENTERPRISE

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Paul Murdoch

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

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