Priscilla Presley’s son has hit back at haters after mounting backlash to a GoFundMe set up for his pizza business.
Navarone Garibaldi Garci, 37, launched a fundraiser to begin a pizza business from his Los Angeles driveway.
The son of Presley and Brazilian producer Marco Garibaldi, Garci said he wants to create an “affordable organic pizza” venture. The fundraiser has raised more than half of its $5,500 goal.
Garci was questioned on social media by fans and followers who wondered why he couldn’t ask his famous mother for help. The Naked Gun actress, 81, was married to Elvis Presley from 1967 to 1973.
Presley’s son responded to critics on Instagram with a video and a written statement, slamming “ignorant people.”
“Haters gonna hate… and I’m sure I’ll have to explain this many more times to ignorant people who think I should ‘ask my mom’ or that I have money….. YEAH, I also have a lot of bills, I also have a budget, I also donate to other causes… I also give to the homeless… I just don’t film and put it on YouTube… but, I also have crazy ADD and try to do lots of things… if I just went all in every time I thought I had a great idea… I’d be broke in 2 days,” he wrote in a lengthy caption.
Commenters criticized the fundraiser, with one writing. “Why don’t you ask your mom. She’s got money.”
“Ask mommy for some of that Presley money, she got plenty of it,” said another.
Garcia told TMZ that while his mother “loves the idea,” “I can’t ask for money for every whimsical idea I have or we both would be broke!”
The musician and aspiring pizza maker said it’s been a longtime dream to open his own business. He initially needed $14,000 for “a large industrial pizza oven,” but negotiated the business down to $8,500. He also said he’s putting $3,000 of his own money toward it.
“I’m not asking anything to donate that can’t afford to, I’m offering free pizza to people that donate… and I’m putting in a lot of my own money to buy this oven,” he told followers. ”Just asking for help on the remaining bit that’s out of my budget. That’s all. Love and Peace, Kindness and pizza. The link is in all my stories if you want to help out.”
