Fyre Festival Founder Billy McFarland Ordered to Pay $2.8 Million in Lawsuit

After the release of Netflix and Hulu's Fyre Festival documentaries, those involved in the ill-fated event faced a lot of scrutiny on social media. Chief among those facing serious backlash over their inept planning and elaborate scams were social media company FuckJerry, Ja Rule, and Fyre founder Billy McFarland. TMZ is now reporting that McFarland has been ordered to pay EHL Funding $2.8 million he was loaned for Fyre Festival.

EHL Funding sued Billy McFarland and Ja Rule over the $3 million they loaned to the pair in the weeks leading up to Fyre Festival, and they've won a default judgment because McFarland reportedly never responded to the lawsuit. Considering he's currently serving a six year sentence for wire fraud, however, it's not completely surprising. The judge has ordered McFarland to give EHL back $2,891,600 and 30 percent interest. This fine doesn't include EHL's attorney fees, which McFarland will also need to pay.

Ja Rule, on the other hand, is getting off easy. The judge involved in the case did not order him to pay back any of the money, instead placing the blame squarely on McFarland. Speaking with TMZ about the lawsuit, he responded, "this is FAKE NEWS GUYS LOL." Since he responded to the lawsuit, it's unclear if he will be hit with any fines in the future.

Ever since the documentaries premiered on their respective streaming services, Ja Rule has defended his actions and has maintained that he never intended to harm anyone. "I had an amazing vision to create a festival like NO OTHER!!! I would NEVER SCAM or FRAUD anyone what sense does that make???," he tweeted. He recently allowed fans to curse him out during a New Jersey concert, encouraging the audience to yell back, "Fuck Ja Rule."