‘Little Rascals’ Star Brandon ‘Bug’ Hall Defiantly Refuses to Return Excess $26K donations despite GoFundMe backlash

Former child star Brandon "Bug" Hall has refused to refund an additional $27,000 in funds raised from a GoFundMe campaign he set up after fans told him to "get a real job." The former actor, best known for playing Alfafa in the 1994 comedy The Little Rascals, claimed that the excess funds were part of "God's will" before claiming he would continue having children with his wife.

via: Page Six

“Little Rascals” star Brandon “Bug” Hall has no plans to return the more than $26,000 raised beyond his GoFundMe goal because he believes the unexpected windfall was all part of God’s plan.

“God’s will is always something that befuddles me,” Hall told Page Six.

The former child actor exclusively told Page Six he initially set up the fund-raiser with a $2,000 target to help his family get through the winter after a series of setbacks left them scrambling to move to a new property in Arkansas.

But Hall, 41, said he never intended to collect more than that amount and had even disabled GoFundMe’s automatic goal-increase feature, promising to shut down the fund-raiser once it hit $2,000.

The campaign was eventually mass-reported for alleged fraud by people criticizing his decision to ask for donations despite having taken a vow of poverty, according to Hall.

He said GoFundMe locked the fund-raiser, preventing him from withdrawing the money or shutting it down.

“I told everyone that once it reached $2,000, I was going to shut it down,” he said.

Hall said he only learned shortly before speaking with Page Six that the platform had completed its Trust and Safety investigation, cleared the fund-raiser and would transfer the money within two to five days.

“If that whole situation hadn’t happened, I would have been out of this whole thing at $2,000 and been happy,” he said.

Hall said he initially wanted the fund-raiser to cover basic expenses through the winter, particularly because his wife was expecting their sixth child and he planned to take care of her and the children while she recovered after giving birth.

“I wasn’t going to get greedy and say I needed money for a tractor, a sawmill or all the other things I need to get started,” he said.

He also pushed back on criticism that his vow of poverty means he refuses to work. Hall said the vow is a “lay vow,” not a total renunciation of money, and that he and his family keep their monthly overhead to roughly $300.

“I seek an income or a paying job whenever there’s an immediate financial need that can’t be met another way,” he explained.

Asked why he wouldn’t return the money collected above his original goal now that the fund-raiser had been cleared, Hall argued that doing so would not be keeping his word.

“I never even considered what would happen if there was an overage,” he said, adding that he believes the fact that he was unable to close the fund-raiser was “God’s will.”

“I’m absolutely going to accept this as a gift from God and as a blessing from all the people who, for whatever reason, wanted to bless me,” he said.

Hall added that he never promised to return any excess donations because he did not anticipate raising more than he had asked for.

“I’m in the habit of doing what I think is the upright thing in any circumstance, regardless of whether it’s advantageous,” he said. “But in this situation, I never said anything about overages because I never considered that possibility.”

Hall said he views the additional donations as an opportunity to get his family back to a self-sufficient lifestyle sooner, including buying farm animals, a tractor and a sawmill and eventually building a house so they can leave their camper.

“This money is life-changing money for the vast majority of Americans,” he said. “With the life I’ve chosen, it’s life-changing for me too.”

The public scrutiny has also brought renewed attention to Hall’s 2020 arrest, which he said marked a turning point in his life and helped lead him to take his vow of poverty.

Hall was arrested for inhaling an air duster and was charged with a misdemeanor possession for use to inhale or ingest a volatile chemical.

The former child star said he had relapsed after roughly 12 years of sobriety. He described the incident as “the worst day of my life” — not because he was arrested, but because he felt he deserved the shame that came with it.

Hall said he had just finished executive producer work on his Netflix show when he saw an opportunity to pick up old vices.

“In an addict’s mind, it was like, ‘OK, I’ve accomplished my responsibilities. My family’s out of town. Now’s your chance,’” he said. “So I relapsed, and it was horrifying for my wife.”

But Hall said the experience ultimately forced him to confront what was missing in his life. He went to be with his family in Ohio and spent about six months reflecting on his addiction and his future before developing the vow of poverty.

“For about six months, I was honestly a lazy bum. I couldn’t get out of bed,” Hall said.

He said he is grateful for the public shame that followed his arrest and even welcomes people bringing up his mug shot.

“I hope it never stops being brought up,” he said. “I’m not above relapse and wretchedness.”

Hall was arrested again earlier this year for failure to appear for a 2024 court date, which was for not having vehicle liability insurance.

Hall also addressed criticism of his comments about continuing to have children despite his financial circumstances, saying he and his wife have no set number in mind.

“As a Christian, I believe the purpose of marriage is the rearing of children, to have children, and that the purpose of the marital act is to have children,” he said.

The actor, who has largely stepped away from Hollywood, also said he still hears from former industry colleagues and occasionally receives professional offers.

However, “Little Rascals” fans should not hold out hope for a reunion — Hall said he cannot imagine returning to work in the business.

“I really can’t imagine returning professionally,” he said.