Drake Fulfills Fan’s Wish at Kansas City Concert, Vows to Cover Late Mother’s $160,000 Mortgage

Rapper-singer Drake performs at the "Made In America" music festival in Philadelphia on Sept. 2, 2012. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Drake made headlines during his March 2 concert in Kansas City, Missouri, for his It’s All A Blur Tour when he generously offered to pay off the mortgage of a fan’s late mother in the amount of $160,000. The 37-year-old rapper received a note from a concertgoer.

Addressing the audience, he read the note.

“You said, ‘Pay off my mom’s house, rest in peace.’ Your mom passed away? Alright. And you owe—oh, this is the outstanding balance right here. This is a lot of money right here,” the rapper said, before telling the fan that he would pay off his mother’s house, according to video captured by someone in the audience and posted to social media.

“That’s going to come from me. Rest in peace to your mama. Hold on, wait—rest in peace to Jennifer Schumer,” Drake said, turning the note over to read the woman’s name.

This act of generosity is not an isolated incident for Drake.

In February, during another tour stop in Nashville, Tennessee, he gave $100,000 to a cancer survivor who had completed chemotherapy. Moved by her sign in the crowd declaring, “Just finished chemo,” Drake expressed his admiration and support, stating, “I hope my manager doesn’t kill me ‘cause I’ve never really done this much, but, listen, I want you to cash this in at the end of the night. We’re gonna give you $100,000.”

This latest gesture is one of many instances where Drake has demonstrated his commitment to giving back to his fans. During his ongoing tour alongside J. Cole, he has surprised fans facing various challenges, including a cancer survivor to whom he gifted $25,000 in Buffalo, New York, and he helped another fan in St. Louis to cover surgery expenses.

In 2018, he gained recognition for his music video for the single “God’s Plan,” where he gave away the label’s entire budget for the video—which totaled nearly $1 million—to individuals, families, and organizations in Miami.

Furthermore, Drake has supported educational initiatives by donating funds for scholarships and educational programs, as well as contributing to healthcare initiatives by providing financial aid to individuals facing medical challenges.

Other Celebrity Acts of Kindness

John Cena, the 16-time WWE World Champion and Hollywood actor, flew to the Netherlands to personally meet 19-year-old fan Misha Rohozhyn in June 2022. Misha, who has Down syndrome and is nonverbal, had fled Mariupol in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. His mother, offering reassurance and hope, had promised Misha that Mr. Cena would greet them once they reached safety.

Inspired by Misha’s story, which he came across in The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Cena felt compelled to fulfill the mother’s promise.

“When I read about Misha’s story it reached out to me—not just Misha’s story but the story of Misha’s mom, as well,” Mr. Cena said in a video capturing the day of his meeting with Misha.

In a touching encounter in Amsterdam, Mr. Cena met with Misha and his family, presenting the young fan with a replica WWE championship belt, a hat, and a John Cena T-shirt that said, “Respect. Never Give Up. Earn it,” People reported. Engaging in friendly banter, Mr. Cena even compared muscles with Misha, expressing gratitude for the strength the superfan had unknowingly provided him.

Reflecting on the experience, Mr. Cena remarked, “I think Misha’s a great example and Misha’s mom, they’re two great examples of how persistence can lead to joy, even through the toughest of times.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, action star and former wrestler, made headlines in November 2021 for surprising a Navy veteran named Oscar Rodriguez with Mr. Johnson’s own custom-detailed truck.

Mr. Johnson initially planned to give away the Porsche Taycan he drove in the movie “Red Notice,” but when Porsche declined, he decided to gift his personal custom truck instead. Mr. Johnson shared the heartwarming moment on Instagram, where Mr. Rodriguez, overwhelmed with emotion, fell to the ground in shock. Mr. Johnson responded with words of appreciation, acknowledging the veteran’s contributions.

“You do a lot of good for people, man,” the wrestling star said.

Generosity of Shaquille O'Neal

Former NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal has also become known for his generous acts of kindness to strangers.

During an April 2021 segment on “NBA on TNT,” Mr. O'Neal shared an anecdote about his spontaneous act of kindness at a jewelry store.

He recounted how he paid off the balance for an engagement ring for a young man who happened to be shopping at the same store. “I’m just trying to make people smile, that’s all,” Mr. O'Neal humbly said about the gesture.

Someone else in the store began to film the encounter and shared it on social media, which is how it became publicly known. Footage from the encounter captures Mr. O'Neal handing his credit card to the sales clerk before warmly shaking hands with the man purchasing the ring.

This isn’t the first instance of Mr. O'Neal extending generosity to strangers. In 2019, People reported that the former basketball star bought a new home for the family of a 12-year-old boy in Atlanta who had been paralyzed from the chest down after being hit by a stay bullet.

Additionally, in 2020 Mr. O‘Neal showed his giving nature by purchasing a laptop for a fan he met at a Best Buy store who expressed his condolences for the passing of Mr. O’Neal’s former teammate Kobe Bryant, according to People.