Taylor Swift donates $13K to two mothers facing eviction during pandemic

Pop star Taylor Swift donated $13,000 each to two unemployed mothers facing eviction and a daunting backlog of bills during the coronavirus pandemic.

Swift, whose favorite number is 13, made the donations to two GoFundMe campaigns after a Washington Post story highlighted the struggles unemployed Americans are facing during the health crisis.

The two mothers, Nikki Cornwell and Shelbie Selewski, were interviewed by the newspaper in an article released Monday titled “Millions of Americans are heading into the holidays unemployed and over $5,000 behind on rent.”

Cornwell lost her job at a factory that packages tea back in March and contracted the coronavirus in May. She had a job offer last month, but it got rescinded by the company after COVID-19 cases spiked. Her $275 a week in unemployment ended and she told the Post that she is $4,000 behind on rent.

Her water was shut off this week and her landlord filed paperwork to take her to court after the federal eviction moratorium is set to expire. The 36-year-old lives with her mother and two kids.

“I am behind on my rent. I will get evicted soon with my kids who are in virtual school and need internet,” said Cornwell, a Nashville resident. “I’ve had bad moments, but never anything like this.”

Swift commented publicly on Cornwell’s fundraising page.

“Nikki, I read about you in the Washington Post and thought it was really brave of you to share your story,” the songwriter wrote. “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve had to go through this year and wanted to send you this gift, from one Nashville girl to another. Love, Taylor.” 

The “Cardigan” singer also left a similar message on Selewski’s GoFundMe.

“No one should have to feel the kind of stress that’s been put on you. I hope you and your beautiful family have a great holiday season,” Swift wrote.

Selewski told the Post that she was $2,100 behind on rent and utilities after losing her job as a medical receptionist in Michigan, struggling to make ends meet with the $200 a week in unemployment.

Her landlord has reportedly taped eviction papers to her door three separate times and her electricity was shut off in September just days after her son started virtual kindergarten.

The power came back on with the help of friends and relatives but both Selewski and Cornwell said they have resorted to selling off possessions like PlayStations and television sets to raise extra funds.

Selewski’s new baby was born with a collapsed lung, making the child high-risk amid the pandemic. Neither Selewski nor her fiancé have been able to find jobs.

“It has been the worst year ever. I’ve watched everything I’ve worked for go away,” Selewski said in the article. “Every time I paid something and felt some peace, it felt like I got a utility shut-off notice three days later.”

After the donation from the Grammy Award-winner came through, both mothers spoke to NBC News about their shock at the donation.

Cornwell told the outlet that she wanted Swift to know she was “very grateful” for the pledge.

“She just doesn’t know how excited it made my kids,” Cornwell said. “We love Taylor Swift!”

Selewski said she was standing in her kitchen when she saw the five-digit donation come in before realizing it was from Swift, which “in itself is so crazy.”

“It was literally just going to bed every night and praying that something would happen and then it happened,” Selewski said. “It’s like something you read about happening to someone else and think they’re so lucky.”

The move follows a trend for the pop star, who often quietly donates to private accounts and fans after reading their stories on social media.

Earlier this week, she made a donation to an Ohio food bank after a fan created a Christmas light display inspired by one of her songs.

OMFG IM FREAKING OUT TAYLOR SWIFT MESSAGED ME OMG OMG OMG pic.twitter.com/hAMr9Brgsm

— Sarah Bailey (@SarahJBailes) December 8, 2020

Last year, the “Lover” songstress donated nearly $5,000 after reading a Tumblr post about how a fan was struggling to pay her college tuition and rent.