“Little Rascals” star Brandon “Bug” Hall has no plans to return the more than $26,000 raised beyond his original 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 tells Page Six.
The former child actor exclusively tells Page Six that he initially set up the fundraiser with a $2,000 target to help his family get through the winter after a series of setbacks left them scrambling to move onto a new property in Arkansas.
But Hall, 41, says he never intended to collect more than that amount and had even disabled GoFundMe’s automatic goal-increase feature, promising to shut down the fundraiser 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 says GoFundMe locked the fundraiser, 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 says.
Hall says he only learned shortly before speaking with Page Six that the platform had completed its Trust and Safety investigation, cleared the fundraiser 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 says.
Hall says he initially wanted the fundraiser 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 says.
He also pushed back on criticism that his vow of poverty means he refuses to work. Hall says 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 explains.
Asked why he wouldn’t return the money collected above his original goal now that the fundraiser 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 says, adding that he believes the fact that he was unable to close the fundraiser 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 says.
Hall adds 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 says. “But in this situation, I never said anything about overages because I never considered that possibility.”
Hall says 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 says. “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 says marked a turning point in his life and ultimately 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 says 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 says 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 says. “So I relapsed, and it was horrifying for my wife.”
But Hall says 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 relates.
He says he is grateful for the public shame that followed his arrest, and even welcomes people bringing up his mugshot.
“I hope it never stops being brought up,” he says. “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 says.
The actor, who has largely stepped away from Hollywood, also says 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 says he cannot imagine returning to work in the business.
“I really can’t imagine returning professionally,” he says.
