Embattled BLM co-founder and wife dissolve joint biz, sell home as she drops spouse’s name
The Post reveals that embattled BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, 42, and her wife Janaya Khan have closed their consulting business while also selling their joint LA home. AP
BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors and her wife have dissolved their consulting business and sold their shared Los Angeles home, while Cullors has dropped her spouse’s name, The Post has learned.
The personal changes come amid heightened scrutiny of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, which Cullors helped establish, as the Department of Justice reportedly investigates whether the organization misused donor funds totaling tens of millions of dollars during the 2020 racial-justice protests.
It remains unclear who is specifically targeted in the federal probe, though sources told The Associated Press that subpoenas and at least one search warrant have been issued in recent weeks. Cullors resigned from BLM in 2021 amid criticism over her lifestyle and extensive real estate purchases.
Among the transactions that drew attention was a Toronto mansion purchased in 2021 by M4BJ, a Canadian nonprofit founded by Cullors’ wife Janaya Khan and other activists. BLM reportedly transferred millions to the charity to fund the purchase.
Cullors, 42, an artist whose work explores “the trauma of being Black in America, and also our resilience,” did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Khan, in her 30s. The status of their personal relationship is unclear. Cullors, who has a son, married Khan in 2016.
The couple dissolved their LLC, Janaya and Patrisse Consulting, in 2023. Cullors no longer uses “Khan” in her name, and Khan transferred her share of their $1.4 million Topanga Canyon Road home near Malibu to Cullors before the property sold in September 2024.
Cullors has turned her focus to art, debuting her solo exhibition “Between the Warp and Weft: Weaving Shields of Strength and Spirituality” in Los Angeles last year. The exhibit featured knives and scythes decorated with shells and textiles, described as “a sanctuary of reflection and empowerment.”
“I’ve created work around the trauma of being Black in America, and also our resilience,” Cullors said of the pieces.
The Los Angeles native and self-described “abolitionist” co-founded BLM in 2013 and served six years as executive director. Following her tenure, she embarked on a real estate spree, purchasing four high-end homes totaling $3.2 million.
Her acquisitions included properties in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Topanga Canyon, the latter purchased in early 2021 for $1.4 million. Cullors reportedly spent tens of thousands of dollars on renovations and was even seen scouting properties in the Bahamas, though it is unclear if she bought one there.
BLM drew criticism in 2020 for secretly purchasing a $6 million Los Angeles mansion, which Cullors said was meant for organizational meetings. She later admitted to hosting private events there, including her son’s birthday and a celebration for President Joe Biden’s inauguration, though she denied living there or personally benefiting financially.
In 2022, BLM confirmed that donor funds were used to buy the LA property, and records also show millions were sent to Khan’s Canadian nonprofit to purchase the Toronto mansion. These moves fueled ongoing concerns about transparency in BLM’s finances.
Cullors has said her resignation was not related to the backlash over her real estate purchases. “I’ve created the infrastructure and the support…so that I can leave. It feels like the time is right,” she told reporters at the time, dismissing criticism as politically motivated.
Since stepping down, Cullors pursued a book and television deal, though a multi-platform deal with Warner Bros Television Group ended in 2023 without any projects produced. She has authored multiple books, including 2018’s When They Call You a Terrorist and 2022’s An Abolitionist’s Handbook.
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