Editing Montel Williams (section)

==== Payday loan controversy ====
Williams was a paid [[spokesperson]] for MoneyMutual, a [[lead generation|lead generator]] for a [[payday loan|payday lending service]].<ref name=Grindrod>{{cite news|last=Grindrod|first=John|title=Payday Lenders: Safety Nets or Loan Sharks|url=http://www.limaohio.com/opinion/columns/john_grindrod/article_c1618a24-a6da-11e2-9850-001a4bcf6878.html|access-date=May 9, 2013|newspaper=The Lima News|date=April 16, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528051930/http://www.limaohio.com/opinion/columns/john_grindrod/article_c1618a24-a6da-11e2-9850-001a4bcf6878.html|archive-date=May 28, 2014}}</ref> In early 2015, a controversy around this position erupted when an education activist, André-Tascha Lammé, accused Williams on [[Twitter]] of supporting a company that harms African-American consumers.<ref name="TIMEpayday">{{cite news |last1=Davidson |first1=Jacob |date=February 28, 2015 |title=Montel Williams Got Called Out On Twitter For Endorsing Payday Loans—And He Didn't Handle It Well |work=Money.com |url=https://money.com/montel-williams-payday-loans-twitter/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307155448/https://money.com/montel-williams-payday-loans-twitter/ |archive-date=March 7, 2022}}</ref> Williams denied the allegations, stating that Lammé was fundamentally incorrect in his assessment of the loans and their terms.<ref name=Consumerist>{{cite web|last1=Kieler|first1=Asley|title=Montel Williams Defends Hawking Payday Loan Generator Money Mutual|url=http://consumerist.com/2015/03/02/montel-williams-defends-hawking-payday-loan-generator-money-mutual/|publisher=Consumerist|access-date=June 23, 2015|date=March 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624173030/http://consumerist.com/2015/03/02/montel-williams-defends-hawking-payday-loan-generator-money-mutual/|archive-date=June 24, 2015}}</ref> The [[New York State Department of Financial Services]] then investigated the claims, and [[Benjamin Lawsky]] issued a statement on March 10 that it "made no finding of a violation of law by Mr. Williams".<ref name=NBCfines>{{cite news|last1=Popken|first1=Ben|title=Montel Williams-Backed Payday Loan Advertiser Fined $2.1 Million|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/payday-lender-backed-montel-williams-fined-2-1-million-n321401|access-date=June 23, 2015|work=NBC News|date=March 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623215628/https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/payday-lender-backed-montel-williams-fined-2-1-million-n321401|archive-date=June 23, 2015}}</ref> He added that the department had found that "Using Mr. Williams's reputation as a trusted celebrity endorser, MoneyMutual marketed loans to struggling consumers with sky-high interest rates – sometimes in excess of 1,300 percent".<ref name=NBCfines /> SellingSource, the [[parent company]], was fined $2.1 million and ordered to stop advertising to New Yorkers.<ref name=NBCfines /><ref name=Bloomberg>{{cite news|last1=Faux|first1=Zeke|title=Montel Williams Payday Loan Advertiser Fined $2.1 Million|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-10/montel-williams-payday-loan-advertiser-fined-2-1-million|access-date=June 23, 2015|work=Bloomberg News|date=March 10, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623220221/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-10/montel-williams-payday-loan-advertiser-fined-2-1-million|archive-date=June 23, 2015}}</ref>