Susan Rockefeller Silences Global Climate Activist; Stays Quiet for 7 Years While Hush Money Settlement Breach Becomes Global Scandal

For Immediate Release

July 30, 2024

New York, NY — An ongoing controversy surrounding Susan Rockefeller’s role in a family hush money settlement has escalated into a global scandal as new details emerge about her prolonged silence and inaction in the face of severe allegations against her nephew Christopher Rockefeller Lindstrom.

On July 29, 2024, Susan Rockefeller and David Rockefeller Jr. filed a joint restraining order against climate activist Jennifer Collins, adding to three existing restraining orders which appear to be an effort to aggressively silence Collins from speaking out about Lindstrom’s sexual and philanthropic indiscretions. They come following Collins’ refusal to sign a rushed alternative hush settlement this past June that had significantly less favorable terms than the one Lindstrom breached in May, which also included a notable default to a non-profit children’s educational program called Earth SCHOOL.

This development isn’t shocking given evidence that Susan Rockefeller has almost always prioritized her family’s interests over her purported social priorities of Climate Change and Ocean Health when it came to this scandal.

Jennifer Collins, also known as Jenny Carrington, has courageously stepped forward with her harrowing account of financial abuse and sexual coercion by Christopher Rockefeller Lindstrom, Susan Rockefeller’s nephew. Despite numerous pleas for help over the years, Susan Rockefeller chose to remain mostly silent for seven years, exacerbating Collins’ emotional and financial distress. She ignored Collins’ attempts to reach her on social media regarding previous sexual harassment claims between 2017–2019. She minimized Collins’ valiant efforts to engage her and Oceana in the efforts of a large coalition to stop the Fukushima waste dump in 2022.

Yet the aggressive approach of a restraining order somehow still seems somehow unpalatable for a public figure of her stature in the face of a substantial financial settlement breach earlier this year within the family. It is relatively common knowledge that many of these upper echelon ambassadors make decisions collaboratively in a Family Office setting.

In a detailed letter to the Oceana Board of Directors, Collins recounts the series of events that led to her current plight from the very beginning. It all started in 2017, when Lindstrom provided a $184,000 bridge loan to support ARC 38, a nonprofit dedicated to ecological education and regenerative agriculture to which Jennifer was a consultant and later acting President. Their professional relationship quickly turned personal, tainted by coercion and inappropriate behavior from Lindstrom. This led to severe emotional trauma for Collins, resulting in a 10-day in-patient hospitalization and long-term challenges with mental disability resulting from severe trauma.

Throughout these ordeals, Collins reached out to Susan Rockefeller for support, only to be met mostly with avoidance or indifference. Rockefeller’s refusal to act or even acknowledge the situation enabled Lindstrom’s continued misconduct. Collins’ exclusion from significant events like the NEXUS Summit further hindered her professional and personal endeavors, causing irreversible damage to her initiatives aimed at promoting environmental stewardship and affordable housing.

The scandal deepened when a settlement agreement, reached in April 2024 to address Lindstrom’s financial obligations, was breached. Lindstrom’s failure to honor the six-figure settlement exacerbated Collins’ financial strain and triggered another mental health crisis.

Despite occasional gestures of support, such as endorsing Collins’ involvement in the bestselling book series “Women Gone Wild,” following Collins’ non-profit Mother Earth on Instagram and sharing related content once or twice, Susan Rockefeller consistently blocked substantive efforts by Collins to seek justice and collaboration. When challenged, Rockefeller’s response was a stark reminder of her privilege to be able to avoid the windfall of consequences associated with domestic abuse: she had to “take care of [herself] and her family.”

Collins’ plea for accountability reached a tipping point with her proposed letter to Oceana, urging the organization to investigate Susan Rockefeller’s conduct and her suitability as a Board member. This letter brings global attention to the ethical responsibilities of those in influential positions and the severe consequences of neglecting them. Legal teams are now involved, making threats of arrest and defamation toward Collins who doesn’t seem to be backing down.

Jennifer Collins continues to advocate for justice, not just for herself but for all victims of financial and emotional abuse. This scandal underscores the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and support for those who suffer in silence due to the inaction of those who hold power.