Actress and singer Mandy Moore found herself at the center of an online controversy recently after she shared a GoFundMe campaign to help her in-laws, Griff and Kit Goldsmith, who lost everything in the destructive Eaton fire near Los Angeles. Although Moore’s own home was partially affected by the fire, she came under criticism for promoting the fundraising effort on social media, especially given her reported net worth of $14 million.
A GoFundMe has been created by Matthew Koma, the friend of the couple-husband to actress Hilary Duff-raises money for the Goldsmiths as they look to rebuild their lives after losing everything, including Griff’s instruments and studio equipment, in a home loss. Being a touring musician meant these tools represented his livelihood; their loss only added to the personal and financial toll this family had to endure in anticipation of the arrival of their first child.
Being the social media influencer that she is, Mandy Moore took to her Instagram stories to round up support for her family members. She explained to her millions of followers that her brother-in-law and sister-in-law had been affected by the wildfires, and many had reached out, asking how they could help. Moore’s gesture was meant to provide a means for those willing to contribute to the family’s recovery.
But not all of her followers were quite so supportive. Critics wondered why Moore, a wealthy celebrity, would solicit public donations for her family when she could easily fund rebuilding herself. Some of her followers felt it was tone-deaf for a millionaire to ask the public for money, especially from people who are barely scraping by paycheck to paycheck. One commenter called it “obscene” that anyone as well-off as Moore would use a GoFundMe for personal support, while others lambasted her for not using her own resources to support her family.
Moore fired back on social media in response to the backlash, defending herself and her decision to share the fundraiser. “People questioning whether we’re helping out our own family or attributing some arbitrary amount of money Google says someone has is NOT helpful or empathetic,” Moore wrote in an Instagram story. “Of course we are.” She continued, saying her family was not forcing anyone to donate, and the critiques against her actions were unhelpful considering the severity of the situation.
Moore also made it a point to remind her critics that she, too, had suffered from the fire, as her own home was partially damaged in the process. She bluntly told one commenter, “Kindly F off. No one is forcing you to do anything.”
While Moore’s response was as candid as it gets, a few people leaped to her defense, stating that it was normal for anyone, irrespective of income or status, to share fundraising campaigns for family and friends. Supporters added that, celebrity or not, Moore was a victim of the wildfire going through thick and thin, and her ask wasn’t out of line. One follower commented, “Let’s lift each other up. She’s just a human being asking for help for her family, celebrity or not.
This controversy does so effectively because it reflects the frustrations and intricacies that come with social media in the present climate, where scrutiny is targeted at every move of the public figure. However, the criticism aside, Moore’s message basically turns on love and the support for one another in times of strife-something that seems particularly salient today as communities grapple with ongoing devastation wrought by wildfires throughout California.