Actor Mandy Moore did not mince words after she was slammed on social media for sharing a GoFundMe to raise funds for her in-laws who've lost their home in the ongoing wildfires still raging across southern California.
The This Is Us actor took to Instagram after being put on blast and explained that her brother-in-law and sister-in-law "lost their home and everything they own" in the Eaton fire, one of several active wildfires that have been blazing through Los Angeles County since last Tuesday.
"So many of have asked how to help during this unimaginable and stressful time," said Moore, whose home in Altadena was also destroyed in the Eaton wildfire.
Altadena is located 30 miles east of the Pacific Palisades wildfire, which destroyed 5,000 structures—many of them homes—and has become the most destructive fire in LA history.
Moore provided a link to her in-laws' relief campaign and asked social media users:
"Please consider donating and sharing to help them rebuild."
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The former pop singer continued:
“And 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.”
“Of course we are.”
“Our buddy Matt started this go fund me and i’m sharing because people have asked how they can help them."
“We just lost most of our life in a fire too."
"Kindly F off, she said, adding, "No one is forcing you to do anything."
@mandymooremm/Instagram
Many fans supported Moore and suggested celebrities aren't always living in the lap of luxury despite pop cultural media coverage portraying them as glam.
Fans continued backing Moore for her strong statement.
Moore and her three children, whom she shares with her husband, Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith, were one of 150,000 people who were placed under evacuation orders last week.
"We were able to park and walk up our street to bear witness to all the loss. Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now. It’s not livable but mostly intact," she wrote in Friday's Instagram post.
She continued:
"We lost Taylor and griffin’s studio with every instrument and piece of equipment they’ve ever owned. We lost our garage and back house."
"Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone. My in-laws. My brother and sister-in-law- 6 weeks from welcoming their first baby. Our best friends."
"Feeling weird survivor’s guilt."
"We love this community and will do everything we can to help rebuild and support. Thanks for everyone for checking on us and offering us help. Altadena strong.”
Her This Is Us co-star Milo Ventimiglia also lost his Malibu home to the Palisades wildfire just before wife Jarah Mariano's pregnancy due date.
The expectant couple were forced to evacuate on January 7 and watched their home through security cameras being burned to the ground.
Ventimiglia and Moore played Jack and Rebecca Pearson, whose home is destroyed in a fire, resulting in Jack's death from a heart attack triggered by smoke inhalation.
Experiencing life imitating art was not lost on Ventimiglia, who told
CBS News, "I think there's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real, this is happening."
According to Cal Fire, the LA wildfires burned through approximately 40,000 acres, destroyed over 12,000 structures, and claimed 13 lives as of this writing.
With strong wind gusts expected to start up again Monday, evacuation orders remain in place for thousands of LA residents through at least Thursday while firefighters tirelessly continue risking their lives to extinguish the conflagrations.
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