Kylie Jenner has donated $1 million to the Australian bushfire crisis after receiving backlash for her fashion choices on Instagram.
The 22-year-old is one of many celebrities who have donated to those in need as fires rage across multiple Australian states; others include Chris Hemsworth, Margot Robbie, Elton John and P!nk.
Seemingly in an effort to show she was socially conscious, Kylie took the opportunity to help raise awareness for the devastation by taking to social media, where she posted an Instagram story to her 156 million followers.
The reality TV star shared a picture of a koala being carried by a fireman, and wrote:
Over half a BILLION animals have been killed in Australia. This breaks my heart.
Of course, there’s nothing problematic with this message in itself; the amount of animals that have been lost during the bushfires, which is now thought to be more than one billion, is truly devastating.
The country is in need of global support, with donations being made to help firefighters tackling the flames, wildlife rescue centres helping the injured animals, and residents who have had their homes and towns destroyed.
However, Kylie’s followers found an issue with her Instagram story when she added another snap to the thread, in which she showed off $1,480 mink-fur Louis Vuitton slippers.
Being the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, you can’t blame the 22-year-old for splashing out on shoes, but buying ones made with real animal fur is simply unnecessary.
Considering she’d just recently said her heart was broken over the loss of animals, Kylie’s followers were quick to call out the model for her blatant hypocrisy.
One Twitter user wrote:
Kylie posting about how she is feeling heartbroken about the death of animals in Australia due to fire and then posting her wearing a slipper made of minks fur is the biggest hypocrisy of 2020…
Another commented:
kylie jenner really thought she was doing something when she posted being heart broken about half a billion animals dying in the australia fires and then proceeded to post a picture of her louis vuitton real mink fur slippers
Kylie didn’t appear to comment on the backlash, though she has since donated a hefty $1 million to the bushfire crisis. According to a source cited by People, the 22-year-old wants to do whatever she can to help Australia.
The insider spoke about the contradictory Instagram story, saying:
That post was completely unintentional. Kylie stands behind her desire to want to help provide relief towards the devastation the fires have caused.
Though the source claims otherwise, it seems likely the donation was made in an attempt to alleviate a guilty conscience. If that’s the case, it’s not the best reason to give money, but at least it’s $1 million to a very worthy cause.
Hopefully Kylie will avoid making similar social media blunders in future.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.