A well-known influencer has sparked widespread outrage after making an insensitive comment about the Los Angeles wildfires, which have already claimed at least five lives and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, New York Post reports.
Meg DeAngelis, 29, a Canadian content creator with millions of followers on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, faced backlash for a selfie she posted on Wednesday.
In the photo, she is pouting, and she wrote alongside it: “When I escaped NYC because it was too cold, but now this one is literally burning down.”
The “joke” didn’t sit well with her followers, who quickly called her out as “tone-deaf” and “privileged” on Reddit. One user commented, “The privilege is crazy,” while another added, “OMG girl, read the room.”
Other comments condemned her insensitivity, pointing out the devastating impact the fires have had on people’s lives. “NYC was too cold, and now LA is too ‘hot’ because thousands of homes have burned down and people have died?” one person wrote. Another user criticised her lack of awareness, saying, “If you don’t have helpful information for people in this ongoing crisis, why are you posting?”
Following the backlash, DeAngelis back-pedalled in a follow-up post, sharing a more serious photo of the orange sky in California. “In all seriousness, this is heartbreaking,” she wrote. “I’m thinking about all the wildlife and everyone who is affected. I’m so sorry you have to go through this.”
The criticism comes after a shocking photo emerged of a group of young adults, believed to be influencers, posing for selfies near burning homes in Pasadena. The group, seen smiling next to the Eaton fire, sparked more outrage online, with comments describing their actions as “gross” and “stupid.”
Approximately 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as multiple fires continue to rage across Los Angeles. Part of the iconic Sunset Boulevard has been reduced to ruins after a fire tore through the Pacific Palisades. Authorities are still trying to assess the full extent of the damage and the number of deaths.
