#1 Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner found herself at the center of a backlash in 2021 after sharing a GoFundMe campaign for her friend and makeup artist Samuel Rauda.
Rauda had reportedly suffered serious injuries in a car accident and needed help covering medical expenses. The fundraiser originally aimed to collect $60,000 for his treatment.
According to reports at the time, Jenner donated $5,000 and then shared the fundraiser on her Instagram Stories, encouraging her followers to contribute as well.
“May God watch over you and protect you @makeupbysamuel. Everyone, take a moment to say a prayer for Sam, who got into an accident this past weekend. And swipe up to visit his family’s [sic] GoFundMe,” Jenner wrote.
While the fundraiser eventually exceeded its goal and raised close to $100,000, many social media users questioned why Jenner, whose wealth had been widely reported in the hundreds of millions, did not simply cover the remaining costs herself.
One critic wrote, “How come Kylie Jenner isn’t paying her makeup artist enough to afford a 60k surgery? That’s the real question. Her business is makeup. He’s her makeup artist!”
Others pointed to the timing, noting that many people were struggling financially during the pandemic.
“So, Kylie Jenner, who apparently earns over $450k a day and is a billionaire, shared the 60k GoFundMe of her friend who got in an accident for us poor people to donate to? Celebrities are a different breed,” one person tweeted.
A third commenter wrote, “Um, Kylie Jenner could buy the fvcking moon, and she’s doing a GoFundMe for someone who isn’t only her employee but her friend?”
Image source: kyliejenner/Instagram
#2 Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore landed in the middle of a crowdfunding debate in January 2025 after sharing a GoFundMe campaign for her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Griff and Kit, who lost their home in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
The actress had already revealed that her own Altadena property was heavily damaged by the Eaton Fire.
While the main structure of her home remained standing, Moore said her family’s garage, back house, and husband Taylor Goldsmith’s music studio were destroyed.
She also shared that many people close to her had lost everything, including her in-laws and her brother-in-law’s family, who were preparing to welcome their first child within weeks.
Wanting to help, Moore reposted a GoFundMe created by a family friend for Griff and Kit.
In her message, she explained that the couple had lost their home and belongings in the fire. She also noted that Griff, a touring musician, had lost the drums and equipment he relied on for work.
However, some social media users questioned why a successful actress was raising funds instead of simply covering the costs herself.
“It’s so awesome when rich people ask us for money,” wrote one user, while another added, “If those are my family, I’d definitely donate without asking for help from the public.. especially if I were rich.”
Moore did not stay silent.
She directly addressed the backlash in her Instagram post, writing, “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.”
She then made it clear why she shared the fundraiser in the first place, adding, “Our buddy Matt started this GoFundMe, and I’m sharing because people have asked how they can help them. We just lost most of our lives in a fire, too.”
The actress ended her response with a blunt message for critics, “Kindly F OFF. No one is forcing you to do anything.”
Despite the controversy, the fundraiser was a huge success. It raised more than $200,000 in a short period, and organizers eventually disabled further donations after exceeding expectations.
Image source: mandymooremm/Instagram
#3 Jack Doherty
Streamer Jack Doherty found himself at the center of backlash in October 2024 after asking fans for donations shortly after crashing his McLaren during a live stream.
The controversy began when Doherty was broadcasting on Kick while driving through heavy rain in Miami. During the stream, he lost control of his McLaren and slammed into a barrier.
The crash was serious enough to leave his passenger, friend Michael David, visibly injured and bleeding from the face.
Many viewers were even more disturbed by Doherty’s reaction, as footage appeared to show him focusing on the stream and the camera rather than immediately helping his friend.
The incident quickly got worse for the content creator.
Kick permanently banned him from the platform, citing his reckless behavior. Critics also pointed to footage that appeared to show Doherty looking at or using his phone while driving moments before the crash.
Just days later, Doherty sparked another wave of criticism when he went live on TikTok, asking viewers to send him gifts and donations.
He encouraged fans to send “galaxies,” one of TikTok’s virtual gifts, and promised to follow back those who contributed.
Many people felt the timing was completely inappropriate. Instead of showing remorse, critics believed he was trying to profit from a situation he had caused.
One viewer mocked him, writing, “Begging for money and then saying ‘you guys never drove a McLaren’ is crazy lmao.”
Others were even harsher. “Why does this weird a*s kid still have a platform,” another commenter asked as frustration with the streamer continued to grow online.
Doherty didn’t help matters when he defended himself by saying, “I literally hydroplaned. I’m in a McLaren in the pouring rain, what do you expect? You guys have never drove a McLaren.”
That explanation only fueled more criticism. One user fired back, “‘Driving in the rain, what do you expect?’ He left out ‘on my phone.'”
Image source: jackdoherty/TikTok
#4 Oprah And Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
When Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson launched the People’s Fund of Maui in 2023, they expected the public to rally behind the effort.
Instead, they found themselves facing one of the biggest donation-related backlashes involving celebrities in recent years.
The pair created the fund after devastating wildfires swept through Maui, destroying homes and displacing thousands of residents.
To kickstart the project, Winfrey and Johnson contributed $10 million of their own money, with each donating $5 million. They then encouraged the public to contribute as well, explaining that many people had been asking how they could help survivors.
In a video promoting the fundraiser, Oprah told supporters, “We appreciate all the support that you can give. All these people who were calling me and texting me and messaging me and saying, ‘What do I do? What do I do?’ This is what you do.”
The response online was immediate and surprisingly negative. Many people questioned why two celebrities, each worth billions and hundreds of millions of dollars, were asking everyday people for donations during a difficult economic period.
One of the most-liked comments summed up the criticism.
“Math ain’t mathing with this one. You guys literally have so much money…. You can donate it and make it back within a year.”
Weeks later, Johnson finally addressed the backlash.
He admitted that he understood why people were upset and said, “When we first launched the fund, there was some backlash … I want to say that I get it, and I completely understand.”
He acknowledged that many families were struggling financially and added, “The last thing you want to hear when you are living from paycheck to paycheck is someone asking you for money, especially when the person asking you for money already has a lot of money.”
Despite the criticism, the fund successfully distributed money to thousands of wildfire survivors.
Image source: oprah/TikTok
#5 Meghan Fox
Megan Fox faced major backlash in 2023 after sharing a GoFundMe campaign for her nail artist’s father, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The fundraiser was created by celebrity nail artist Brittney Boyce, a longtime friend of Fox.
The campaign aimed to raise $30,000 to help cover medical expenses for Boyce’s father, so he could focus on treatment rather than worry about finances.
Wanting to help, Fox shared the fundraiser on her Instagram Story and wrote, “My friend’s dad was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. If you guys are able to help, please do.”
While the request may have been well-intentioned, many social media users were stunned that Fox was asking fans for donations instead of paying the amount herself.
At the time, the actress was widely reported to have a multimillion-dollar net worth, making the relatively modest fundraising goal seem even smaller in comparison.
The criticism spread quickly across social media.
One frustrated user wrote, “Millionaire Megan Fox just posted a GoFundMe on her Instagram story for her friend’s dad’s 30 grand cancer medical bills, and I am absolutely speechless.”
Another questioned the logic behind the request, saying, “Megan Fox sharing a GoFundMe for 30k has got to be a joke. As if she isn’t rich as f**k and could help their friend immediately lol.”
Others were even more direct. “THEN WRITE HIM A CHECK BOO-BOO YOU GOT 30k RIGHT NOW! The nerve. gross,” one person commented.
Perhaps the harshest criticism pointed out the contrast between Fox’s luxury lifestyle and the fundraiser itself.
Referencing a reported $30,000 diamond manicure she wore to the Grammys, one user wrote, “#MeganFox had a $30k manicure for the Grammys… The GoFundMe she shared is for her nail tech’s family cancer fund. The rest of the world is struggling to pay bills, but she wants the US to donate to HER manicurist?! Get the f*** out.”
Fox never publicly addressed the fundraising controversy.
Image source: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
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