Mandy Moore’s Family Sheltering With Hilary Duff After Home Impacted From L.A. Wildfires
After their home burned down amid the deadly L.A. wildfires that first ignited last Tuesday, Mandy Moore and her family have found refuge with Hilary Duff and husband Matthew Koma.
In an Instagram post shared Tuesday, Moore’s brother-in-law Griffin Goldsmith, whose home also burned down from the fires, expressed gratitude to Duff and her family for their generosity to not only offer their home to Moore but also set up a GoFundMe page for him and his wife given they lost their home amid the upcoming birth of their baby.
Moore’s husband is Taylor Goldsmith, who is part of the band Dawes with his brother Griffin Goldsmith. Taylor and Griffin both appeared on Monday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! as the music act in Kimmel’s return to the late-night stage after halting production amid the fires.
Goldsmith wrote, “All of this so overwhelming. But what is as equally overwhelming is the amount of love and generosity we are on the receiving end of. Our dear friends @matthewkoma and @hilaryduff thought it wise to set up a gofundme for us to help with everything moving forward. Not to mention they are currently housing my brother’s family. They’ve taken care of my entire family from the moment this began. I will never be able to thank them adequately. This is the kindest act any human could do for another. They are the most beautiful, selfless people we’ve ever known.”
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After starting the GoFundMe page, Goldsmith and his wife have received up to $205,000. In his post, Goldsmith also thanked all the donors who raised money for his family writing, “I’ve never been so moved in my life. We are completely blown away. I can’t talk or think about it without crying.”
After Moore shared the GoFundMe page on her Instagram page, she was quick to receive backlash with critics stating that the actress-singer should donate her own money to support her in-laws instead of asking for help.
When addressing the backlash, Moore argued, “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 GoFundMe 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. No one is forcing you to do anything.”
Amid the Eaton Fire, Moore had shared updates on social media, posting a video of what appeared to be her driving through the destruction in her community of Altadena, California. “This is Altadena. Leveled. My sweet home,” she wrote. “I am devastated and gutted for those of us who’ve lost so much. I’m absolutely numb.”
She later wrote, “My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too. Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together. Sending love to all affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control.”
As for her own home, Moore shared photos of what remained of her family home writing that “Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now. It’s not livable but mostly intact.” “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 survivors guilt. We love this community and will do everything we can to help rebuild and support,” she wrote.
The fire first began on Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, before spreading to parts of Malibu and Santa Monica. The Eaton Fire in the Altadena-Pasadena area claimed Moore’s home. As of Tuesday morning, the Palisades Fire is 17 percent contained whereas the Eaton Fire is 35 percent contained; at least 24 people have been confirmed dead from the fires, according to the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office.
L.A. County is under a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning from the National Weather Service on Tuesday. While the Hurst Fire north of Los Angeles is nearly fully contained, a new wildfire broke out overnight in Ventura called the Auto Fire, which has burned more than 50 acres by daylight.