Key Takeaways
- Gracie Bon says she shared photos of herself amid Panama’s earthquake wreckage to raise awareness and encourage donations, not to profit from the disaster.
- “I’m not posing, I’m simply appearing in the photo on MY post,” the influencer told critics who accused her of turning damaged homes into a photoshoot backdrop.
- The 7.7-magnitude earthquake reportedly injured at least 27 people, destroyed homes, and caused major structural damage across Panama.
Influencer Gracie Bon is catching heat online after showing photos of herself surrounded by wreckage caused by the recent Panama earthquake. Critics are now accusing her of using a natural disaster as a photo opportunity.
The controversy began after Bon, who has more than 11 million Instagram followers, posted several photos on Sunday, October 11. The photos showed her standing among damaged buildings and rubble left behind by the powerful earthquake.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the country on October 9, causing major structural damage, leaving residents without homes, and causing at least 27 people to be injured.
Along with the photos, Bon included a message encouraging her followers to support those affected by the disaster.
“The reality of my country after the earthquake,” she wrote in Spanish, according to TMZ. “We have to remember that material things can be recovered, but life is priceless.”
However, the message didn’t sit well with many people.
Social media users were quick to criticize the influencer for appearing to pose in front of badly damaged homes. Some questioned whether she was using the destruction, as well as the suffering of others, to attract attention and engagement.
Others accused her of treating the aftermath of the earthquake like a photoshoot rather than the devastating crisis that it is.
Bon wasn’t having it and defended her actions.
In a series of Instagram stories, she pushed back against the criticism. She insisted that her intention was only to raise awareness about the destruction and encourage donations.
“I’m not posing, I’m simply appearing in the photo on MY post,” she said. “If I hadn’t appeared in the photos, would they have been more acceptable to you?”
“I’m not monetizing a single cent from the situation in my country,” she went on.
Despite the backlash, Bon plans to continue supporting families affected by the disaster and sharing information about relief efforts.
