Kylie Jenner has hit back against a "false narrative" after suffering a torrent of online backlash as she tried to raise money for a make-up artist's medical bills.
The beauty entrepreneur came under fire for sharing a fundraising page with her 222 million Instagram followers, with fans criticising the star for donating $5,000 despite her estimated $700 million net worth, a figure Forbes has reported.
Jenner, 23, this week shared a GoFundMe page set up to benefit celebrity make-up artist Samuel Rauda, who underwent surgery after being injured in a car crash earlier in March.
"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," Jenner posted in a now-deleted Instagram Story.
The Kylie Cosmetics founder shared a link to the fundraising page set up by Rauda's family, which, at the time, was seeking $10,000 to cover the make-up artist's medical expenses.
After receiving backlash over the amount she personally donated, which was publicly stated on the GoFundMe page, Jenner took to social media this week to defend her actions.
"I feel it’s important for me to clear up this false narrative that I’ve asked fans for money and am not paying for my make-up artists’s medical bills," she posted in an Instagram Story on Monday.
"Sam isn’t my make-up artist and unfortunately we don’t have a personal relationship with him any more. But I worked with him a few years ago and think he’s the sweetest."
Jenner added that she had been alerted to Rauda’s accident by her current make-up artist and felt “compelled” to visit his fundraising page.
“They had already raised $6K so I put in $5K to help them reach their original goal [of $10,000], and thought I’d post on my Stories to gain more awareness," she wrote.
“I don’t know how all of this got so twisted, but his family has reached out and are very appreciative of all the donations, prayers and love towards Sam.
"Anyone that knows me knows that I do things from the heart and I try to be helpful whenever I can be."
The fundraising tally currently stands at $100,000 with a $120,000 target.
This isn't the first controversy Jenner has found herself embroiled in this year. In January, the beauty mogul was criticised for "cashing in" on the pandemic by launching a $7 hand sanitiser as part of her skincare brand. The star did not comment on the furore at the time.
