Some critics want Chrissy Teigen reported and her Instagram account shuttered for what they’re claiming is the spread of misinformation about wildfires that have destroyed multiple communities in Los Angeles County.
A series of five blazes have scorched acres of land in Southern California since Jan. 7, leaving a trail of hundreds of thousands of displaced residents, over two dozen dead, thousands of structures destroyed, and a long and arduous road to recovery ahead for the state.
Amidst the chaos and confusion regarding resources, home insurance scams, and varying reports about elected officials’ roles in the horrific disaster, there is Teigen. The Sports Illustrated model and her family, husband John Legend and their four kids and pets, are among the many Angelenos who, while under evacuation orders, fled their homes.
However, they are also among the fortunate, in wealth and resources, as well as in that they were able to return to their residence in time for daughter Esti’s second birthday, according to a post showcasing the homemade birthday cake Teigen made for the toddler in her Instagram Story.
But the “Ordinary People” crooner’s wife is facing backlash for a Jan. 14 post attempting to clear the air of false claims regarding the wildfires.
The “Cravings” author reshared a Leigh “Politics Girl” McGowan video debunking “disinformation” about water shortages, looting, details of multimillion-dollar firefighting and infrastructure cuts, and more.
The snippet shared by Teigen specifically addressed concerns about the loss of water pressure from fire hydrants, dry reservoirs, and thefts. “It helps no one to spread lies,” said McGowan.
She asserted that hydrants in the Pacific Palisades ran dry or with minimal pressure because of the massive size of the inferno, not because of mismanagement of the water supply.
Janisse Quiñones, head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, shared a similar explanation, noting that three million gallons of water were available at the onset of the state of emergency, but hurricane-strength winds fed the flames faster than the firefighters could contain the burning.
McGowan also slammed a social media post, retweeted by Elon Musk, claiming that looters would not face punishment for their crimes during the disaster. Gov. Gavin Newsom previously hit back at Musk for “encouraging looters” by falsely stating it had been “decriminalized.”
California Penal Code 463 explicitly states any captured suspects will face jail time and either felony or misdemeanor charges for the acts. At least nine people had been charged by Jan 14.
Stop encouraging looting by lying and telling people it’s decriminalized. It’s not.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 11, 2025
It’s illegal — as it always has been.
Bad actors will be arrested and prosecuted. https://t.co/EImJwFdyzZ
Teigen initially shared the clip with a single red heart emoji in the caption. Warring comments, however, prompted her to write, “I was gonna turn the comments off but decided to let some of you guys show your asses.”
Among the backlash was a remark that stated, “Wtf is she talking about? The palisades reservoir was empty and out of commission at the time of the fires Not to mention we should have a system in place of pumping water from the ocean for emergencies like this.”
Tiegen snapped, “Sounds like you didn’t watch the whole video.”
According to McGowan, the Santa Ynez 117-million-gallon reservoir was in fact out of commission, but it was due to scheduled repairs. It was drained in February, according to CBS News. An investigation into the matter has since been launched.
Protecting smelt, “they ran out of water” — the Internet had been wild surrounding the wildfires. My colleagues put together evidence based reporting on the claims surrounding the wildfires. Share away: https://t.co/uLejh804r2
— Ginger Zee (@Ginger_Zee) January 14, 2025
Another critic declared, “Anyone who calls out ‘misinformation’ or even uses that word I’m going to instantly be skeptical of.”
A third user typed, “Instead of intentionally trying to instigate and stir up trouble and emotions, perhaps try using your platform to actually HELP others in a very boots-on-the-ground, positive, productive way, like so many others with large followings are currently doing with very positive results?”
While at least one person found a way to twist the debate to bring up “Lip Sync Battle” co-host’s controversial loungewear into the fray. They started, “It’s gotta all fit her narrative. Maybe she’ll post some pictures of her half naked and show us her insecurity.”
Regardless of the mixed reactions to the post, the celebrity, like several others, shared information on how donations can be made to help those impacted by the unprecedented wildfires. Legend, on the other hand, has not taken to social media to address the deadly incident.
