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Devastating wildfires that struck Los Angeles last week have ignited controversy surrounding former reality TV stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt after their supporters created a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $134,000. The couple, who lost their $2.5 million Pacific Palisades home to the blazes, found themselves at the center of public debate over celebrity privilege during natural disasters.
The fires, fueled by the worst windstorms to hit the Los Angeles area in over a decade, have claimed at least 27 lives and destroyed thousands of structures. Among the victims were Montag, 38, and Pratt, 41, who fled with their two young sons, Gunner, 6, and Ryker, 2, leaving behind most of their belongings.
"Spencer was like, 'Grab anything you want to keep.' And I was like, 'How do you choose?'" Montag recalled tearfully during a Good Morning America interview. "My brain actually stopped working because I was so overwhelmed with so many things you can't replace. So I grabbed my kids' teddy bears."
The controversy erupted when two TikTok friends created a fundraising campaign for the couple, despite their initial reluctance. "We had no expectation of anyone donating," Montag explained to Us Weekly. "Our friends Brandon and Courtney were like, 'We don't care what you say. We know people who want to donate money to you.'"
Pratt defended the donations, comparing them to purchasing merchandise or movie tickets: "Nobody's required to, and it's not a tax. People can say whatever they want and they're entitled to their opinion." He emphasized that many contributions were small amounts, saying, "That's a coffee for somebody, so somebody bought us a coffee."
The couple, known as "Speidi" since their days on MTV's The Hills, pushed back against assumptions about their wealth. "We put all our money into our house and our life to build something for our kids," Pratt stated, describing their 3,000-square-foot home as modest by Pacific Palisades standards. "Any money we make from TV opportunities or social media opportunities is just check to check."
