“They are going to need money, not your…”: $90M Rich Halle Berry’s Gesture to Help LA Fires Victims Draws Ruthless Criticism for Being Out of Touch

Halle Berry has announced a helping hand to those affected by the California fires. As of writing, the fires in Palisades, Eaton, and other neighborhoods took 11 lives and destroyed more than 10,000 buildings. Moreover, some 153,000 residents were displaced due to the fires. Berry shared that she was packing up her entire closet and donating it to the displaced families.

However, Berry’s gesture of kindness wasn’t well received by some fans on social media. They called her out for offering “clothes” at a time when the families most needed money to rebuild their entire lives. However, other fans were more supportive of her attempts to provide the basic necessities to those needed.

Halle Berry called out for donating her entire closet to LA fires victims

On Friday, Halle Berry took to her Instagram to announce that she was packing her “entire closet” to donate to the displaced families of LA fires. She shared a video of her packing things and taking them to COOP, a small LA-based business that has now turned into a relief ground for victims. The initiative is being led by her Catwoman co-star Sharon Stone.

In the captions of her video, she urged everyone to similarly donate their home goods. She added that it was something everyone could do to help the displaced families, who are in need of the basics. In the video, she quoted Margaret Meade, sharing, “Never forget that a group of thoughtful committed citizens can make a difference.”

However, her goodwill gesture felt out of touch for at least some social media users. They shared that Berry contributing her entire wardrobe wouldn’t do anything to help rebuild the lives of people. They further accused that it only accounted for a very small portion of her wealth and that she could replace it any day. The X-Men actress has an estimated net worth of $90 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Some of the critical comments read;

They are going to need money, not your clothes. They have to rebuild their entire lives.

— SnowedN47 (@SnowWhite4007) January 11, 2025

That’s nice to see giving away what little they have left. Yes, she’s rich and could replace all that. Too many of the rich only think of themselves.

— 🇺🇸Retired MailMan🙏 (@postalman10) January 10, 2025

As a volunteer in a charity organization, donating used stuff is not something we prefer or even accept most of the time. Generally, people give the things they don't use to charity instead of throwing them away. What is preferred is monetary aid and new items.

— Müberra (@FelixFelicess) January 10, 2025

If you have to announce to the world how charitable you are, you’re doing it for the praise.

— carolyn camp (@camp_carolyn49) January 11, 2025

However, there were appreciative comments as well, with some thanking her for her gesture. Some others criticized celebrities who didn’t take any action while praising Berry. Comments in support of the actress read:

That's so thoughtful of you, Halle! Truly an inspiring move.

— NXT LVL 🜲 😈 (@0xNXTLVL) January 10, 2025

A celebrity putting that mouth to action. Too many “my thoughts and prayers are with” “let us pray”

— SilentRideHome (@SilentHomeRide) January 11, 2025

While celebrities post vacation pics, Halle's literally giving away her whole wardrobe to help fire victims.

— Paolotoshi Nakamoto (@pattherogue) January 11, 2025

Many celebrities have lost their precious homes in the fire. Adam Brody and Leighton Meester’s LA home was completely brought down to the ground by the fire. Others who lost their homes include Paris Hilton, Anna Faris, Eugene Levy, James Woods, Heidi Montag, and Spencer Pratt.

The LA fires continue to rip across parts of Los Angeles

According to BBC, the efforts to contain the LA fires are seeing little results. As of Friday morning, only 8% of the Palisades fire and 3% of the Eaton fire were contained. The Palisades fire has already scorched 21,000 acres of land, displacing nearly 153,000 people. Another 166,000 residents are under the evacuation warning.

The death toll has already risen to 11 and authorities expect that it will probably increase. It is estimated that the wildfires will cause damages amounting to a total of $135 billion to $150 billion (via NewsNation). It was reported that homeowners could face challenges while trying to recover from their losses as it is unlikely that such a large sum would be insured to them.

The fires have caused a political feud between President-elect Donald Trump and Newsom. Trump criticized the California governor for the fires while Newsom clapped back, sharing that Trump just wants to politicize the disaster. The governor has now ordered an independent investigation into the city’s preparedness before the fire erupted.