Draya Michele is facing backlash on social media after she promiting an air purifier amid the fires wreaking havoc on Los Angeles.
In a video shared on Instagram, the 39-year-old Basketball Wives LA star showcased an unboxing of a Sereniby air purifier and directly referenced the fires in California. "While the unimaginable is happening with the fires in LA... air quality is so poor, toxic even," she wrote in the caption alongside the video. "I'm using the @sereniby_official air purifier to ensure that my kids and pets are breathing in fresh, double filtered air."
She added that there's currently an offer to get $200 off on their products through a link in her Instagram bio. "There's no price on peace of mind but having it is more valuable than most worldly things," she wrote. "#prayforla #airquality #airpurifier."
Despite the video's caption reading like a sponsored post, Sereniby shared a statement with People indicating that she was not "compensated" for the post. The company added that it would be donating 10 percent of its profits this month to the American Red Cross and it would help provide "financial assistance" to anyone impacted in Los Angeles hoping to get an air purifier.
"She and her team contacted us because she genuinely uses the product and believed it could help others dealing with the severe air quality in Los Angeles," the statement reads. "Together, we explored ways to make our purifier as affordable as possible during this difficult time. We’re a small, family-run startup that only launched a few months ago, and we’re incredibly grateful for her genuine support."
The comments on the post have since been limited, but Bossip reports that people were quick to criticize the video. "Draya using the L.A. fires to promote an air purifier on her Instagram," read one comment. "Tone deaf af." Another suggested that she should "be giving them away" if she wants to help those in need. She has not responded to the backlash beyond limiting the comments.
Almost 200,000 people have been displaced amid the fires, which have burned through over 38,000 acres and destroyed over 12,000 homes and buildings.
