Mandy Moore hits out following GoFundMe backlash

Mandy Moore has defensively hit back at critics who turned on her for highlighting a GoFundMe appeal.

The 40-year-old actress is among those affected by raging wildfires that have destroyed homes in Los Angeles.

The This Is Us star shared a GoFundMe appeal for her family members who had lost their homes in the disaster – sparking a backlash from some fans.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the star highlighted the appeal of her relatives – before hitting back at her critics.

She wrote, “Yesterday, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law Griff & Kit lost their home and everything they own in the Eaton Fire.

“With their first baby on the way in a matter of weeks, they need our support now more than ever. Griff is a touring musician and also lost his entire arsenal of drums/percussion he uses to make a living. It’s all so much.”

She continued, “So many have asked how to help during this unimaginable and stressful time…Please consider donating and sharing to help them rebuild.”

After highlighting that fans could access the appeal via a link in the bio section of her page, she defiantly added, “And people questioning whether we’re helping out our own family or attributing some arbitrary amount of money Google says someone has is NOT helpful or empathetic. Of course we are.”

She added, “Our buddy Matt started this go fund me and i’m sharing because people have asked how they can help them. We just lost most of our life in a fire too. Kindly F OFF. no one is forcing you to do anything.”

The Los Angeles fires – which started on Tuesday – have been branded some of the most destructive in Californian state history with over 179,000 people evacuated and over 10,000 homes destroyed or damaged by the flames.