- Fans raised £47,000 on GoFundMe for TikTokers The Smithy Family after their home burned down.
- The TikToks were posted from a jetski on Monday. Viewers wondered where the money went.
- Father Nick Smith explained that all funds raised at the fundraiser went to charity.
A TikTok influencer’s family responded to backlash from social media when Nick Smith, the founder of the site, was criticized @thesmithyfamilyaccount, shared videos of him on a jetski after fans raised funds for his family following a fire at the family’s home.
Smithy Family TikTok is a popular site with 3.3 million subscribers. It features Nick, Jess Farthing and their children. They gained popularity thanks to their funny videos that they posted during the COVID-19 epidemic.
A GoFundMe CampaignThe Smithy Family was honored with a dedicated website. This site was likely set up by a fan following the destruction of their home in a fire earlier in the year. Since then, the Metropolitan Police force of London has been Investigating the incidentThe incident was treated as arson. Donors raised a total of £47,305 (approximately $64,187).
Two TikToks of Smith riding the jet ski were posted September 27. Many users speculated that the item was purchased with donations from viewers. Smith stated that all funds raised were donated to charity.
Smith posted Wednesday night TikTok video quoteThey were “very grateful for the people that gathered around and donated.” He also said he donated £13,000 ($17,600) of the money to help a different family from Croydon, in South London, who he said “lost everything”He was killed in a fire at his house. He posted footage on Facebook from August showing him visiting the family and buying toys for the children.
He stated that the remaining money was donated to various charitable causes. He also included purported screenshots of emails sent by GoFundMe and other charities that seem to confirm that donations were made.
Smith, In the second partTikTok was not surprised by the backlash from their fans after the video of jet skiers was shown. “very frustrating.”
He explained that when people donated to the crowdfunding campaign, they asked him what he should do with the money. In response, he said that he received messages telling him to “go on holiday, take the kids away do whatever you want.”
“You knew the house was insured, you knew the house was never going to be done with that money, I said that from dot one,”He said.
Smith said, “There is now.” GoFundMe pageYou can view the charities to which they have donated the money.
“I am once again very thankful for everyone who clubbed together to help,”Smith stated. “I’m sorry that [the money] wasn’t used exactly how you wanted it to.”
Dina Rickman is the director of GoFundMe Northern Europe. She made this statement to Insider. “Fans of the Smithy family donated thousands to help them out after an arson attack. The campaigns were fully vetted and within terms. The family has committed to donating £33,000 [$44,782] of the money raised to other good causes.”
Insider asked for comment from representatives of the Smithy Family, as well as the creator of the original campaign.
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