Mandy Moore’s brother and sister-in-law, Kit and Griffin Goldsmith, have shared their struggles in the aftermath of losing their home to the Eaton Fire.
Mandy Moore, whose full name is Amanda Leigh Moore, gained recognition with her 1999 debut single ‘Candy’. She is among the many affected by the devastating wildfires in California, which have ravaged thousands of structures in Los Angeles and resulted in at least 10 fatalities.
When Moore promoted a GoFundMe campaign to aid her brother and sister-in-law, who lost their home to the Eaton Fire just weeks before their baby’s due date, she seemed to encounter criticism.
The fundraiser was initiated by Matthew Koma, Hilary Duff’s husband, and explained that Griffin, a touring musician, lost all his drums and studio equipment to the fire, which are vital for his livelihood.
Moore reposted the GoFundMe on Instagram to encourage donations but faced some backlash. She responded, saying: “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. Our buddy Matt started this GoFundMe and I’m sharing because people have asked how they can help them.”
Kit and Griffin discussed their predicament on CNN’s The Lead. When asked about their future plans so close to their baby’s arrival, Kit responded: “That’s a question we’re trying to figure out. We had an immense support group in Altadena. You know they say it takes a village to raise a family and Altadena was a vibrant village we were really relying on in this next phase of our life.”
She added: “Without that, we don’t have any answers. We don’t know. We’re very fortunate to still have family and friends in LA. Griffin and I are both from Los Angeles, we grew up in this city, we love this city so much. And seeing it just be destroyed from end-to-end and everyone who is losing everything is a nightmare.”
Overcome with emotion, she continued: “We feel for everyone who is going through this and we know we’re going to bring into this world another sweet little boy and he will also be a part of this city and we will raise him when we rebuild.”
Griffin added: “It’s a test and we know what really matters and it is exactly that, everything… we spent our life building. I just try to remind myself the things I really care for – my family, my animals – I’m still a musician even if I’m devoid of all my instruments.”
“It is awful and desire but on the other hand it’s been incredibly inspiring to see the support, everybody is just filling the space with love, it’s overwhelming.”
Kit concluded: “Amidst all the loss is an abundance of love, it’s incredible.”
Like many others, the couple now faces the decision of whether to stay in Southern California and rebuild or to move elsewhere, as they wait to see how things unfold.
To support those impacted by the fires, donations can be made to the Red Cross online, by calling (800) 733-2767, or by texting REDCROSS to 90999.