Former reality TV star Draya Michele is facing backlash for promoting an air purifier during the Los Angeles wildfires.
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The Basketball Wives LA alum received some criticism when she posted the promo for the Sereniby air purifier on her Instagram account on Saturday, Jan. 11. In the promotion, she was seen unboxing and setting up the large purifier as her 8-year-old son, Jru Scandrick, was in the background.
The reality star lives in Los Angeles near the areas impacted by the wildfires.
“While the unimaginable is happening with the fires in LA… air quality is so poor, toxic even,” she wrote in the post’s caption. “I’m using the [Sereniby] air purifier to ensure that my kids and pets are breathing in fresh, double filtered air.”
She also stated that the brand was offering $200 off when followers used the link in her bio.
“There’s no price of peace of mind,” she added. “But having it is more valuable than most worldly things.”
The post didn’t go as well as Michele expected. Many commenters called her “tone deaf.”
“Draya using the L.A. fires to promote an air purifier on her Instagram,” one commenter wrote, per Bossip. “Like she never does anything right. Tone deaf.”
“At the least, she could be giving them away,” another commenter added. “But selling a product at a time like this is sure proof of creamed corn for brains.”
The reality star deleted most of the comments and then limited the post.
Sereniby Speaks Out About Draya Michele’s Promotion Post Received Backlash
After Michele’s post received intense backlash, Sereniby released a statement to People about the promotion. The company stated Michele was “not compensated” for the post.
“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 company explained. “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 company further shared that while it feels powerless against the Los Angeles wildfires, it wants to help in “whatever small way” it can.
“We’re donating 10 percent of our January profits to the American Red Cross,” the company said. “And we recognize there are countless urgent needs in this crisis. If financial assistance affording an air purifier can help lighten someone’s burden, we encourage those in L.A. to reach out to us directly—we’ll continue doing everything we can to support the community during this difficult time.”