Gracie Bon shared photographs of herself among earthquake debris in Panama.
The Panamanian influencer says she wanted to support affected families, but critics accuse her of making disaster victims’ losses a photo opportunity.
Gracie Bon has drawn criticism after sharing photographs of herself among earthquake ruins in Panama. The model and influencer says she intended to raise awareness and encourage support for affected families.
However, social media users accused her of turning the destruction into a personal photo opportunity. Some argued that her Instagram post should have focused on families who lost their homes.
Bon shared six photographs with her approximately 11.9 million followers. The images showed her wearing white among broken bricks, damaged homes, destroyed beds and other debris.
Her caption urged followers to remember that people can replace material possessions, but not lives. The post attracted about 150,000 likes within 24 hours, alongside thousands of angry comments.
Gracie Bon faces questions over permission
Among the responses, one commenter claimed that the damaged house in the photographs belonged to their grandmother. The commenter also alleged that the family had not authorised the pictures.
That allegation added concerns about privacy and respect for disaster victims to the criticism. It remains a commenter’s claim, rather than an established account of the family’s involvement.
Meanwhile, other users questioned Bon’s decision to appear prominently in the images. Their criticism centred on whether her presence shifted attention away from those dealing with the disaster.
Influencer defends relief visit
In response, Bon rejected accusations that she had staged a photoshoot or sought to profit from the tragedy. She addressed the backlash through a video and an Instagram statement.
Bon said she had visited affected rural communities to donate supplies using her own money. She also said she wanted to identify families she could help rebuild their homes.
The influencer defended appearing in photographs on her own account, questioning why that made the post unacceptable. She argued that images featuring her generally reached more followers than photographs of damaged buildings alone.
For that reason, Bon said, she chose a photograph that included her to attract attention and support rebuilding. She maintained that she was not monetising the disaster.
Bon also criticised local coverage for concentrating on cities rather than showing the extent of rural destruction. She argued that some people appeared more upset by her photograph than by families losing everything.
Earthquake leaves families without homes
The controversy follows an earthquake that struck Panama on October 9, 2026. At least 27 people suffered injuries, while authorities reported no confirmed deaths or missing persons at the time.
More than 100 aftershocks followed the main tremor. Hundreds of coastal residents also evacuated as emergency teams assessed the damage.
Panama’s National Civil Protection System later reported damage to the homes of 2,164 families. That total included 506 families whose homes suffered complete destruction.
President Mulino declared a national state of emergency. Against that backdrop, Bon continues to defend her post as an effort to highlight destruction outside cities and encourage help.
