An influencer posed for photos in the rubble of homes destroyed by earthquakes in Panama, then said she was documenting the damage, not herself

Panama is still counting the damage from the 7.7 and 6.6 magnitude earthquakes that struck the country, with UNICEF estimating that 38,000 people, including 8,300 children, need humanitarian help. In the middle of that recovery, influencer Gracie Bon is facing criticism over photos showing her standing in the rubble, according to LADbible.

Gracie Bon, who has 12 million followers on Instagram as @graciebon, shared the pictures on Sunday to show what she called the reality of her country. In the caption, she wrote that material things can be replaced but life is priceless. She also urged followers to hug their loved ones tighter and show up for the people who need it most.

The message did little to calm the reaction, as many people focused on the images rather than the caption. Critics flooded the comments, accusing the influencer of turning a disaster zone into a photo shoot. Gracie Bon has since responded publicly, arguing that the criticism missed what her team was actually doing on the ground.

Gracie Bon says some people are angrier about a photo than about families losing everything

In her response, Gracie Bon said there are people who get more outraged by a photo than by seeing families lose everything. She added that sometimes the problem is not what someone does, but how others choose to see it. The influencer said her goal was to help with resources and find two families whose homes she could help rebuild.

Gracie Bon explained that she asked her team to document the trip. “I do appear in the photo, I am not posing,” Gracie Bon said. However, she also acknowledged that she chose to post a photo of herself in the rubble, as she knew it would give her followers better reach and attention. That admission is likely to keep the debate going among critics who had already questioned her motives.

Reaction on X was blunt. One user asked whether she was the one who caused the earthquake, while another questioned whether the photos were even real, asking if they were clearly AI. Under the original Instagram post, commenters had already accused her of choosing a photo shoot over helping, with some saying the pictures were only about chasing likes.

Gracie Bon is not the first creator to push back on critics after filming during a dangerous moment. A New Jersey influencer filmed while driving through a storm and later defended the clip as well. However, Gracie Bon framed her post as a call for unity, saying Panama needs its people united and that this is not the time for division or criticizing each other.

The scale of the disaster has kept attention on the affected areas. Olga Isaza, a UNICEF representative in Panama, said children and families continue to experience fear and distress as aftershocks persist. Nearly 900 homes have been damaged, and preliminary government reports cited by UNICEF say 656 schools sustained damage, with classes suspended while inspections continue.

Authorities have also reported damage to at least 25 health facilities. UNICEF says it is working closely with the government of Panama and its partners to support affected families, as aftershocks continue to rattle the hardest-hit communities. The agency says it has deployed tents to help keep health services running at affected sites, and it continues to assess what else children and adolescents may need in the weeks ahead.

Gracie Bon has not said which two families she plans to help, and an update on that rebuilding effort could shape whether the backlash fades or grows.