'Heartbreaking': Kylie Minogue donates $500k to bushfire relief

Kylie Minogue is the latest celeb to donate to Australian bushfire relief, pledging half a million dollars to ‘the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required’ following the catastrophic blazes.

The Melbourne-born pop icon announced she and her family had contributed funds in a heartfelt Instagram post on Monday, adding that the destruction to her homeland is ‘heartbreaking’.

“Last year I had the incredible opportunity of visiting some of the many beautiful places in my homeland for the first time,” the 51-year-old captioned a solemn snap of herself dressed casually in a dry, smoky paddock.

“Returning home to such devastation throughout much of the country is heartbreaking. As a family, we’ve donated $500,000 towards the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required,” she continued.

Kylie concluded her message by urging her followers to dig deep, too.

“Big or small, from near or far, any support will help those affected by the devastating bushfires. With love, The Minogue Family,” she wrote.

Kylie’s Tourism ad shelved

Kylie and her family’s donation comes after the “Spinning Around” singer’s recent $15 million ad for Tourism Australia sparked controversy due to the poor timing of its release.

The epic, star-studded three-minute video was Tourism Australia’s biggest UK-targeted campaign in 10 years and intended to lure British holidaymakers to our pristine shores.

But “Matesong’s” debut on Boxing Day - amid the raging bushfire crisis - was seen as tone-deaf, with Tourism Australia confirming last week that it had temporarily halted the digital rollout of the campaign ‘out of respect’ to fire victims.

Celebs dig deep for Aussie fire relief

Kylie isn’t the only Aussie “Matesong” star to do their bit to support the bushfire relief, with cricketing great Shane Warne pledging to auction off his ‘beloved’ baggy green cap.

“Everyone is in this together and we continue to find ways to contribute and help on a daily basis. This has lead me to auction off my beloved baggy green cap (350) that I wore throughout my test career (when I wasn’t wearing my white floppy hat). I hope my baggy green can raise some significant funds to help all those people that are in desperate need,” the spin bowler wrote on Instagram.

British-based comedian Adam Hills, who also appears in the ad, took to Twitter on January 2 to urge his followers to donate as well.

Their efforts come amid a slew of donations from fellow Aussie stars including Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Celeste Barber and Russell Crowe who skipped yesterday’s Golden Globes ceremony to defend his NSW property.

Russell, who won the award for best actor in a limited series or motion picture for television for his performance as Roger Ailes in The Loudest Voice, delivered an impassioned message via Jennifer Aniston who announced his win.

“Make no mistake, the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate-change based,” read Jen on his behalf.

“We need to act based on science, move our global workforce to renewable energy and respect our planet for the unique and amazing place it is so we all have a future.”

Fellow Golden Globe attendees Cate Blanchett, Pierce Brosnan, Ellen DeGeneres and Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge also pledged their support, while the event’s host Ricky Gervais closed the show saying, “Please donate to Australia”.

An LA-based online sex worker who says she raised USD$500k by selling her nude photos claims that her Instagram account has been deleted as a result.

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