A Model Just Raised $700k For Australia (Using Her Nudes)

Australia is burning. Over the last few weeks, the country's emergency services have been battling bushfires that, as of writing, have scorched millions of hectares of land, destroyed countless homes, incinerated over 500 million animals, and killed twenty-four people.

The situation is dire -- and it's about to get even worse because these organisations, which are underfunded and overworked at the best of times, are now starting to run out of money.

Enter, Kaylen Ward: model, influencer, and sex worker. As a way of getting people to donate, Ward made an enticing (NSFW) offer to Twitter: donate $10 to the relief efforts, send her the receipt (or some other form of proof), and she'd respond by sending back a nude photo. It worked and so far, she's helped to raise over $700,000.

This being the internet, she's obviously had to deal with her fair share of trolls and assholes. There were the people who accused Ward of pocketing donations, despite the fact that all of the money was going directly to charity. There were the people who started spreading her nudes to people who didn't donate, which not only defeats the point but is also super-illegal. And then there's the charming pair who faked having donated in order to solicit some free nudes from Ward, which is somehow the saddest part of this whole story -- and yes, we're counting the part about the millions of cuddly-wuddly animals getting flame-broiled.

There's also the countless imitators who've stolen Ward's identity in a pisspoor attempt to siphon off some donations for themselves, while Instagram responded to his kindhearted act of charity by closing Ward's account(s) for being too darn sexy -- because heaven forfend should the site's resident animal traffickers and child predators have to see some (adult) bosoms.

If you're thinking of donating, though, bad news. Ward has now closed her DMs because even after hiring her friends to help sort, verify, and respond to the countless DMs she's received these last several days, it's still going to take weeks to deliver the goods to everyone who responded. That said, you should still donate. You might not wind up with a warm, tingly feeling in your junk, but you'll definitely wind up with one in your heart.

Adam Wears is (allegedly) a comedy writer. Want to read other articles he's written for Cracked? Click here! Want to follow him on Twitter? Click here! Want to check out his website? Click here!