Model defends bikini fundraising efforts for Queensland floods

The model has been criticised after trying to use her adult subscription website to raise money for Queensland and NSW flood victims.

Model Phoebe Thompson has been slammed over her fundraising request. Picture: Instagram/@phoebethompson_x

An Australian model has defended a bikini post she shared to fundraise for Queensland flood disaster after it backfired with fans.

Phoebe Thompson is a former Love Island Australia contestant who now works as an influencer and model with her own adult subscription site.

In a post on her Instagram stories on Monday, Thompson encouraged fans to sign up to her website to support flood disaster assistance.

“Going to make a donation from my website to flood disaster in QLD … so get SUBSCRIBED,” she captioned a photo of her wearing a bikini, along with a link to her website.

Former reality star turned model Phoebe Thompson. Picture: Instagram/@phoebethompson_x

Thompson was criticised by some followers, one of whom said she should “just donate the money” rather than trying to raise money through her “tacky content” in a screenshotted direct message the star also shared on her stories, Daily Mail reported.

In response Thompson argued that it was her “f**king job” and “if I don’t have a job I can’t make money to donate”.

She also pointed out that several clothing brands were raising money by donating a portion of sales to flood victims.

Former reality star turned model Phoebe Thompson. Picture: Instagram/@phoebethompson_x

“Are you just attacking me because how I make money is through my body?” she wrote.

“Is this about s**t shaming? … Because regardless of whether my subscribers go up I will be donating, but the more people that support my website, the larger amount I can give away.”

On Tuesday Thompson posted a video addressing the criticism, saying she had been disheartened by the response.

“Honestly guys that just made me so upset, it made me cry because I am literally just trying to do the right thing,” she said.

Former reality star turned model Phoebe Thompson. Picture: Instagram/@phoebethompson_x

“I’ve got friends and family that are in Queensland suffering from these floods … this is my only job, I only have my website and a bit of modelling, a bit of social media so that’s how I make money, so how else can I contribute?”

Thompson also defended the way she promoted her fundraising efforts, saying the bikini photo she had posted with her call out was “f**king amazing”.

“I felt really good when I took that photo,” she added, asking whether the fan who called her “tacky” want her to put up a photo when she had a “puffy face and pimple cream on”.

News.com.au has contacted Thompson for comment.