The pseudonymous social media satirist known as Fashion Critical has broken her customary silence on fashion faux pas to issue a powerful personal statement following the devastating terror attack in Bondi, Sydney. The influencer, renowned for her witty red carpet critiques, revealed she is Jewish Australian and expressed unwavering solidarity with the victims, a stance that has cost her followers.
A Personal Revelation in the Wake of Tragedy
In a post shared on Tuesday, the masked influencer addressed the horrific events of Sunday evening directly. Fifteen innocent people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, in what has become Australia's second-worst mass shooting. The attack targeted a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on a footbridge connecting Campbell Parade to the Bondi Pavilion.
"There's something I have to tell you after the terror attack on the Jewish people in Sydney. I am a Jewish Australian," Fashion Critical began. She described posting messages of support for the victims and then watching her follower count drop, with some critics accusing her of being 'political'.
"I Don't Need You Here": A Blunt Response to Critics
The satirist, whose real name is PR guru Dani Lombard, did not hold back in her response. She issued a stark ultimatum to those uncomfortable with her identity and her mourning. "If there are people that want to leave this community now because of my ethnicity and religious background GO NOW," she wrote. "I DON'T NEED YOU HERE and I certainly don't want you here."
She vehemently rejected the notion that condemning terrorism or supporting victims was a political act. "It is not political to highlight the result of unchecked anti-Semitism which resulted in bloodshed, murder and terror on my doorstep," she asserted. "Not political to wrap my arms around the victims."
The Satirist Behind the Mask and the Attack's Aftermath
Fashion Critical, beloved by millennial women for her fair but sharp commentary on events from the Brownlow to the Met Gala, runs her own agency, Stark Raven, from Mosman. Her celebrity fans include designer Alex Perry and Monica Lewinsky.
The attackers have been identified as Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid, 50. Sajid, a licensed firearms holder, was shot dead by police at the scene. Naveed remains in hospital under police guard after being shot by officers and waking from a coma on Tuesday.
The list of victims underscores the tragedy's scope: British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39; French national Dan Elkayam, 27; Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman; and retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher are among those murdered.
Fashion Critical ended her statement with a defiant finality: "Let's count the unfollows now. I am Jewish Australian and if that bothers you, okay then." Her words highlight the painful intersection of personal identity, public commentary, and collective grief following an act of terror.
