Former First Lady Jill Biden has drawn online criticism after bidding $35,000 (£28,000) for a walk-on role in the second season of television drama 'Heated Rivalry' at an LGBT Center NYC charity gala, with critics drawing attention to her son Hunter Biden's reported $20 million debt to legal creditors.
Biden posted on X that she had placed the bid at the annual Center Dinner before being outbid by another participant. The post prompted public commentary linking the expenditure to Hunter Biden's ongoing civil litigation, in which law firm Winston & Strawn is seeking between $15 million and $17 million in unpaid legal fees.
The controversy emerged after Biden posted on X her attempt to secure a role in the hit programme. She placed a bid of $35,000 (£28,000) for the opportunity to appear in the show's upcoming season.
'Guess I won't be heading to the cottage after all—but it was worth a shot! What a wonderful evening supporting @LGBTCenterNYC,' shewrote.
Guess I won’t be heading to the cottage after all—but it was worth a shot! What a wonderful evening supporting@LGBTCenterNYC💕https://t.co/umwzNLQAfn
While another participant ultimately outbid her, the move prompted an immediate and divisive reaction. On social media, critics questioned the appropriateness of the bid amid current financial headlines about her son,Hunter Biden.
'So you are bidding 35,000 on nothing while Hunter flees the country not paying his lawyers? I thought yall were broke?' one commented.
Others were more direct in their condemnation, labelling the attempted expenditure as a disgrace.
'Your son is broke & drowning in debt & you vid 35k on that?? What a f*****g disgrace,' the critic wrote. A different user wondered how the former first lady could make a bid amid her son's current financial situation. 'Isn't your son like $17 million in debt? But you have $ to spend on this?' the X user wrote.
Supportive voices argued that Biden's participation was a lighthearted way to support a worthy cause, with some expressing a desire to see her appear in the show regardless of the auction outcome.
Source: International Business Times UK
