Chilean influencer Naya Fácil’s Instagram faced widespread criticism after making insensitive remarks about Anne Frank’s living conditions during World War II. While visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, which has been converted into the Anne Frank museum, Fácil shared her impressions with her 2.4 million followers, mistakenly suggesting that Frank had lived in luxury compared to modern standards.
During her tour, Fácil was struck by the size of the 17th-century building where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis. She posted on social media, “I’m shocked by Anne Frank’s house. She had half the place to herself. She lived better than we do,” comparing the facade of the museum to neighboring houses. This comment quickly ignited outrage among her followers and the wider public due to its gross misrepresentation of the historical facts.
Anne Frank, a Jewish girl, along with her family, spent two years hiding in a cramped secret annex in the same building to evade Nazi persecution. The family’s hiding place was a small part of the building, not the entirety of it as Fácil implied. Their ordeal ended tragically when they were discovered by the Gestapo in 1944. Anne Frank subsequently died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in early 1945.
The Jewish Museum of Chile responded to Fácil’s misleading comments by posting a statement on Instagram, urging respect and empathy. The museum corrected the influencer, stating, “The influencer Naya Fácil uploaded to her Instagram story, a video from Amsterdam, where she refers lightly and without adequate information to Anne Frank… However, what her video really shows is the façade of the museum of Anne Frank’s House.”
Following the backlash, Fácil made her social media account private and issued an apology after the influencer scandal stating, “I’m sorry about Anne Frank, but people… instead of criticizing and judging me, it would be better to educate me or explain.”
This incident has highlighted the importance of understanding and respecting historical contexts, particularly those involving the atrocities of the Holocaust. It serves as a reminder of the influence and responsibilities that come with having a large platform on social media.
