A young woman who was abandoned by her family for coming out as gay has used crowdfunding cash to help her get her life in order to buy a luxury car, get her teeth done, and live in a plush rented home in Milan.
Malika Chalhy, 22, was reportedly kicked out of her family home in the Italian city of Castelfiorentino last year after announcing that she is a lesbian.
The family snub was widely reported by Italian media and Chalhy took the opportunity to set up a crowdfunding campaign so the public could donate cash to help her put her life together.
Generous netizens donated around EUR 140,000 (GBP 120,000) to the campaign and Chalhy vowed to help other members of the LGBT community in a similar situation to her.
However, a video of Chalhy driving a Mercedes started to circulate on social media and she claimed that the car belonged to her girlfriend and denied using the charity money to buy a luxury car.
She also announced plans to use some of the crowdfunding cash to set up a foundation with Italian politician Laura Boldrini to help women who have been the victims of discrimination.
Following an online backlash about the Mercedes video, Chalhy told The Post Internazionale in an interview that she lied about her girlfriend owning the vehicle and apologised.
In the interview, she admitted that she used charity funds to buy the Mercedes and for renting a plush home in Milan, adding that she paid up for a full year in advance along with a EUR 2,000 deposit.
She also revealed that she used the charity cash to have dental work done, pay for a lawyer, and buy new clothes, explaining that she was left with nothing after leaving her parent’s home.
According to local media, Chalhy’s claim that she was setting up a foundation with Boldrini was also false.
Boldrini issued a statement saying: “The idea of setting up an association for victims of discrimination was never discussed with me or any member of my staff.
“My name has therefore been brought up in a totally improper way.”
It is unclear if Boldrini or any of the donors to Chalhy’s campaign plan to take legal action against the young woman.
