Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson face backlash after asking fans to donate to Maui fires

People are taking to social media to call out Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson for asking fans to donate to Maui fire victims.

Earlier last month, a series of wildfires broke out predominantly on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Over one hundred people died and thousands were displaced from their homes as a result of the damage caused by the fires.

Actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and talk show host Oprah Winfrey took to X and TikTok on 31 August to announce the launch of 'The People's Fund of Maui' - 'a fund putting money directly in the pockets of those who were affected by the recent wildfires'.

However, the celebrity duo have faced backlash from some social media users.

Johnson shared a video of himself and Winfrey to X and TikTok, the TV host explaining Dolly Parton donating money in her community partly inspired them to start the fund.

The caption reads: "As @Oprahand I have seen firsthand, the impacts of these wildfires have been devastating, and we’re here to ensure with 100 percent guarantee that your donations will go directly into the hands of Lahaina residents.

"Every adult resident who lives in the affected area and was displaced by the wildfires in Lahaina and Kula is eligible to receive $1,200 per month to help them through this period of recovery.

"All you have to do is go to http://PeoplesFundofMaui.org to apply.

"We are honored to start this campaign with $10 million dollars and ask for your help in donating to those who have lost their homes. We thank you in advance for your contribution. Click the link below to learn more and give."

Celebrities can't seem to put a foot right, but then again, given Winfrey's net worth of $3.5 billion and Johnson's $800 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, people were left unhappy with the video.

One X user wrote: "Oh puleaase. We dont believe either of you for a second. If you cared about Maui you wouldn’t be asking US for money. You would use your own. Your 'ask' is quite revealing."

"So two MEGA rich people asking poor and working families for charitable help rather than use their platform to shame a government into action? Pathetic," another added.

A TikTok user commented: "Only $10 million?! If you're each donating half, or $5 million each, the Oprah is donating point two percent of her wealth. The Rock donating point six percent of his wealth."

And a final resolved: "I would but I'm broke... You two got this though!"

UNILAD has contacted Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson's representatives for comment.

If you would like to donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, which is supporting communities affected by the wildfires, click here for more information

You can also donate to the American Red Cross, which helps provide food, medical supplies, shelter and water to those impacted

Topics: Celebrity, Dwayne Johnson, Oprah Winfrey, Money, World News, Social Media, Twitter

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.