Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Oprah Speaks Out About 'Vitriol' She And The Rock Got For Starting Maui Wildfire Relief Fund

Oprah Winfrey
CBS Mornings

The former talk show host addressed the backlash she received for not contributing more of her own money to the people of Maui in an interview on 'CBS Mornings.'

Oprah Winfrey received backlash for starting a fundraiser and encouraging people to donate to help locals affected by the devastation caused by the Maui wildfires.

When she addressed "being terrorized and vilified online" as a result of the backlash, it only made things worse.


In August, major wildfires caused by the combination of drought and strong winds from Hurricane Dora raged through Maui, Hawaii, and destroyed thousands of structures in the historic town of Lahaina. The death toll reached 115 people.

Winfrey started a Maui relief fund with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, but they were both criticized for asking for donations from ordinary people rather than digging deeper into their own pockets as wealthy celebrities.

After weeks of being lambasted online, Winfrey addressed the controversy in an interview with CBS Mornings that only exacerbated the condemnation.

In the interview, which also included Harvard Professor Arthur C. Brooks–who was promoting his book, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier—Winfrey referred to the backlash as “online attacks, lies, and conspiracy theories” and said that it took away the main focus of her philanthropy, which was to "help the people of Maui."

To better benefit the victims directly, Winfrey found inspiration from Dolly Parton's "My People Fund," which was in response to the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires and gave $1,000 a month for six months to over 900 people affected by the catastrophe.

“This is what I want to say," said Winfrey.

"You know, I think in the beginning, so many people were calling and asking ‘Where do we give our money to?’ So I thought, ‘We’re gonna create something.'"
“And I still think it’s a really strong idea. Dolly Parton was right, putting money directly into the hands of people is a significant thing."
"And the model that’s been created, I will say that as of today—2,200 people have been cleared and verified and those people are going to get a notice from The People’s Fund of Maui and gonna have the money put into their bank account.”

She and Johnson kicked off the fund by donating $5 million each.

On August 31, they announced their charity on their respective social media pages.

You can see their video post here.


Winfrey, who has been contributing to and setting up charities for years starting with her first paycheck, said she was:

"So excited, and I got up the next morning and I saw all of this vitriol, and I was like, woah, what happened here?"

According to Insider, Forbes estimated that Winfrey's net worth was $2.5 billion, and Johnson's was $270 million, which indicated they contributed less than 0.5% of their total wealth to the fundraiser.

Social media users slammed them for not contributing more or asking celebrities to pitch in instead of seeking donations from people who may be struggling financially.

In the CBS interview, Winfrey said the online negativity gave her "so much more compassion" for younger people who have experienced a similar kind of bullying.

You can see a clip of the interview here.

Some people tried to explain what caused the backlash.




Others had a difficult time understanding why Winfrey faced so much criticism for her philanthropic efforts.

But the CBS interview didn't seem to help things.

@cbsmornings/TikTok

@cbsmornings/TikTok

@cbsmornings/TikTok

@cbsmornings/TikTok

@cbsmornings/TikTok

@cbsmornings/TikTok

@cbsmornings/TikTok


TikToker @tanyabeautycoach received over 650,000 views with her response video to Winfrey's comments, which were perceived as dismissive and tone-deaf.

"Multimillionaires and billionaires do not value the opinions of people that they believe have less value than them," she said, adding:

"They will instead view them as haters–people who are not as happy as them who are not doing as well as them."
@tanyabeautycoach

Oprah responded and as predicted she unfortunately doesn’t care. #oprah #selfprojection #selfreflection #greenscreenvideo #donation

In spite of the backlash, Winfrey said she stood by her "really strong idea," as the charity led to 2,200 fire victims being cleared to receive funds.

More from Trending

Hillary Clinton
Kimberly White/Getty Images for Common Sense Media

Hillary Clinton Has Iconic Reaction To Trump Administration's 'Atlantic' Text Scandal

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a succinct response after Jeffrey Goldberg—the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic—revealed he was invited into a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials discussing military strategy surrounding their war strikes in Yemen.

Goldberg revealed a highly unusual and concerning situation where senior Trump administration officials were allegedly discussing war plans over a group chat on Signal. Goldberg recounted that Representative Mike Waltz added him to an 18-person group chat, which he initially suspected was a hoax or disinformation campaign.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vivian Jenna Wilson; Elon Musk
@vivllainous/TikTok; Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Elon Musk's Trans Daughter Epically Claps Back After Musk Claims His Child 'Died'

Elon Musk's estranged trans daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, used an iconic soundbite from RuPaul's Drag Race to clap back at Musk's claim that his child had "died."

The SpaceX co-founder responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter) defending Musk for appearing to give the Nazi salute twice at Republican President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Mike Myers and Mark Carney
@MarkJCarney/X

Mike Myers Joins Canada's New Prime Minister For Epic Jab At Trump In Viral Video

Actor and comedian Mike Myers has gone viral after joining Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for a video message that mocks President Donald Trump and his plan to make Canada the 51st state of the United States.

In the Liberal Party skit, Mike Myers and Mark Carney—both dressed in red Canada jerseys—share a moment at a hockey practice. Carney starts off skeptical of Myers, questioning his Canadian credentials since he now lives in the United States, despite being born and raised in Canada.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Buttigieg
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg Drops F-Bombs After Trump Administration Invites Journalist Into High-Level Military Group Chat

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg passionately spoke out after Jeffrey Goldberg—the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic—revealed he was invited into a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials discussing military strategy surrounding their war strikes in Yemen.

Goldberg revealed a highly unusual and concerning situation where senior Trump administration officials were allegedly discussing war plans over a group chat on Signal. Goldberg recounted that Representative Mike Waltz added him to an 18-person group chat, which he initially suspected was a hoax or disinformation campaign.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump with Easter bunny at 2017 Easter egg roll
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Blasted After Turning Annual White House Easter Tradition Into Corporate Grift

President Donald Trump has sparked concerns from ethics experts after soliciting corporate sponsors for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

Potential sponsors of the April 21 event were presented with three sponsorship options ranging from $75,000 to $200,000, according to a nine-page guide reviewed by The New York Times.

Keep ReadingShow less