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

Pedro Pascal; JK Rowling
Toya Sarno Jordan/Getty Images for Disney; Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

Pedro Pascal Opens Up About Why He Called Transphobe JK Rowling A 'Heinous Loser'

Actor Pedro Pascal recently explained why he said Harry Potter author and anti-trans activist JK Rowling behaves like a "heinous loser," and suffice it to say he has absolutely no regrets.

The comment came in reference to Rowling gloating over the U.K. Supreme Court's recent decision to define what exactly constitutes a "woman" in the eyes of U.K. law, a decision that subjects trans people to violence, among other problems.

Keep ReadingShow less
JD Vance
Johannes Simon/Getty Images

Vance Dragged After Making Cringey Middle Finger Joke About 'Pink-Haired People' At GOP Dinner

Vice President JD Vance was criticized profusely after he attempted to make a joke mocking liberals during his appearance at the Ohio Republican Party dinner this week—only to have people calling out his lack of class for holding up his middle finger as he delivered the punchline.

Vance was in the middle of giving the event's keynote speech when he said the following:

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Trump Ripped After Posting Disturbing Parody Music Video About His Attack On Iran

President Donald Trump is facing harsh criticism after he shared a music video featuring the 1980 song "Bomb Iran"—a parody of The Regents song "Barbara Ann" that is best known for being covered by the Beach Boys—amid a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that could further inflame tensions in the Middle East.

The controversial parody song by Vince Vance & the Valiants plays over footage of B-2 stealth bombers, the same aircraft used to drop 14 GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Fordow enrichment plant, Natanz complex, and Isfahan site.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Zohran Mamdani
Omar Havana/Getty Images; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Trump Just Tried To Slam Zohran Mamdani's Looks And Voice—And It Was Projection At Its Finest

President Donald Trump lashed out at Zohran Mamdani after the 33-year-old democratic socialist handily defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday—only to be called out for projecting his own feelings of inadequacy onto the star candidate.

Mamdani ran a campaign centered around economic populism, arguing that the city, a global financial center, has grown unaffordable for everyday residents, citing soaring rents and grocery prices, and outlining policies aimed at reducing the cost of living.

Keep ReadingShow less
salad
Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

Doctors Explain Which Seemingly 'Healthy' Foods Aren't All That Good For Us

Every day it seems like some new health fad pops up.

Eat this, don't eat that.

Keep ReadingShow less