Dwayne Johnson breaks silence on Maui wildfire fund backlash

Publish date: 2024-05-15

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has broken his silence about backlash to his Maui wildfire fund.

Johnson, 51, and Oprah Winfrey, 69, faced harsh criticism from fans in early September, after the famous duo asked members of the public to donate money to help those affected by the Maui wildfires — despite having a combined net worth of more than $2.8 billion.

The Hollywood pair collectively chipped in $10 million to kickstart the People’s Fund of Maui, but then, they also put out a call asking their fans on Instagram and TikTok to donate the rest.

Fans didn’t react to this with enthusiasm. 

Many complained they were already living “paycheck-to-paycheck,” and that the uber-rich celebrities should dole out more of their own money toward relief efforts.

“I would but I’m broke…you two got this though!” Carolina Moreno wrote in the comment section on TikTok under the August 31 video.

“Billionaire asking for money from the poor, what a joke,” Cary Jacobs added on Winfrey’s follow-up video on Instagram.

Dwayne Johnson broke his silence about the controversy with a new video an a long comment. Dwayne Johnson/Instagram
Destroyed buildings in Maui, after the wildfires. NYPJ

In a new Instagram video posted on Sunday, Johnson broke his silence to his 392 million followers, and said that he “understood” why fans were angry. 

“The last thing you want to hear when you are living from paycheck to paycheck is someone asking you for money, especially when the person asking you for money already has a lot of money,” he said. 

“I get it, and I completely understand, and I could’ve been better. And next time, I will be better.”

In a long caption on the video, he also wrote, “I’m so grateful and moved by all the messages I’m receiving out of Maui from the survivors of the devastating wildfires who are now getting their personal funding from The People’s Fund of Maui…And to everyone in my social media community right here. Our connection is everything because we only know how to be REAL with each other. You always tell me the truth – good or bad – I’ll always appreciate and protect that straight talk between us – you have my word to always listen, learn, grow and do better. I’ve never launched a fund before – trust me, I’m a quick study and learn my lessons fast.I totally get it and I appreciate you.”

“I get it” Dwayne Johnson said, about the fan backlash. Dwayne Johnson/Instagram
Oprah said she didn’t get the “vitriol” earlier in September, in contrast to Dwayne Johnson. CBS
Davilynn Severson and Hano Ganer look for belongings through the ashes of their family’s home in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii, in August. AFP via Getty Images

This stands in contrast to Winfrey, who went on “CBS Mornings” in September for a “non-apology” that angered many.

“I was so excited about it,” she said, referring to her fund with Johnson. 

“And then I got up the next morning, and I saw all of this vitriol, and I was, like, ‘Whoa, what happened here?’” she said at the time. “It made me sad that we are at this state in our country.”

Oprah and Dwayne Johnson in their original video, which got slammed by fans. Instagram/Oprah

Johnson, meanwhile, added on Sunday that he “got” the frustration and concluded his video with a message to Maui/Lahaina survivors.

“Mana is in our DNA. All of us. We get knocked down. We rise back up stronger, as one,” he wrote. “That’s who we are as Polynesian people. And that’s who we are as Americans. STAY STRONG MAUI.”

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