Oprah Winfrey, 70, remains a polarizing public figure. Her recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign has sparked outrage among critics blasting Winfrey’s previous highly publicized charitable efforts.
In August 2023, a series of wildfires devastated the Hawaiian island of Maui. The OWN founder teamed up with fellow Hollywood heavyweight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, 52, to launch the People’s Fund of Maui for residents with an initial donation of $10 million.
The fiery disaster caused over 100 deaths and $5.5 billion worth of damage. Around 12,000 people were reportedly displaced. Winfrey, who owns property on 1,000 acres of land in Maui, and Johnson, whose Anoaʻi family lineage comes from the neighboring South Pacific’s Samoan Islands, have faced constant criticism over the last year.
“We’ve been meeting with community leaders for the past couple of weeks, just trying to figure out what we can do,” Winfrey stated on the “Today” show in August 2023.
The Rock added, “In this time of need, you want to take care of the greatest need of the people and that’s giving them money… It’s gonna take a long time to rebuild. It’ll probably get a little worse before it gets a little better. But we’re here, doing what we can do.”
Winfrey’s recent appearance at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 21 reignited questions about the money allotted for the Hawaiian people.
A meme account on X went viral on Aug. 28 after claiming Winfrey donated $150 million to the Kamala Harris campaign. While “The Color Purple” star did endorse Harris for president, reports of a nine-figure contribution to the Democratic politician are unconfirmed.
“Almost a year ago, Oprah and Johnson faced backlash after asking struggling peasants to donate to the Maui fund they launched to help wildfire victims. Oprah and Johnson committed to donating $10 million themselves,” one individual posted.
The X page, which features Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in its header, also wrote, “A year later, some victims of the fire remain unaccounted for, hundreds, if not thousands, of Maui residents are still homeless, and the island has yet to be rebuilt.” That X post racked up 2.3 million views in 20 hours.
Many of the replies contained unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about Winfrey’s motive. For instance, one person speculated that the legendary talk show host’s real goal is to “buy up Hawaii.”
Another Winfrey critic declared, “Oprah is a fake and fraud.” The Rock also caught heat online after a self-described “free thinker” and “patriot” posted, “He’s a minion to the elite and a tool. I can’t say how I feel about Oprah on here.”
In contrast, some X users pushed back on the narrative that Winfrey gave the Kamala Harris team $150 million. Someone else stated, “These stupid posts keep going viral. A donation that size isn’t even legal & you would at least see it on ABC News.”
Another added, “So what happened to all that $ people donated?”
According to an April 2024 article by The Associated Press, the People’s Fund of Maui initiative raised nearly $60 million through the Entertainment Industry Foundation.
The money was reportedly distributed to over 8,100 adults between September 2023 and February 2024. Plus, The Associated Press confirmed that more than 20,000 individuals and companies donated to the fund.
Local Lana Vierra and ten members of her family lost their homes as a result of the Maui wildfires. The grandmother of four told the AP all but one of her adult relatives received six monthly payments of $1,200 from the People’s Fund.
Additionally, the Honolulu Civil Beat, a nonprofit online news organization, previously reported the first round of payments from The People’s Fund went out to over 5,000 Maui residents in September 2023.
The fact-checking website Snopes has disproved numerous allegations associated with the People’s Fund of Maui. For example, the site labeled rumors that “Aquaman” actor and Hawaii native Jason Momoa accused Winfrey and The Rock of “stealing money from the poor” as false.
The founder of Harpo Productions delivered surprise remarks at the DNC, where the registered independent voter discussed her decision to back the former California senator’s bid for the White House.
“I really care about this country,” Winfrey told CBS News on why she endorsed Harris. The Mississippi-raised billionaire also said, “The bottom line for me is that decency and respect are on the ballot. And that’s why I was willing to do it.”
Johnson disclosed on Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast that multiple political parties approached him about potentially running for president. In an April 2024 interview with Fox News, the former WWE wrestler said he would not endorse any candidates in the 2024 presidential race.
