Oprah Winfrey addressed backlash from fans Tuesday after the billionaire star appealed to the public to donate to Maui relief efforts.
Winfrey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson joined forces in an effort to fundraise for those struggling after the Maui wildfires, in spite of the fact that combined, the two stars are worth more than $2.8 billion, according to the New York Post. Winfrey addressed the matter on “CBS Mornings” Tuesday, standing her ground.
“I was so excited about it, and then I got up the next morning, and I saw all of this vitriol, and I was, like, ‘Whoa, what happened here?’” Winfrey said. “It made me sad that we are at this state in our country.”
American billionaires Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne the Rock Johnson are facing backlash after asking people for donations for the residents of Maui, Hawaii.
Earlier, Biden promised to give $700 to each household that suffered from the wildfires in Maui.
People are outraged that the… pic.twitter.com/ibxYvkmnRz
— dana (@dana916) September 6, 2023
Winfrey and Johnson donated a total of $10 million towards the Maui relief efforts, and proceeded to request money from their fans by encouraging them to donate on Instagram and TikTok.
However, the strategy didn’t resonate with numerous fans who spoke out against the stars to declare they are currently living paycheck to paycheck, demanding that the wealthy contribute more. Fans called out Winfrey for appealing to them in spite of the fact that she could reasonably, and quite effortlessly contribute more of her own personal funds. (RELATED: ‘Do What We Can’: Guy Fieri To Hold 15-Course Maui Fundraiser)
Oprah refused to acknowledge those who felt she was inappropriate in her request for money, and cited that she could have produced more funding herself, given her extreme wealth.
“We’re going to create something, and I still think it’s a really strong idea,” she said.