Dwayne Johnson on backlash over Maui fundraiser with Oprah Winfrey
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
In August, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Oprah Winfrey each donated $5 million to start a fundraiser to benefit folks who’d been burned out of their homes in the Maui wildfires. They asked their fans to join the effort, too.
This week, Johnson is apologizing after a backlash from critics who say they gave too little given their wealth, while asking fans who may be struggling in the current economy to donate, too.
Johnson posted a video on his Instagram Sunday in which he promised “I will be better.” He noted, “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.”
He added, “When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, you are easily pissed off. It’s frustrating. And the last thing you want to hear when you’re living paycheck to paycheck is someone asking you for money — especially when the person asking you for money already has a lot of money. I get it, I understand.”
Per USA Today, “Johnson’s net worth is estimated at $270 million and Winfrey’s is estimated at $2.5 billion, according to Forbes.”
The fund is designed to provide a monthly stipend to adults displaced by the wildfires in Lahaina and Kula as they recover from the disaster. USA Today reported that the first round of applicants are starting to receive the $1,200 stipend.
Related
Today reported Winfrey addressed the backlash Sept. 12 in an interview on CBS Mornings. She said she felt “terrorized” and vilified online.
Winfrey expressed empathy for kids who get bullied online. “I came out of this experience with so much more compassion for young kids, because I was thinking, what if I didn’t really know who I am? What if I didn’t have the assurance. … It will take you out,” she said. “So all of the online … attacks, lies, conspiracy theories, really took the focus off of what was the most important thing, and that was the people of Maui.”
CNN reported that more than 100 people died when the fast-moving wildfires raged through the island. The National Fire Protection Association deemed the wildfires the deadliest in the United States in more than a century, per CNN.
According to the fund’s official website, monthly financial disbursements will be made as long as community members are still in need, and “as long as funds last,” Today reported.
