Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Apologizes Over Maui Fundraiser

Highlights

• Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and Oprah Winfrey faced backlash for their fundraising efforts for Maui wildfires due to the small size of their $10 million donation compared to their combined billion-dollar net worth.
• The controversy highlighted the significant costs and challenges faced by displaced residents and the need for funds to rebuild damaged areas and revive the tourism-dependent island.
• Dwayne Johnson issued a sincere apology in response to the fundraising controversy, expressing gratitude to those who supported the cause and vowing to listen, learn, and do better in the future.

In October 2023, Dwayne Johnson (also known as "The Rock") apologized to fans, after participating in what became a controversial Maui wildfires fundraising plea alongside Oprah Winfrey.

On August 8th, rapidly moving wildfires raged across the Hawaiian island of Maui, carving a path of destruction. ABC News published a timeline pertaining to the disaster on August 18th, and reported on initial chaos as the fires spread (and the split second decisions among those fleeing the blaze):

"Around 5 p.m. The situation in Lahaina [grew] increasingly dire. The next hour [became] a collection of life-or-death decisions for those who remained in Lahaina. Video footage captures people fleeing the blaze, in some cases abandoning their cars, jumping into the ocean or pools for safety ... At 5:15 p.m., a woman named Kristina Lee-Garrido and her friend [decided] they [didn't] have time to flee lower Lahaina. They recorded the blaze around them from the Aina Nalu hotel pool as fire pressed in on all sides. Around 5:30, another family [abandoned] their car and jump[ed] into the ocean."

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In late September, the New York Times covered ongoing difficulties faced by displaced residents of Maui, as well as high estimated costs to restore damaged areas and essential services:

"The Maui County authorities will provide returnees with masks and other personal protective equipment for the visit, official said, and will have counselors on hand to help with the emotional aspects of the visit ... There are significant worries about how much it will cost for residents to rebuild homes — an early estimate projects that $5.5 billion will be needed to repair damaged areas in West Maui — as well as the economic revival of a tourism-dependent island."

Maui's wildfires represented a massive natural disaster, and as is often the case, celebrities stepped in to coordinate and publicize efforts to help. NPR reported that "Winfrey has a house on Maui and Johnson spent part of his childhood in Hawaii," and that the pair "started a $10 million fund to help victims get back on their feet."

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On August 31st, NBC News reported on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Oprah Winfrey's joint efforts to fundraise for Maui residents – which the pair announced in an August 31st Instagram post:

"The duo has launched the People’s Fund of Maui, in which cash will go directly to people whose lives have been affected by the blazes. Winfrey and Johnson kicked off the campaign by donating $10 million."

Backlash followed almost immediately, both on social media and in the news. On September 7th, Blavity posted about the controversy on Instagram:

Alongside images and video, @Blavity's post explained why the celebrities' Maui fundraiser didn't go over well – primarily due to the size of the fund in relation to Oprah and The Rock's respective (and high) net worths:

"Winfrey and Johnson recently announced the creation of the Peoples Fund of Maui, allowing Maui residents who've been displaced or negatively affected by the fires to apply for grants of up to $1,200 ... Winfrey owns hundreds of acres of land on the island, while Johnson, who has Polynesian heritage, spent time in Hawaii as a child.⁠ ⁠ Much of the criticism has centered on the fact that the two stars are worth nearly $3 billion, making their $10 million donation worth less than 1% of their total wealth."⁠ ⁠

Oprah was already being criticized over her response to the Maui wildfires when the controversy over fundraising began, such as in one tweet published on August 13th:

On September 11th, Oprah had repeatedly addressed the controversy; Johnson had not. Winfrey objected to what she described as internet based "vitriol" over the fundraiser when questioned about the controversy.

On October 7th, Dwayne Johnson issued a statement (with video) to Instagram:

In the video, Johnson specifically apologized, and said: ".... money ain’t falling out of the sky, and it’s not growing on trees, and there’s a lot of people out there who’s living paycheck to paycheck. And I get it, and I know what that’s like ..." In the text portion of The Rock's post, he first thanked "everyone who has helped by sending resources, love and prayers to all people affected by the fires and a loving mahalo," adding "RESPECT to our OG cultural leaders, our local community organizations, and all our first responders and every person who came together to help our people."

Johnson continued, offering an unqualified, sincere apology for the fundraising controversy:

"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."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson did not end with an apology in his Maui wildfires fundraising update post. Before concluding, he addressed survivors of the disaster: "Mana is in our DNA. All of us. We get knocked down. We rise back up stronger, as one. That’s who we are as Polynesian people. And that’s who we are as Americans. STAY STRONG MAUI."

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