Oprah Winfrey was deeply affected by the online harassment she received in response to her Hawaii relief fund. Alongside Dwayne Johnson, she established the People’s Fund of Maui to aid those affected by the devastating wildfires in August. Both Oprah and Johnson donated $5 million each to launch the organization. However, Oprah expressed surprise at the backlash from trolls who accused her, a wealthy celebrity, of hypocrisy for requesting donations from her less affluent followers.
During an interview on ‘CBS Mornings’, Oprah discussed the trolling and its impact, stating, “Well, this is a really great point about being happier in the midst of an onslaught of being terrorized and vilified online. I will say this. 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? It will take you out. So all of the online attacks, lies, conspiracy theories really took the focus off of what was the most important thing, which is the people of Maui.”
Oprah, who owns a home on Maui, revealed that the idea for the fund was inspired by singer Dolly Parton’s previous charitable efforts. Parton had raised millions to assist the victims of the 2017 wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, ensuring the funds went directly to those in need. Oprah stated, “We [Dwayne and I] thought because both of us have given to charities our whole lives, that starting the fund with $10 million would be a great idea. We’ll do what Dolly did, get other people to give money and then we’ll put it directly into people’s bank accounts.”
Oprah expressed her initial excitement at the endeavor but was taken aback by the negative response she received. She said, “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?’ This is what I want to say. I want to say that, in the beginning, so many people were calling, asking: ‘Where do we give our money to?’ So I thought, I’m going to give people a place to give it.”
Despite the backlash, Oprah still believes in the concept of directly assisting those in need. She shared that 2,200 individuals have been verified and cleared to receive funds from the People’s Fund of Maui, stating, “Dolly Parton was right. Putting money directly in the hands of the people is a significant thing, and the model that has been created, I will say that as of today, 2,200 people have been cleared and verified, and those people are gonna get a notice from the People’s Fund of Maui and are gonna have the money put into their account.”
Concluding her thoughts, Oprah expressed sadness over the state of the country and the backlash she faced, emphasizing that it was disheartening to witness such negativity surrounding the fund.