Oprah Winfrey quickly extinguished viral accusations that a private road on her Maui estate was kept closed as local residents tried to flee to safety during a tsunami evacuation.
A spokesperson for the billionaire shut down the accusations and said the claims are not true.
“As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened. Any reports otherwise are false,” a spokesperson for Winfrey shared in a statement with Fox News.
“Local law enforcement are currently on site helping residents through 50 cars at a time to ensure everyone’s safety. The road will remain open as long as necessary.”
A tsunami warning was issued overnight, prompting evacuations and urgent efforts to reach higher ground across parts of the Hawaiian island.
Rumors quickly circulated online that suggested residents were unable to pass through a private, gated road on Winfrey’s property, however, no credible evidence supported those claims.
Much of the viral criticism originated from social media posts on X (formerly Twitter), where users claimed she was withholding access to the private road connecting Wailea to Kula, calling for her to “open the road.” A specific map tweet by Tucker Carlson producer Nick Sortor alleged the route should have been opened “hours earlier.”
A video shared on social media showed a man in his vehicle allegedly outside the former TV host’s property with police guarding the area.
“C’mon Oprah, save us,” the guy was heard saying in the video.
A fact-check has since been added to the post clarifying that the road is open.
However, no objective, corroborative evidence supports claims of refusal, and reputable media outlets reported that officials proactively contacted Winfrey’s team, and the road was promptly opened in collaboration with FEMA and local police.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that after speaking with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, “the evacuation order has been lifted for coastal inundation zones.
Her statement comes after a tsunami triggered by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia reached Hawaii on Tuesday evening.
A tsunami threatens and some how Oprah Winfrey becomes the most important story because she’s been inconvenienced. Why?
So where did her ‘private road’ go – was it to a legit safety zone or merely up to her house? Not standing up for her by any means but knowing where that road went is critical to the discussion.
As to her ‘reputation’ – there are still a lot of questions about her response to the wild fires in that area that ought to be answered.