(RightWing.org) – Wildfires swept across Maui for several days, beginning on August 8, 2023. Driven by strong winds and rugged terrain, the blazes killed at least 97 people, left dozens missing, and caused billions of dollars in damages. On August 31, Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced that they had established the “People’s Fund of Maui” to assist Hawaiians impacted by the fires. Johnson recently responded to criticism over his donation request.
On October 8, the Hollywood film actor posted a video and accompanying statement on his Instagram apologizing for his previous tone-deaf plea for donations for Maui residents. Johnson began by expressing his gratitude for the uplifting messages he had been receiving from the survivors of the “devastating wildfires,” thanking everyone for the money they received from the fundraiser.
The Rock then admitted that he had received backlash from several people over his request for donations. “I get it,” he said, adding that he wanted to address those complaints.
“I could have been better,” Johnson said. He explained that he understood that money doesn’t grow on trees or fall out of the skies. He noted that he had lived paycheck to paycheck before and knew from first-hand experience the frustration of having someone who “already has a lot of money” asking for some of theirs.
Continuing, Johnson said the next time he worked on a fundraiser, he would “be better.” Reinforcing that statement, he later promised to learn from the errors he committed with his Maui fundraising effort. He told his fans that he hadn’t launched a drive for donations before, adding that he was a “quick study and lesson learned.”
Later in the clip, Johnson noted that one of the “greatest things” about social media websites was the ability of his fans to reach out to him and express their concerns. He also encouraged them to tell him if he does something they don’t like and to tell him they don’t want him to “ever do that s*** again.”
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