Dwayne Johnson apologizes for Maui wildfire fundraising backlash - “I could’ve been better”

After receiving backlash earlier in the year for helping set up a fundraiser for those affected by the Maui wildfires, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has taken to social media to offer an apology regarding for the perceived lack of a “real” contribution to the fundraiser he set up alongside Oprah Winfrey.

Taking to Instagram over the weekend, Johnson admitted “I get it and I completely understand, and I could have been better. And next time, I will be better. I understand money ain’t falling out of the sky and it’s not growing on trees. 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, I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck.”

“When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, I was easily p****d off, and I was frustrated, and the last thing you want to hear when you are living paycheck to paycheck is someone asking you for money, especially when the person asking you for money, already has a lot of money,” he continued. “So I get it. I understand. I’ve never launched a fund before. But I’m a quick study and lesson learned. So thank you.”

Johnson also provided an update to his followers, informing them that the funds collected were already reaching the survivors of the wildfires, expressing his admiration for the way families and communities were coming together in the face of this tragedy, particularly praising the resilience of the Polynesian people.

In his message, Johnson extended his gratitude to everyone who contributed resources, love, and prayers to those impacted by the fires. “Watching families and community come together after this tragedy is inspirational and I’m proud of our Polynesian people,” Johnson posted. 

“Thank you to everyone who has helped by sending resources, love and prayers to all people affected by the fires and a loving mahalo and 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.”

What is the backlash regarding Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfrey?

Johnson and Winfrey launched the People's Fund of Maui in August in response to the devastating wildfires. The actor and former talk show host each donated $5 million to kick off the campaign and asked their fans to also contribute.

However many were quick to point out that the amount each celebrity pledged paled in comparison to their net worths - with Johnson’s said to be worth an estimated $270 million and Winfrey's estimated $2.5 billion, according to Forbes.

That works out at around 0.5% of their overall net worth (in the case of Winfrey at least), which led to the backlash with many thinking that they could have made a larger donation to kick off the fundraising appeal. Those comments however have also raised the question of why celebrities are facing a backlash over trying to help people when they don’t have an obligation to undertake such charitable efforts in the first place.