Neighbor From Hell? 'Guilty' Oprah Winfrey FINALLY Opens Private Road In Hawaii During Tsunami Evacuation After Residents Slam The 'Disgusting' Billionaire — 'Kick Her Off The Island!'
Oprah Winfrey was forced to deny reports about her private Hawaiian road being closed during tsunami evacuations.
July 30 2025, Published 2:15 p.m. ET
Public pressure has forced Oprah Winfrey to address widespread reports claiming her private road in Maui, Hawaii, was closed to the public during tsunami evacuations, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
A massive 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka, Russia, triggered tsunami warnings in Japan, Alaska, Hawaii, and California on Tuesday, July 29.
As locals and tourists scrambled to find higher ground, videos began circulating on social media claiming the billionaire refused to allow residents to use her private access road while traffic backed up across the island.
Outrage Online
Oprah faced intense backlash online after rumors spread about her private road in Maui being closed during tsunami evacuations.
A TikTok video alleged police were seen opening the gate to Oprah's $60million Maui estate, allowing only a small group of cars to pass through before closing it off to the public.
One user commented: "In an evacuation, ALL roads should be open... public, private, it should be mandatory," as another declared, "Shame on Oprah."
Other videos featured evacuees in their cars filming gridlock traffic as they begged the former talk show host to let people use her road.
'Selfish Elite Hypocrisy'
Social media users shared photos of videos of Oprah's road blocked from the public.
An X user wrote: "Why ON EARTH would you choose to not open your own private road that would allow people to get to higher ground safely? Be a hero (or just a decent human) and open the road. Do the right thing."
Another echoed: "Oprah preaches about empathy and giving back, but when lives are on the line in Maui, she won't even open her private road to let families escape the tsunami? Selfish elite hypocrisy at its worst – people are trapped with their kids while you hoard your path to safety! OPEN THE ROAD!"
Hours after evacuation warnings were issued – and thousands of messages condemning Oprah later – a spokesperson for the 71-year-old released a statement denying reports of the road being closed to the public.
Spokesperson Denies Road Closure
A spokesperson for Oprah denied reports about the private road being closed.
Oprah Daily shared the statement on X, reading: "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.
"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."
While Oprah's spokesperson insisted she took swift action and coordinated with authorities to allow residences to use the road, damage had already been done.
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Critics called on Hawaii to 'confiscate' Oprah's land and kick her off the island.
Pleas online shifted from calling on the road to be opened to demanding the media mogul be kicked off the island.
One X user suggested Hawaii "should confiscate" the 1,000 acres she owns "for going against the people's safety!"
Many claimed overwhelming "public pressure" and "protecting her image" were the only reasons Oprah opened the road while pointing to her complicated history with locals.
A second user wrote: "Every time she has a chance to do the right thing, she makes the wrong decision," referencing backlash from the 2023 wildfires that devastated Maui.
