Why is Oprah trending online? Maui private road controversy explored as media mogul comes under fire amid Hawaii Tsunami warning

Media personality Oprah Winfrey has come under fire amid a tsunami warning in Hawaii. Officials issued emergency evacuation orders on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia.

As people rushed to reach high ground and emergency shelters, reports of the media mogul not opening a private road have gone viral.

According to journalist Nick Sortor, she owns a road between Wailea and Kula in Maui. As people evacuate, Maui is gridlocked. Quoting resident Shelby Hosana, Sortor relayed:

"I'm stuck with my children in the truck with sirens going off. If (her) road was open, I could have a way to get out. Instead we will just hope and pray the first wave time estimates are correct and we still have time to get to higher ground."

🚨 BREAKING: Oprah HAS NOT opened her private road from Wailea to Kula, Hawaii, which would allow coastal folks to reach higher ground quickly, locals tell me

OPEN THE ROAD, @OPRAH!

Roads on Maui are GRIDLOCKED as people try to escape the incoming Tsunami

“I'm stuck with my… pic.twitter.com/UaPiDJpjqG

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 30, 2025

As news of the development went viral, internet users were quick to react. Many criticized Winfrey, calling her selfish.

"Of course Oprah wouldn’t do that. She’s a selfish billionaire," one commented.

"She is an evil person if she doesn’t," another added.

"Should be a crime against humanity to stop people from reaching safety," a person noted.

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Others questioned the credibility of the reports.

"that road isn’t an evacuation route, and (she) doesn’t control it. It’s private land owned by multiple parties, gated and closed by default. Blaming her is not only misinformation it’s also defamation," one pointed out.

"This app is such a mess. Looking for credible info about the #tsunami situation in Maui and everything is: 1. Unverified 2. About Oprah," another wrote.

"OPEN THE ROADS @Oprah," a user added.

Oprah Winfrey began purchasing properties in Maui in 2003

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tsunami warning for Hawaii after an earthquake hit Kamchatka, Russia, on Tuesday afternoon. Per Island News, waves were estimated to hit the island state a little after 7:00 p.m.

Officials urged people to evacuate to higher ground. Per Civil Beat, eleven emergency shelters had been set up in Hawaii County, six in Maui, and seven in Kauai.

According to Nick Sortor, Oprah Winfrey's road led straight to high ground. But because it was closed, people had to take a much longer road. He included a screenshot demarcating the two thoroughfares.

He went on to allege that Winfrey had a "monopoly" on a massive portion of Hawaii and didn't want any public roads built on her land.

It is worth noting that the aforementioned private road has been opened to help with evacuations since.

According to Robb Report, Winfrey began purchasing properties in Maui in 2003. She initially bought two properties, totaling 163 acres, for $5.3 million. She has since expanded her real estate portfolio on the island. This includes buying 870 acres of agricultural land in Kula for $6.6 million in 2023.

Per an article by KHON2, the media personality's estate features twelve buildings, including a farmhouse-turned-vacation home and a boutique bed-and-breakfast.

Notably, most of the land remains undeveloped. Per the outlet, one of the factors that led to Winfrey purchasing land in 2003 was to save a section of Kula from being developed into condominiums.

The decision to keep the land as is has led locals to accept her continued purchases of land.

Tsunami Warning Press Conference

07/29/2025 https://t.co/Am5wU1hB4v

— Hawaii EMA (@Hawaii_EMA) July 30, 2025

Further, Oprah has hired local workers to maintain the estate, helping funnel money back to the community, reported KHON2. She also has fruit, vegetable, and herb gardens, produce from which is sold locally.

Notably, this helped alleviate the amount of food that needed to be shipped from outside Hawaii.

Earlier this year, rumors of the FBI investigating Oprah Winfrey for a "land grab" after the August 2023 Maui wildfires began circulating.

Claims suggested that she purchased more than half the island. However, Snopes, a fact-checking website, deemed the rumors to be false.

Citing Charles McCreery, director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, Star Advertiser reported that the first wave measuring 1.5 feet above sea level hit Hawaii at about 7:10 p.m. McCreery warned that tsunamis are a series of waves, and a subsequent one could be higher.