Oprah Winfrey is pushing back against 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 Digital.
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“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.
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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.
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.
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“Please be careful, be careful when returning and watch out for damage. We will continue to monitor in Hawaii, Alaska, and California,” she added.
Her statement comes after a tsunami triggered by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia reached Hawaii on Tuesday evening.
This isn’t the first time Winfrey’s expansive Maui property has been the subject of scrutiny.
Last June, two 19-year-old men were arrested on a public road in Hawaii that ran through Winfrey’s property and were suspected of illegal hunting, officials said at the time.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) identified the men as Luke Allen and Ty Munoz, both of Upcountry Maui.
The public road runs through private property owned by the Oprah Winfrey Ranch. Winfrey reportedly owns nearly 1,000 acres on the island.
Conservation officers stopped Allen and Munoz just before midnight on June 21, 2024, after witnessing them allegedly using a spotlight for hunting purposes, according to the state agency.
“Last month, DLNR reached out to Upcountry ranchers regarding their efforts to prevent illegal poaching throughout the area and we agreed to cooperate. The arrests did not happen on the property,” Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, said at the time in an emailed statement to the Associated Press.
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Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Pritchett and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
