Why Residents Are Criticising Oprah Winfrey Over Her Closed Maui Road?
Media icon and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey is under intense public scrutiny following widespread allegations that she has refused to open her private road in Maui, Hawaii, despite a state-wide emergency evacuation prompted by a tsunami threat on Tuesday.
The road in question, stretching from Wailea to Kula, cuts through elevated terrain and offers a direct escape route from the vulnerable coastal regions of south Maui.
Oprah Road Wailea Kula
“There is a private road known as “Oprah’s Road” that connects parts of Wailea to Kula on the island of Maui, Hawaii. This road was constructed to provide a more direct route, but it is not open to the public.The road is 4 miles long and was improved as a… pic.twitter.com/I4vJJNJlQq
— SeekingTruth (@envisionalt7) July 30, 2025
As emergency sirens blared across the island, urging residents to seek higher ground, thousands found themselves gridlocked in traffic, caught in long lines of vehicles inching forward on overwhelmed public highways.
Social media platforms lit up overnight with video clips showing panicked residents stuck in stalled traffic while attempting to flee rising ocean levels.
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Many locals believe that Oprah’s secluded road, which remains closed to the public, could have significantly alleviated congestion and provided a safer, faster exit route for those in harm’s way.
“I’m stuck with my children in the truck with sirens going off, if Oprah’s 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,” Maui resident Shelby Hosana told journalist Nick Sortor.
🚨 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
Public anger intensified when users began tagging Oprah directly, demanding that she act swiftly to aid her community during the emergency. “OPEN THE ROAD, @Oprah!” read one widely circulated post.
Hey @Oprah open your road in maui hawaii so thousands of lives can be saved before the tsunami hits pic.twitter.com/SlyU5bv3c4
— Fixer Guy (@thatfixerguy) July 30, 2025
Another user wrote: “Oprah has done a lot for Maui in the past, but refusing to open this road during a tsunami warning is unacceptable.”
pic.twitter.com/wjgW25prcQ Now:Gridlock on Maui has gotten so bad that people are going OFF ROAD to get out of the coastal areas
Meanwhile, Oprah STILL HASN’T OPENED HER PRIVATE ROAD to get people to higher ground quickly
OPEN THE FREAKING ROAD, @OPRAH! #hawaii #tsunami…
— Ape𝕏 (@CubanOnlyTrump) July 30, 2025
This controversy comes just months after Oprah made headlines for her relief efforts during the 2023 Maui wildfires. At that time, she was both praised for distributing supplies and criticized for attempting to film donation handouts. Now, many feel that her silence in the face of the tsunami crisis has undone some of that goodwill.
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As of this morning, there has been no official statement from Oprah or her representatives. Meanwhile, local officials have not confirmed whether they requested the road be opened, nor have they addressed whether any legal or logistical barriers prevent its temporary use during natural disasters.
