When you’re famous, everything you do can be criticized. Even your generosity. That’s what happened to actor Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock. — who teamed up with journalist Oprah Winfrey in August to create the Maui People’s Fund. Their goal was to help those affected by the fires that ravaged Hawaii last summer, with each pledging to donate $10 million.
Winfrey and Johnson also asked their fans to donate to the fund, a call that was heavily criticized by their followers. In an Instagram video posted Sunday, Johnson said he understood their anger. “When we first launched the fund, there was some backlash,” Johnson said. “I understand and fully understand and I could have been better. And next time I will be better.”
In a video shared by his 392 million followers, Johnson added that he took the criticism as a learning experience. “Money doesn’t fall from the sky or grow on trees, and there are a lot of people who live paycheck to paycheck (…) I get it, I get it. I’ve never started a fund before, but I’m learning and learning quickly,” he said.
The 51-year-old actor also used the video to announce that families affected by the fires have begun receiving financial assistance from the fund. “I have great news – amazing news, actually, that I’m very excited to share with you guys, and the news is this: thousands and thousands of survivors, their families, that they have now, in the last couple of weeks, have started to receive the first portion of funds. They get their money.”
In the video, Rock encouraged his fans to continue giving him constructive feedback. “You always tell me the truth – good or bad – I will always value and protect this direct conversation between us, I promise you to always listen, learn, grow and do better,” he continued.
Johnson said he knows what it’s like to live under financial strain. “I lived paycheck to paycheck. When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, the last thing you want to hear is someone asking you for money, especially when the person asking you for money already has a lot of money.”
When the fund was launched, Winfrey, 69, said she was inspired by singer Dolly Parton’s long history of philanthropy. “I read an article about Dolly Parton giving money in her community and I said, ‘I think that’s the answer,'” the host said at the time.
Johnson and Winfrey also explained how the funds will be distributed. Adults who lost their homes in a fire would be eligible to receive about $1,200 a month to get back on their feet. “People can have their own agency, be able to make their own decisions about what they need and what their family needs – that’s our goal, to bring that to people now,” the journalist said.
Both Johnson and Winfrey have strong ties to Hawaii. Fast and furious The actor loves Hawaiian culture and married his girlfriend Lauren Hashian there in 2019. They have been in a relationship for 12 years and have two daughters, Jasmine and Tiana. Johnson is also a passionate philanthropist. In 2006, he founded a charity that works with terminally ill children and has helped fund hospitals, universities, disaster relief organizations, animal shelters and, more recently, striking actors. In Hawaii, he donated large sums of money to build a gym on a military base and to support hurricane relief work.
For her part, Winfrey has a home in Hawaii, where she spends a long time. When fires broke out on Maui, she was determined to dedicate her show to covering the fire. The presenter, however, was not always welcome. She was criticized for leading her team to a Maui evacuation center that provided shelter to vulnerable people who had lost everything.
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