Oprah responds to viral claims over private road access during Hawaii tsunami evacuation
As tsunami waves struck Hawaii following a powerful earthquake in Russia, online outrage spread over allegations that Oprah Winfrey refused to open a road on her Maui property. Her spokesperson says that claim is false.
Amid a mass evacuation in Maui triggered by tsunami warnings, viral social media posts accused Oprah Winfrey of blocking access to a key route through her land. Her team now says the road was opened promptly in coordination with emergency services.
When a magnitude 8.8 earthquake near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific, residents in Hawaii scrambled to reach higher ground. In Maui, as roads clogged with cars, a video shared on social media claimed that a gated road on Oprah Winfrey’s property remained closed—fueling public frustration.
The video, posted to X (formerly Twitter), showed a long line of vehicles and people attempting to navigate the area.
“Look at this. I think they’re trying to open Oprah’s road. C’mon Oprah, save us… Everybody trying to get in,” a man said in the video, which has since garnered more than two million views.
Winfrey owns a ranch in Kula, and according to local media, a public road—Thompson Road—runs through her property. Confusion over whether the gate was open quickly spread, with users on X accusing the TV icon of delaying access during a critical moment.
Was the road really closed?
Soon after the video gained traction, the Maui Police Department and multiple reports clarified that the road had been opened. Officials were on site, guiding traffic and helping residents escape to higher elevations.
“Maui Veterans Highway is congested; use Cane Haul Road toward Hansen and Pulehu roads to get to Kula… Oprah’s road is open to get Upcountry,” read an official tsunami update posted by the department.
A spokesperson for Winfrey said her team acted as soon as the warning was issued.
“We contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened,” they told Newsweek. “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 tsunami warning followed a seismic event that affected not only Hawaii but also parts of Japan, Russia, and the U.S. West Coast. Although waves reached multiple locations, including California and northern Japan’s Hokkaido island, no casualties had been reported at the time of writing.
Authorities across the Pacific, from Indonesia to Chile, issued tsunami advisories or watches.
The controversy around Oprah’s road reflects how fast misinformation can spread in moments of crisis. While fears about blocked access were real for many on the ground, emergency responders and property owners alike were working under pressure.
In moments like these, accurate communication is as crucial as physical infrastructure.
