“Take over her house”: Oprah blasted online after giving away books to Maui residents after wildfire

Oprah Winfrey recently went viral for giving away her books for free to Maui residents after a wildfire took away their homes. A short clip of the 69-year-old author was shared on TikTok that shows her going to donate books to the victims of the wildfire. However, right after that, the video cuts to another woman urging Winfrey to help the survivors. The woman in the video asks Oprah to help the people of Maui with shelter and money instead of giving them books.

In the video, TikTok user @sassyoutdoorchick told the author:

“Hey Oprah, if you’re in Hawaii donating those books, I just wanted to let you know that those kids and those families that you’re donating to now need a new home, a new couch, a new bed and light to read those books.”

The user also sarcastically referred to how Oprah bought multiple properties in Maui and told the latter to help the wildfire victims with some extra cash instead of buying their lands. The user noted that the lands had been taken away from the residents for "whatever reason."

The user went on to request Oprah to donate some of her income to help rebuild her fellow neighbors' houses on the Island of Maui. The TikTok video was reposted on X on August 18 by PaulsCorner21 where one user replied and called others to take over Oprah Winfrey’s house in Hawaii.

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Netizens criticize Oprah Winfrey over her purchased lands in Maui

Oprah Winfrey has donated to people in need in the past. However, this time, her endeavors to help the people of Maui after a wildfire devastated the land and destroyed residential homes were criticized by netizens.

The American talk show host owns several houses on the island of Maui and has reportedly been spending around half a year in those properties for the past 15 years. Winfrey has purchased over a few thousand acres of properties in Maui over the years.

According to experts assessing the situation, many of the author's properties have been affected by the wildfire, and some have even been destroyed in the flames.

Winfrey has not yet made any public statement about whether any of her properties on the island were damaged or not. She has visited Maui’s War Memorial Gymnasium where evacuees have taken shelter and donated essentials to them around August 14.

However, her latest initiative to donate books to the survivors garnered mockery. Netizens pointed out the ridiculousness of Winfrey's decision as they reasoned that the Maui residents currently don't have homes of their own. In such a scenario, reading books comes as a luxury which is something quite unessential to the survivors for now.

Some internet users said that if Winfrey really wishes to help the people of Maui, she should probably give up her properties to the residents.

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Conspiracy theories about Oprah Winfrey's involvement in Maui wildfire

A conspiracy theory arose surrounding Winfrey after she went to Hawaii to help the survivors. The current status of her properties on the island is now being debated online.

Some believe that Winfrey had something to do with causing the wildfire and spreading its blazes. Others said that she dropped a bomb on the island because she wanted to vacate the land and dislocate the residents and tourists so she could buy the whole of Maui for herself.

Some even claimed that Winfrey’s properties were not damaged in the wildfire as they were built meticulously with concrete steel bunkers. Others alleged that the author uses those bunkers for trafficking. Netizens also demanded answers from Winfrey asking if she would spend a handsome amount on rebuilding Maui like she spent while purchasing lands there.

However, as mentioned earlier, Winfrey has yet to make any public statement about the condition of her properties on the island.