What did Stevie Nicks say about Maui? 'Self-centered' Instagram post sparks online backlash

Singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, famous for being associated with the band Fleetwood Mac, recently came under fire online when her Instagram post about Maui went viral. The post, now being tagged as “self-centered” and “privileged”, was captioned:

“Lahaina is not gone. It is just away. With Aloha, Stevie Nicks.”

Although her Instagram post was published on August 13, it begins with the date and time “Friday, August 11, 2023, 9:30 pm” with the location being “Houston.” The songstress then continued her lengthy message by stating how she owned a house on the now-devastated island of Maui, where a wildfire occurred last week, and has been staying there since the 1980s.

However, she followed it up with how her family was vacationing there when the fires started to spread and even spent days without power and proper resources. She also mentioned how there was no way for her to reach them (her niece, husband, and their little son) and she was constantly concerned for their well-being.

Stevie Nicks then continued by saying how she had so many memories of Lahaina (the main affected region of Maui) with her band members from Fleetwood Mac including Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Christine Perfect among others.

“My truth was that I wanted a house here [Maui] just so I could spend time in Lahaina, walking the streets, visiting the art galleries, sitting on the rock wall,” a part of her text read.

Nicks also mentioned how her niece and family managed to get out of Maui at the right time and her house was also saved from the flames, but they were all devastated to have seen so much destruction up close.

She wrapped up her post by saying how her lifetime of memories remains, despite Lahaina being burned down.

“The Lahaina that we knew, The Lahaina that in many ways connects Fleetwood Mac and the music to the world, is gone.”

Despite her heartfelt post that impressed many of her fans, most people found it “self-centered” which has even sparked an online backlash.

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“You have entirely framed this narrative around yourself”: Netizens call out Stevie Nicks for her Maui Instagram post

75-year-old Stevie Nicks, in her Instagram post dedicated to Maui, said that it was “the most magical place on earth.” where she owned a home and has been living on and off since the 1980s.

However, she quickly moved on to how her own niece Jessi, her husband, and their little boy were on a holiday in Lahaina and could enjoy only one and a half days when the wildfire broke out. She also mentioned how they lived without power for nearly a day, before realizing what had really happened.

“We knew here in Houston, but there was no way to get Jessi (my niece) on the phone. The entire area of Lahaina and everything around it was down. But here in Houston…we knew,” she wrote in her message.

Thereafter, Stevie Nicks added how there was no way to know how the “amazing town” that had “survived so much for so long” would burn down in most parts and “disappear into history books” leaving so much sadness, destruction, and death behind. Then she said how she and her band members, and their respective families shared many fond memories on the island.

“Mick and I came here in 1978…He said to me, ‘I will live and die on this island.’ I knew he was telling me his truth. John also lived here in Maui for a long time. Christine never lived here but visited many times.”

She also remembered her “sweet lady” friend from whom she purchased all her opals and wished that “she made it out.”

Stevie Nicks further continued by saying how her niece Jessi, her husband Alec, and their little boy were evacuated and brought back to Los Angeles but they saw firsthand the destruction the blazes caused and were “devastated.”

“They are totally freaked out. They escaped a bullet. My house and the surrounding area were not burned. The wind took the fire in a different direction. It was all about the wind…The end result could have been very different.”

Stevie Nicks concluded her post by saying that even though Lahaina was gone, her memories were “clear as a bell.” She said how in her mind, she will still walk those streets, watch those sunsets, and in her dreams, she will see Lahaina from the ocean as she believed that the island was not gone, but was just away.

Even though Stevie Nicks’ intention behind the Instagram post seemed to be honest and heartfelt, many believed it was “self-centered” and came from a privileged point of view.

In fact, many social media users ripped her apart under the post’s comment section:

A netizen believes Stevie highlighted her Maui story instead of the locals. (Image via Instagram/giri_bhai_jai_ma)

A netizen says that Stevie's post was not rightly intended. (Image via Instagram/lavidaeslinda_4)

A netizen slams Stevie Nicks. (Image via Instagram/savannimalz)

A netizen calling out Nicks as privileged. (Image via Instagram/jules.ianne)

A netizen pointing out how Hawaiians do not want people to settle there. (Image via Instagram/pepperoni_nips)

Here are also two criticisms from X (formerly Twitter):

So far, Stevie Nicks has not commented on the backlash. Meanwhile, more than a hundred people have succumbed to Maui fires in a week, with the number rising with each passing day. People are also missing; and residences, businesses, and other properties have incurred irreparable damages.

The Maui wildfire started on Tuesday, August 8, and was caused by dry and drought-like conditions and strong winds, worsened by Category 4 Hurricane Dora. Apart from humanity and its resources, wildlife has also been affected, including USA’s oldest banyan tree, which is 150 years old.