Oprah Winfrey has come under fire again, despite refuting a viral social-media rumor that she kept a private road closed during tsunami evacuation efforts in Hawaii. What began as a logistic concern has since evolved into a broader discussion about non-Indigenous billionaire land ownership on the islands.

"Oprah Winfrey's road" in Maui became a viral trend on X as Hawaiians rushed to safety amid a tsunami warning. People alleged in viral videos that Winfrey was refusing to open her gated road for people trying to escape to safety.