“The road will remain open as long as necessary” - Oprah denies viral claims that Maui private road closed amid Tsunami warning

Oprah Winfrey, 71, is making headlines for facing intense backlash amid the scary Tsunami scare in Hawaii. As per many allegations, she refused to open a private road and help residents flee to a higher region after a weather warning was issued by blocking the key evacuation route.

Reportedly, the viral social media claims against her were untrue. To set things straight and clarify the truth, she released a statement on the opening of the private Maui road for locals to escape the consequences of the adverse weather conditions. The much-talked-about path opens from Wailea to Kula in Maui.

Oprah's spokesperson disclosed the truth during a conversation with Newsweek. The renowned show host conveyed her message, saying,

"The road will remain open as long as necessary."

The local official authorities in Maui have alerted residents about the potential attack of a tsunami, with the gusty waves possibly reaching up to ten feet, according to a CNN report. The alert follows a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia’s eastern coastline.

Oprah spoke against the false accusations against her amid the tsunami alert in Hawaii

As per Newsweek, the media mogul has spent part of her past 15 years living in Hawaii. Currently, over 2,000 acres of land on the island of Maui are in her name. Her real estate investments in this island include a farm close to Haleakalā, a dormant volcano, and a private road that has been receiving worldwide attention recently for false allegations against the owner. 

With a tense tsunami warning alerting locals to escape their homes and seek safety in higher locations, several netizens spread the rumours of Winfrey allegedly shutting down her private door and breaching natives' journey to a secluded, safe area. 

However, a spokesperson for The Oprah Winfrey Show host stated that the show would highlight accurate information. According to the authentic details provided by them, Oprah's concerned teams took necessary steps to open the gate in question. The statement noted,

"As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened. 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 official response comes from the billionaire after several netizens slammed her, alleging she denied opening her private road connecting Wailea to Kula. Reportedly, this path offers a more direct route to elevated, safer locations. With a few initial false accusations posted on the X (formerly Twitter) platform, others joined the bandwagon to spread the rumours, without assessing the reality beforehand. 

🚨 BREAKING: People on Maui, Hawaii trying to escape the tsunami are BEGGING Oprah to open her private road to higher ground, and she’s STILL REFUSING

TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

Oprah’s road is marked in blue. The ONLY OTHER ROUTE to higher ground is the RED ROUTE, and it’s… pic.twitter.com/aABdfUg7se

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 30, 2025

While there was no concrete evidence about the fake news, X user Nick Sortor (@nicksortor), among many others, posted on X,

"🚨 BREAKING: People on Maui, Hawaii trying to escape the tsunami are BEGGING Oprah to open her private road to higher ground, and she’s STILL REFUSING TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
Oprah’s road is marked in blue. The ONLY OTHER ROUTE to higher ground is the RED ROUTE, and it’s GRIDLOCKED
OPEN THE ROAD FROM WAILEA, @OPRAH! Maui government should FORCE it open if they have to!"

Another netizen @seanfeucht shared on the social media platform,

"Oprah is reportedly refusing to open her private road in Hawaii to save lives for those fleeing the tsunami to higher ground!   OPEN. THE. ROAD. "

The admin of @Rightanglenews updated followers on X, stating,

"BREAKING - Oprah is still refusing to open her private road, the Blue Line from Wailea to Kula, Hawaii, preventing thousands of Hawaiians from escaping to higher ground to avoid the tsunami. "

On Wednesday morning, X user @pakusinn spoke about Hawaii locals and posted on X,

"Watched  People in Maui Hawaii trying to escape the tsunami are BEGGING Oprah to OPEN THE ROAD and she’s still refusing #Tsunami"

According to The Economic Times, netizen @Bubblebathgirl shared a video criticizing Oprah. He can be heard saying in the viral clip,

"Look at this. I think they're trying to open Oprah's road. C'mon Oprah, save us. Everybody trying to get in, Cops trying to open it. Nope, still closed"

Sharing a glimpse of residents trying to shift to someplace safe, he explained in the caption,

"People in Hawaii are reportedly trying to use Oprah’s private road to escape the tsunami but she/police have it closed off. If true, this is a massive scandal for the billionaire that will ruin her reputation further forever."

At the time when netizens began blaming Oprah for refusing to grant access to her private road, no foolproof evidence showcased her denial. Nonetheless, the circulating allegations have sparked widespread attention, with multiple accounts amplifying the narrative. An uptick in the number of users posting about the incident prompted "Open the Roads" to trend on X. Still, the accusations remain unsupported by verified facts. 

Newsweek later reported that an X post confirmed that the private road has been opened for people to cross and travel. The clarification from Winfrey's team put an end to the blame against her and highlighted the real news to the entire world. 

Later on Wednesday morning, @nicksortor further updated his followers on X,

"🚨 BREAKING: Following INTENSE public pressure, Oprah’s private road has been OPENED to those escaping the tsunami  WELL DONE, EVERYONE! 👏   It should’ve been opened HOURS ago, but if you’re in Wailea on Maui and need to get to higher ground, USE OPRAH’S ROAD NOW!"

On July 29, 2025, the Traffic Section of the police department provided information about the tsunami predictions. The details shared on Tuesday at 7:16 PM mentioned, 

"Maui Veterans Highway is congested; use Cane Haul Road toward Hansen and Pulehu roads to get to Kula. Road above Makena Golf Course provides access to Ulupalakua.

During the statement, the authorities also emphasized the widely discussed private road owned by the host, noting,

"Also, Oprah's road is open to get Upcountry, according to Maui Police Department."

Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, opened up about the weather updates in a recent press conference. On the evening of July 29, he stated,

"So far we have not seen a wave of consequence, which is a great relief to us…We expect to be about two to three hours at least until we can call 'all clear.' So far though, at the moment, so good."

This was not the first time Winfrey provided access to her private road in Maui to assist people. In 2019, she stood beside people and helped them with evacuations during the wildfires in Central Maui. Her actions prompted many to escape safely. Later, the Hawaii governor also thanked her for offering help. 

Later in 2023, the Selma actress stepped in during the fires and offered essential supplies for people staying in emergency shelters. During the 2023 Maui wildfire, she also launched a relief fund of $10 million for the victims with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, according to a report by The Guardian. 

The outlet cited The Color Purple actress's statement on helping the affected people, conveying,

"I have been meeting with people throughout the community that were impacted by the fires over the last few weeks, asking what they most needed and how I could be of service. The main thing I’ve been hearing is their concern about how to move forward under the immense financial burden. The community has come together in so many wonderful ways, and my intention is to support those impacted as they determine what rebuilding looks like for them."

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