Talk show host Oprah Winfrey rejects social media claims that she hesitated to open the private road through her Hawaiian estate to help evacuation efforts after tsunami warnings were issued for Hawaii on July 29, 2025. One of her social media accounts publicly shared the denial statement from her spokesperson. The Maui police department put out a statement saying the road was open.
One prominent example (archived here) of the claim appeared on X on July 29, 2025. It opened:
🚨BREAKING: OPRAH'S PRIVATE ROAD FROM WAILEA TO KULA IS SHUT The route could've helped coastal residents escape to higher ground fast, but it's CLOSED. Hawaii is under tsunami warning. Why block an evacuation path?
This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:
(Image source: screenshot of the post by HustleBitch on x.com)
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 road will remain open as long as necessary.
Earlier, on July 29, 2025, the Maui Police Department published an update (archived here) on its website:
Oprah's road is open to get Upcountry...
On that day, FEMA announced (archived here) evacuation from coastal areas in Hawaii after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia's Far East (archived here).
