
Oprah Winfrey got turned away in Hawaii.
The 69-year-old entrepreneur and a CBS News crew were rejected from visiting the War Memorial Complex last week in Maui, which is a stadium being used as an emergency and drop-off center amid the ongoing wildfires.
Oprah was turned away because of the island’s no-camera crew and reporter policy, but was later allowed to return on her own.
The official County of Maui shared an update about the situation on Facebook.
Keep reading to find out more…
“To clarify, Oprah was able to visit our shelter and we thank her for instructing media journalists and camera crews to remain outside,” they wrote.
“We welcome Oprah to continue to uplift our community’s spirit and give her aloha to victims of the tragic disaster. Her visit inside the shelter today was truly heartwarming and we appreciate her understanding our policy of having no camera crews or reporters accompanying dignitaries and celebrities in out emergency shelters.”
CBS Morning’s official interview with Oprah also revealed that camera crews were not allowed within the emergency shelter, and focused on the victims and volunteers of the fires rather than Oprah.
“At some point I will make a major donation after all of the smoke and ashes have settled here and we figure out what the rebuilding will looks like. This is going to be a long and difficult process,” she wrote.
“I know that long after all the camera crews are gone and the rest of the world has moved on the rebuilding will just begin. Hawaiians are a strong cultural people and a family-loving people and with the help and support you’re going to see a lot of phoenix stories rising from the ashes here.”
Oprah owns more than 1,000 acres in Maui, the site of the ongoing fires, where nearly 100 have been reported dead. Here are ways to help those affected.