A spokesperson for Oprah Winfrey has denied that the mogul closed public access to a road on her private estate on Maui after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Russia triggered a tsunami warning for Hawaii.
On Tuesday (July 29), an earthquake hit near the coast of Russia, and residents of Hawaiian islands were given evacuation orders overnight to move to higher ground.
Winfrey was accused of closing the road that runs through her Maui estate, but a spokesperson denied these reports in a statement, per Deadline.
"As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to ensure the road was opened. Any reports otherwise are false," the statement read. "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."
Winfrey's $100 million Maui estate features a private road that connects Wailea to Kula. The Maui Police Department also confirmed that the road had been opened to public access amid the evacuation order.
"Oprah's road is open to get Upcountry," the department said. The evacuation order has since been lowered to a tsunami advisory.
As reported by the BBC, the first tsunami warning was issued as a four-foot wave approached the island of Oahu on Tuesday. The north-central shore of Maui near Kahului also reported a five-foot high tsunami, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A similarly sized wave was recorded in Hilo.
Evacuation orders were also issued in the U.S. West Coast and Japan.
ComplexCon returns to Las Vegas on October 25–26, 2025, with over 300 brands and live performances by Young Thug, YEAT & Friends, Peso Pluma, Central Cee, Ken Carson, and more. Get your tickets now.