Maui wildfire fund co-founder Johnson addresses criticism surrounding appeal for help

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says he “completely” understands the criticism he received after launching a recovery fund for Maui residents following the Hawaiian island’s deadly wildfires.

The “Black Adam” star took to Instagram on Sunday to share some “awesome news” about the People’s Fund of Maui, the effort he launched alongside Oprah Winfrey in August.

The Aug. 8 wildfire — the deadliest such event in the U.S. in more than a century — killed at least 115 people and burned through thousands of acres of land.

“The news is this: The thousands and thousands of survivors, the families, they have now over the past couple of weeks, started to receive their first round of funds,” Johnson said.

“It’s been the most gratifying and moving thing, is receiving all the messages, all the videos and the messages from the survivors, from the families,” the wrestler-turned-actor told his more than 390 million Instagram followers.

But Johnson also addressed the criticism he and Winfrey received when they launched the fund. The pair, who donated $10 million to the People’s Fund of Maui, faced backlash for making an appeal for donations from the public. Johnson and Winfrey are among the world’s richest celebrities, according to Forbes. 

“When we first launched the fund, there was some backlash that came with launching the fund and I want to address and acknowledge that backlash right now,” Johnson, 51, said. 

“I get it and I completely understand. And I could have been better, and next time I will be better,” he continued. 

“I understand, you know, money ain’t falling out of the sky and it’s not growing on trees. And there’s a lot of people out there who’s living paycheck to paycheck, and I get it. I know what that’s like I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck.”

“Seven bucks,” Johnson added. The entertainer has said the name of his production company, Seven Bucks, was inspired by the amount of money he had as a 22-year-old when he was cut from his Canadian Football League team. 

“When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, I was easily pissed off and I was frustrated. And the last thing you want to hear when you are living paycheck to paycheck is someone asking you for money, especially when the person asking you for money already has a lot of money,” Johnson said.

“I’ve never launched a fund before. But I’m a quick study, and lesson learned,” he said, before striking an optimistic tone. 

“I will say that the most important thing about this message is the fact that the families have been getting their money and that they are getting back up on their feet,” Johnson said.

“Why it’s so moving to me and so important to me is that when we’re down, and we rise back up, and we do it together, we’ll become one. And when we when we become one, we become stronger.”