Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson apologises for asking for donations for Maui wildfire fund

Dwayne Johnson has apologised for calling for donations for his Maui wildfire fund. Photo / AP

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has apologised after asking his followers to donate to a fund he set up for victims of the Maui wildfires earlier this year.

Along with Oprah Winfrey, he created the People’s Fund of Maui and called for people to contribute aid after the devastating fires in Hawaii.

But the pair received backlash online at the time, to which the actor has now responded.

“When we first launched the fund, there was some backlash,” he said in a video shared on Instagram.

“I get it, and I completely understand. And I could have been better. And next time I will be better. And 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 living paycheck to paycheck, and I get it, and I know what that’s like. I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck,” he said.

“When you are living paycheck to paycheck, I don’t want to speak for everybody, I’ll speak for myself, but I feel it’s connected. 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 from paycheck to paycheck is someone asking you for money, especially when the person asking you for money already has a lot of money.”

Countless homes were destroyed and lives lost in the wildfires in Hawaii in August. Photo / AP

“So, I get it, I understand. I’d never launched a fund before, but I’m a quick study and lesson learned.”

Johnson added that the first round of funding has been passed on to survivors of the fires.

Winfrey and Johnson launched the People’s Fund of Maui with the intention of putting money “directly in the pockets” of Maui locals affected by the fires, with Winfrey revealing that she had been inspired by Dolly Parton’s 2017 fundraiser for North Carolina fire victims.

“We were so concerned about what was happening in Maui that we were texting back and forth. And I read this article that Dolly had given money in her community and I said ‘I think this is the answer’,” Winfrey shared in a clip posted on social media.

“And so we have created the People’s Fund of Maui that will put money directly in the hands of people who need it right now.

“So if you send a donation … that money is going to go to one of many residents who have been displaced in Maui.”

The duo kick-started the initiative by donating US$10 million ($17 million) to the fund, however the gesture didn’t go down well with all their followers, with many hitting back that the donation was the latest example of wealthy people failing to read the room.

One person shared in a clip that she wanted the former talk show host to “go outside and touch grass.

“You’re one of the richest women in the world and you’ve got the nerve to ask us for some money?” she said.