Oprah Winfrey has come under fire again, despite refuting a viral social-media rumor that she kept a private road closed during tsunami evacuation efforts in Hawaii. What began as a logistic concern has since evolved into a broader discussion about non-Indigenous billionaire land ownership on the islands.

Oprah Winfrey opened her private road to people in Hawaii amid a tsunami warning triggered by one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded. The 8.8 magnitude quake off Russia led to tsunami alerts across the Pacific,

Oprah Winfrey's representative and the president of Haleakala Ranch confirmed that a private road on Maui is owned by the ranch and not Winfrey.