The deadly wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, which started a month back and are still raging, have engulfed several natives in flames, with the most recent death toll update revealing a total of 97 deceased from the disaster. Being of Samoan descent, Dwayne Johnson was utterly heartbroken after hearing this devastating news and took the initiative to pair up with Oprah Winfrey to start The Peoples Fund of Maui for those affected.

The Maui wildfires have been raging for over a month now

However, while he received appreciation, he also became the victim of scrutiny following his way of promoting the project. And now, after a month, the retired professional wrestler has finally broken his silence to address the issue at hand and even explained how his team used the donated money.

Dwayne Johnson Created ‘The Peoples Fund of Maui’ Following Wildfires In The Island

Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfrey came together to initiate The Peoples Fund of Maui project

Recently, Dwayne Johnson made his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show which was airing live from the ‘College GameDay’ in Boulder, Colorado to talk details about his co-project with Oprah Winfrey, The Peoples Fund of Maui. He said,

“The Peoples Fund of Maui is a fund that we started and the idea was to create a fund for these people who have been there [in Maui]. It was the worst fire in U.S. history in over a century and so many lives [were] destroyed. So, the idea was: Let’s put this fund together, let’s create a fund where the money will go directly into their hands. Right now, it’s a thing that people need. So we put this fund together and I donated millions of dollars of my own personal money up front.”

He proceeded to reveal how his team would be distributing all the collected money to the needy.

“We’ve changed the game with this [The Peoples Fund of Maui] because never before has the fund been made. You remove the red tape. The money’s not going through 15 different organizations; it goes directly to the people. They’ll start getting their money next week, which is awesome.”

But that wasn’t all; he was yet to share his views on the criticism he faced over the same.

Dwayne Johnson Breaks Silence On Criticism Over Maui Wildfire Fund

Dwayne Johnson addressed the scrutiny he faced over his funding project for Maui

After sharing details about The Peoples Fund of Maui and how it is going to get donated among those affected by the deadly wildfires, Dwayne Johnson then went on to address the elephant in the room: the criticism he faced for the way he tried to promote the project. Accepting his mistake, he said on The Pat McAfee Show:

“But then some criticism came in, and I gotta tell you about the criticism: I totally get it. And I completely understand, you know, [that] money’s not growing on trees. A lot of people out there living paycheck to paycheck, and I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve had seven bucks. We’ve all been there, especially back in college. And I get why it made some people upset.”

He continued to acknowledge his mistake and tried to correct it, sharing what he should have said instead of what he did actually say.

“I could’ve communicated that message a lot better. What I should’ve said was, ‘Alright guys, we got a People’s Fund of Maui. We’re all heartbroken, devastated. Millions of dollars, here, I’m donating. That’s gonna go directly into the people’s hands. I appreciate all the love, all the support, and all the prayers. Keep it coming.’ But again, at the end of the day, I totally get it. It was my accountability, and I’ll be better next time.”

Lastly, the Rock ended by saying how he totally understands all the criticism. He said,

“This is what I love about you guys: If you love something, you tell your boy. If you hate it, you tell your boy. And that’s what they were doing, so I totally get it.”