Authorities arrested two 19-year-old men on June 21 after allegedly seeing them using a hunting spotlight on a public road that goes through Oprah Winfrey’s private Maui ranch property.
Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) published a press release about the arrests on July 1. The report noted that the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) is who apprehended the two men, Luke Allen and Ty Munoz.
Authorities took the two men to Maui Police Station in Wailuku. Allen was booked for six offenses, while Munoz was booked for four. The accusations for both 19-year-olds included not having hunting licenses, hunting with artificial light, and hunting on private property without permission. Allen’s other three charges are related to firearm and ammunition violations.
The arrests reportedly happened just before midnight.
ABC News specified that the two men weren’t actively hunting when authorities found them. The source also noted that invasive axis deer are “rampant” on Maui and other Hawaiian islands.
A statement by Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, noted that “the arrests did not happen on [Oprah’s] property.”
The men were reportedly released after their arrests and await Maui County prosecutors’ review of the case.
Where Is Oprah Winfrey’s Maui Property?
The property is on the side of Mount Haleakalā, a volcano just over 10,000 feet in Maui’s upcountry. The former daytime talk show host reportedly also has land in Hāna, a town on Maui’s “easternmost tip,” according to Business Insider.
What Is There To Know About Oprah Winfrey’s Connection To Maui?
Winfrey reportedly owns around 1,000 acres of land on Maui. The billionaire has received backlash from Facebook users about the mens’ arrests in the comments of DLNR’s July 1 post. An impassioned commenter wrote, “Return land to the state. Allow hunting for sustenance… Why allow rich mainland dictators to buy entire islands and then control them? Hawaii is turning into a playground for the rich while the locals suffer and have to work 10 jobs just to put food on the table.”
A portion of another comment said, “Hey Oprah, pay their legal fees. Locals require fishing and hunting to off set expenses and feed their families.”
“How does it feel Oprah, owning stolen lands?” one person asked.
In 2023, the media maven and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson were slammed with online backlash after jointly launching the People’s Fund of Maui. The high-profile names pledged a combined donation of $10 million through the fund to support Maui locals after last summer’s devastating wildfires. However, online users condemned the celebs for asking the public to donate additional funding when Johnson is reportedly worth $800 million and Winfrey is worth $3 billion.
Has Oprah Winfrey Responded To The Backlash?
Winfrey responded in September 2023 to the criticism she and Johnson’s People’s Fund of Maui received. The conversation came after she discussed her book, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, during a CBS Mornings appearance. As she addressed the backlash, she said she was “terrorized and vilified” by people on the internet.
“All the online… being slammed, attacks, lies, conspiracy theories… [it] really took the focus off of what was the most important thing. And that was the people of Maui,” the media mogul said.
“I was on the ground talking to lots of people trying to figure out how do I best help,” she continued, noting that she was giving out material necessities (like towels and generators) before she decided to try getting money directly to people in need. “I was so excited [about the fund], and I got up the next morning and I saw all of this vitriol and I was like, ‘Whoa, what happened here?'”
