This article is more than

1 year old
California

Dwayne Johnson sorry for asking those living ‘paycheck to paycheck’ to donate to Maui wildfire fund

Author: Editors Desk Source: News Corp Australia Network:
October 10, 2023 at 10:09
The actor says he knows what it feels like to live from paycheck to paycheck. Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
The actor says he knows what it feels like to live from paycheck to paycheck. Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has spoken out after receiving backlash for asking followers to donate to his Maui fund.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is responding to backlash he received after asking his social media followers to donate to his Maui wildfire fund this summer.

Johnson, along with Oprah Winfrey, started the People’s Fund of Maui, pledging a combined $15 million to help with the devastation from the August fires on the Hawaiian island.

Both stars implored people to contribute, prompting immediate criticism, to which the actor responded.

“When we first launched the fund, there was some backlash,” Johnson admitted in a video shared to Instagram.
 

Dwayne Johnson is sorry for asking his followers to donate to his Maui wildlife fund.
Dwayne Johnson is sorry for asking his followers to donate to his Maui wildlife fund.

The star apologised in a video posted to Instagram.
The star apologised in a video posted to 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.”
 

The actor says he knows what it feels like to live from paycheck to paycheck. Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
The actor says he knows what it feels like to live from paycheck to paycheck. Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
 

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

Johnson levelled with his fans, telling them that their opinions of him matter.

“If I do something and you guys love it, you let me know … If I do something and you hate it, you let me know,” he added.

According to Johnson, the first round of funds has been given to survivors of the Hawaiian fires.

This article originally appeared in Fox News and was reproduced with permission

Advertisement
You did not use the site, Click here to remain logged. Timeout: 60 second