Billionaire heiress Paris Hilton was photographed frolicking in the sea on a beach in Maui, Hawaii, just 30 miles away from the devastating wildfire that has razed an entire town to the ground.
The reality TV star jetted into the luxury resort community of Wailea just days after posting about a holiday in Greece, which she had described as “an incredible escape” following weeks of “performances, shoots and mommy duties”.
Wailea, an exclusive destination in south Maui, is known for its secluded beaches and numerous golf courses, where hotel stays can cost thousands of pounds per night.
Hilton candoodled with her husband, Carter Reum as she held their new son, Phoenix, and a giant inflatable rubber duck. Later, she was seen smiling as she walked hand-in-hand with her husband, carrying a diamond-encrusted travel cup.
The pictures of the happy family holiday were in stark contrast to the scenes of devastation just over half an hour’s drive away, with locals forced to flee into the sea to escape the burning flames.
The reality TV star’s visit to the island comes despite officials’ plea for tourists to stay away, with the death toll now at 93 people.
Hilton, 42, reportedly arrived with her family on Tuesday 8 August, which is when the wildfires began to overwhelm the historic town of Lahaina, where she was photographed at a resort in Wailea. The following day, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) asked tourists to leave Maui “as rescue and recovery efforts continue”.
The HTA said that while “non-essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged at this time”, it added: “Currently, travel is still welcomed to the island of Hawaii. Visitors are encouraged to contact their hotel accommodations provider and airlines for updates that could affect their stay on the island.”
It is unclear when Hilton – heiress to the £11.6bn Hilton hotel empire – and her family left the island or at what point during the holiday the photographs were taken, but it was not long before her trip was met with a backlash.
US socialite Paris Hilton has been condemned over a trip to Maui with her husband and their young son— (AFP via Getty Images)
“Wow. Read the room,” one critic posted to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, while another called her decision to holiday in Maui “tone deaf”.
Another added: “Paris Hilton literally had the whole world to choose from, but...”
As criticism began to grow, the Daily Mail quoted a source as saying that the “Stars Are Blind” singer had “absolutely” been helping in the disaster, adding: “Maui has always held a special place in her heart. She has been gathering supplies and taking them to shelters and those who need. She already did and continues to do so.”
On her Instagram Stories, Hilton shared two posts by the Hawaii Community Foundation, which has started a fund to “provide flexible, quickly deployed resources to support Maui residents”.
In one of her posts, Hilton added a praying hands emoji. Both posts encourage people to donate to the fund in order to help the charity “support communities through services including shelter, food, financial assistance and other needs as they arise”.
The Independent has contacted Hilton’s representative for comment.
The Hilton hotel group owns multiple holiday properties on the island, including a Hilton Double Tree and Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort.
As of Monday morning (14 August), the death toll in Maui has reached 93, with hundreds of people still missing. Maui County officials have said that tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the island by air.
Scenes of devastation in Maui after wildfires ripped through the historic town of Lahaina— (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Hawaii governor Josh Green described the wildfire as a “fire hurricane” as the flames were fanned by 60mph winds from Hurricane Dora, which had just passed the island. The state has also suffered from drought conditions due to climate change and difficulties with water management, which encouraged the fire to spread even more quickly.
Green told MSNBC on Sunday (13 August): “Everything is burnt to the ground in Lahaina. When fire jumped from one spot to another – there were three or four fires going on at the same time – it got seeded very quickly with those 80mph gusted winds.
“And then the fire moved at essentially a mile per minute, 60mph down through the community. That’s what a fire hurricane is going to look like in the era of global warming.”
Celebrities who have been calling for more aid to be sent to Maui include Jason Momoa, who is Hawaiian, and Mick Fleetwood, who owned a restaurant in Lahaina which he said has been burnt down.
Momoa recently issued a stern warning to people going on holiday who might still be hoping to travel to Maui. He shared a post stating: “Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now. DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI.
“Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply. Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.”
