Paris Hilton is just another incredibly insensitive celebrity whose middle name is Narcissism.
Despite the fact that close to 100 innocent people have tragically died in the devastating fires sweeping across Maui, celebrity Paris Hilton couldn’t care less. Hilton was spotted this weekend on a Maui beach vacationing with her husband and son.
According to Daily Mail, Hilton was staying at a resort in Wailea, just 30 miles from the terrible blaze that has so far taken 96 lives, and has been marked the worst wildfire in the United States in 100 years. In fact, a smaller fire was still burning just five miles from Hilton’s vacation spot.
Hilton reportedly arrived to the island on Tuesday, the same day the fires began, but stayed through the weekend despite the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s beg and plea for tourists to leave and keep hotels available for natives affected by the disaster.
“Visitors who are on non-essential travel are being asked to leave Maui, and non-essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged at this time," the agency wrote, adding, "In the days and weeks ahead, our collective resources and attention must be focused on the recovery of residents and communities that were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses."
Nevertheless, Hilton was spotted smiling away with her husband and son, Phoenix, as the three were seen galavanting around town.
A source did tell Daily Mail that Hilton had been gathering supplies and helping where she can. But she’s still taking up rooms in a safe area that could have been used to help native islanders. Josh Green, Hawaii’s governor, indicated that some residents have even opened their private homes for people whose houses have burned down or who've been evacuated from dangerous zones, saying he plans to work with Airbnb to help families get re-situated after all the chaos dies down.
On Friday, the Hawaii Tourism Authority reiterated their plea and begged “those who remained to fly home and give the islanders space,” Daily Mail reported.
Other than the authorities, locals are disgusted at the lack of care that tourists like Hilton are showing. One heartbroken woman told the BBC, “The same waters that our people just died in three days ago are the same waters the very next day these visitors - tourists - were swimming in. That says a lot about where their heart and mind is through all of this, and where our heart and mind is now.”
It’s evident that Hilton cares more about her family photo-op than about any of those affected by this horrific event. In response to backlash Hilton received, the celebrity heiress did post a few images on Instagram rallying support and compassion for those in Maui - but again, that didn’t stop her from spending a vacation there and taking up space, fully knowing what was going on.
At the same time, our very own president Joe Biden legitimately had “no comment” after he left a vacation on the mainland with his family and was asked about the situation in Hawaii.
I don’t know what it is, but theres a social contagion of “me first” mentality - and Hilton is a prime example of it.
