Paris Hilton and her husband Carter Reum were spotted on Maui over the weekend, amid the island in Hawaii dealing with the aftermath of wildfires that have devastated communities
Paris Hilton shortened her trip to Maui in order to see family on the island and “help where she could” amid the wildfires that have devastated Hawaii, a source has said.
Last week, wildfires swept through the island, leading to fatalities and significant damage to properties, notably in the town of Lāhainā. As a result, some residents have been displaced and the death toll in the area now stands at 96.
Paris Hilton (left) and her husband Carter Reum (right) were spotted on the island of Maui over the weekend ( Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A source told the Mirror on Monday that it was initially a “planned family trip” but that the couple ended up helping “where they could” in the community. The source said this included gathering supplies and donating to shelters.
The source said: “It was initially a planned family trip, and she has been traveling to Maui since she was born.” They further commented about the socialite: “She has many friends and family there and it’s a second home for her. Her uncle’s restaurant in Lahaina burned down so they decided to shorten their trip and go to see their family and help where they could. When they arrived, they gathered supplies, donated to the local shelters and people in need and made significant contributions.
According to the Daily Mail, Paris and her family arrived on the island in Hawaii last Tuesday, which is the same day that the wildfires first spread through Lāhainā. She seemingly remained on Maui until at least Saturday, which is when they were reportedly spotted spending time at the beach in the town of Wailea, around 30 miles away from Lāhainā.
Their visit came amid wildfires having devastated parts of the island in Hawaii, notably in the town of Lahaina ( Image: HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Paris has been criticised for the trip by some people on social media, who reacted to her presence on Twitter. One person said in response to a report about her at the beach: “Disgusting. They’ve asked all tourists to leave the island.”
“While the world burns, the Hiltons play. Must be nice to be so disconnected from reality,” another person commented. Someone else wrote: “People in Hawaii do not want to see frolicking at this time”. Another said that it was “sickening”.
Paris shared posts by the nonprofit organisation the Hawaii Community Foundation on Instagram over the weekend. This included the reality TV star having shared a post which included information about making donations.
Amid the trip, actor Jason Momoa – who was born on O’ahu, which is a neighbouring island – urged tourists not to visit Maui as residents in the affected communities look to “heal, grieve and restore” in the wake of the wildfires.
He shared a post by ‘Āina Momona on Friday that warned: “The less visitors on the island taking up critical resources that have become extremely limited the better”. It also said: “Do not travel to Maui. Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply.”
It’s understood that the Hawaii Tourism Authority asked visitors on “non-essential travel” to leave Maui and advised against such travel to the island on Wednesday. It’s since discouraged vacation travel to west Maui specifically, which likely wouldn’t include the coastal resort of Wailea.
