Leonardo DiCaprio branded a hypocrite and slammed over 'diva' response to LA fires

Leonardo DiCaprio has faced backlash after he used a private jet to flee the wildfires in Los Angeles, with many branding the Oscar winning actor an 'eco-hypocrite'

Self-proclaimed climate activist Leonardo DiCaprio has sparked anger online thanks to his 'hypocritical' response to the crisis in Los Angeles.

The LA wildfires have seen multiple celebrities lose their homes over recent days, with Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Billy Crystal, Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg among the Hollywood stars that have watched their mansions perish in the blaze.

The sweeping fires in California have killed 24 people, ravaged communities, and sent thousands frantically fleeing their properties, including areas dotted with celebrity homes. Many have attributed the climate crisis as one of the reasons the blazes are so wide-spread and hard to put out.

Given his commitment to campaigning for the environment for decades, many were surprised to learn Leonardo DiCaprio used a private jet to flee the tragic scenes in LA. The Oscar winner was spotted arriving in Mexico with his girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti after using his fuel guzzling mode of transport to leave LA.

Leonardo and Vittoria were spotted with his father George and George's wife Peggy Ann Farrar. The actor was seen disembarking the plane in a laid-back ensemble, sporting a beige jumper and black baseball cap. The Wolf of Wall Street's choice to travel by private jet amidst the ongoing natural disaster in Los Angeles has sparked controversy, considering he established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 to back organisations advocating for sustainability.

Through this foundation, he has donated over $80 million in grants centred on climate change. As per Airport Technology, private jets are five to 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial flights. Leonardo's use of a private jet comes as wildfires continue to blaze in Los Angeles.

"Given Leo’s reputation as an environmental advocate, it raised eyebrows that he would take a private jet during such a major natural disaster affecting his own community," one Twitter (X) user wrote regarding Leo's trip to Mexico. Another mused: "The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which has invested millions of dollars in climate change initiatives, has once again demonstrated what critics call 'the eco-hypocrisy of the Hollywood elite'. His personal actions seem to defy his public rhetoric."

One dumbfounded critic asked: "Really? Leonardo, put your money where your mouth is man!" Another raged "Leonardo DiCaprio. First Rate Hypocrite" as one Twitter used declared: "Climate warrior. What an idiot." Another unimpressed by Leonardo's private jet usage simply penned: "Privilege." The Mirror has approached representatives for Leonardo DiCaprio for comment on this story.

As Leonardo flies private, many household names have been raising funds for those impacted by the disaster. Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria and her foundation are donating one million dollars (£819,000) to aid those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.

Eva has pledged a part of the 50 million dollar (£41 million) Courage and Civility Award she received from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in March, to support the Latino Community Foundation (LCF) and the California Community Foundation’s wildlife recovery fund. Eva, who donated clothes and "emptied out my pantry" to help those affected, evacuated her home during the warnings but later returned.

"A lot of people weren’t so lucky," she said in an Instagram video. Former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, chief executive of the LCF, confirmed the star and her Eva Longoria Foundation would channel money from the Bezos prize to support victims of the fire.

"I am honoured that my friend Eva Longoria and her Foundation, with support from the Courage and Civility Award, has pledged $1 million to support CA wildfire relief efforts," Mr Castro wrote in a post on social media platform Bluesky. Eva, 49, previously said she would match 50,000 dollars to charity This Is About Humanity in their efforts to support frontline workers and families impacted by the fires.

On Wednesday, she will volunteer with the Global Empowerment Mission to pack and distribute fire relief and PPE care packages before visiting the World Central Kitchen operation servicing victims and first responders of the Eaton Fire, the PA news agency understands.

It comes after Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis and her family pledged one million dollars (£819,000) to start a “fund of support” for those affected by the wildfires. While US reality star Paris Hilton launched an emergency fund to support families who have been displaced, kickstarting it with a personal donation of 100,000 US dollars (£82,000) after she watched her Malibu home "burn to the ground on live TV".

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