The wildfires in Los Angeles have engulfed the homes of many Hollywood celebrities. One notable figure affected by the fires is the Hollywood megastar Leonardo DiCaprio, who hails from Los Angeles. Known for his activism on climate change and environmental issues, DiCaprio has been a prominent figure in advocating for sustainability. However, on the 12th, media captured images of him and his girlfriend boarding a private plane to leave California as the wildfires continued to ravage the area. Despite maintaining silence throughout the week of the wildfires, his actions sparked criticism and debate.
Since rising to fame, Leonardo DiCaprio has been a vocal advocate for environmental issues, having established a foundation with a personal investment exceeding 80 million dollars aimed at addressing climate change and sustainable development. Yet, according to a report from the Daily Mail on the 14th, despite the ongoing devastation caused by the wildfires in Los Angeles, DiCaprio had remained silent and was even photographed boarding a private plane with his father, stepmother, and his model girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti, to embark on a trip to Mexico.
The report described DiCaprio wearing a casual hoodie and baseball cap, accompanied by his 26-year-old girlfriend Ceretti in an all-black outfit, both appearing calm as they disembarked from the plane. Joining them were DiCaprio’s father, George DiCaprio, and George’s wife, Peggy Ann Farrar.
Criticism from netizens has been directed at DiCaprio for contradicting his image as an environmentalist by taking a private plane. Comparisons were drawn to other Hollywood stars who engage in charitable activities, volunteer work, with comments noting that DiCaprio’s support for post-disaster rebuilding seemed insufficient. Some netizens even accused him of being a “hypocrite”, questioning his environmental concerns despite frequent travels on private planes and hosting parties on private yachts, actions perceived as not environmentally friendly.
At the age of 50, Leonardo DiCaprio began his professional career in the 1990s with advertisements before transitioning into acting. Following his roles in films like “The Basketball Diaries” and “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet” in 1995 and 1996, respectively, he rose to fame when he secured the opportunity to star in James Cameron’s epic romance “Titanic”, a film that became the highest-grossing movie of its time, a record later surpassed by Cameron’s “Avatar” in 2009.
Throughout the years, DiCaprio has consistently ranked among the highest-paid Hollywood stars. In 2015, he topped the earnings charts, receiving a 25 million dollar payout for his role in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” By 2021, his earnings increased to 30 million dollars for “Don’t Look Up,” and last year, he reportedly received a staggering 40 million dollars for his role in the crime drama “Killers of the Flower Moon”, which amounted to one-fifth of the film’s total production budget of 200 million dollars.
In August last year, several American media outlets revealed that DiCaprio had been jet-setting across various countries, including France, Africa, Italy, and Brazil, accompanied by his Italian model girlfriend, Vittoria Ceretti.