Leonardo DiCaprio Slammed As 'Disrespectful' For Blowing Off Choir Welcoming Him To Fiji Hotel
By Favour Adegoke on November 26, 2024 at 3:00 PM EST
Updated on November 26, 2024 at 3:01 PM EST
Leonardo DiCaprio has drawn the ire of fans after being caught on camera ignoring a reception organized during his recent trip to Fiji.
The serenade was put together by the staff of the hotel where he stayed in Nadi. However, instead of welcoming it, the actor chose not to acknowledge anyone as he made his way out of the hotel, seemingly heading elsewhere.
On social media, fans have now branded his actions as "disrespectful," with some also calling Leonardo DiCaprio a "snob."
The Actor Seemingly Faked A Phone Call To Avoid The Reception
DiCaprio has courted controversy over his reaction to a traditional welcome reception at a Fiji hotel.
While it is unclear why the actor is in the country, his actions seemed to have been recorded by someone at the hotel before being uploaded to TikTok.
In the video, DiCaprio can be seen exiting the hotel on his way to a yet-to-be-known location. However, upon realizing the large crowd, he seemingly acted as if he was on a phone call before dipping his cap and putting his head down.
He also appeared to ignore the hotel staff members singing to him and paid no attention to the dozens of tourists in the foyer filming him as he made his way to a waiting black car.
Fans Blast Leonardo DiCaprio For Ignoring The Reception
Once the video went online, DiCaprio's actions received a barrage of criticism from several social media users, including comments describing him as "disrespectful" and a "snob."
Someone remarked, "Ohhh, what a snob. At least he should have acknowledged the welcome by our country. No place like Fiji." while another commented, "Why did he ignore the people? A little bit of smile and wave will do."
A third user commented, "LEONARDO - SHOULD'VE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FIJI WELCOMING PARTY."
A fourth remarked, "Don't waste your energy, my fiji whānau, he's so disrespectful, omg," while another individual penned, "Leonardo, you so bad respect the one who appreciates you in their own nation."
Several other users also claimed that the actor faked the call to give him the perfect cover to ignore the reception.
One wrote, "The fake on-call move when I wanna ignore and walk past people," and another remarked, "he did the fake call stunt."
The Actor Is An Advocate For Climate Change
In the past, DiCaprio has collaborated with Fiji to provide renewable energy to rural communities via his conservation organization, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF).
The actor has also been involved in other climate change-related endeavors, including saving endangered animals and fighting against deforestation.
In September, he even took to his Instagram page to paise the Biden-Harris Administration for affirming its protection of 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska.
He wrote at the time, "This decision protects numerous public lands across Alaska from extractive development activities, such as mining and oil and gas drilling. Many Alaska Native Tribes, Native Corporations, and Tribal entities say these millions of acres are vital in protecting important natural, cultural and subsistence resources."
That same month, DiCaprio also made a post about a new bill that sought to ban Octopus farming in the U.S.
He wrote, "A new, controversial plan to commercially farm octopus for meat has led to the creation of the OCTOPUS Act, a U.S. bill that would ban the practice of farming octopus, along with any imports linked to commercial octopus farms."
Who Is Leonardo DiCaprio Dating?
As for his personal life, DiCaprio is currently dating model Vittoria Ceretti, whom he was first linked to in August 2023.
At the time, they were caught on camera stopping for ice cream and iced coffee while out and about in Santa Barbara, Calif.
The following month, they were spotted dancing intimately at a nightclub in Ibiza. Since then, they have been seen together publicly several times, which confirmed to many that they were serious with each other.
A source also told US Weekly that DiCaprio was "actually being exclusive" and that the model is "all he thinks about."
The source added that the pair shares "a ton in common," which has allowed their romance to flourish naturally. Additionally, the Hollywood star's 20-plus-year age difference with the model hasn't posed any issues for them.
The Oscar Winner Threw A Big Party After Clocking 50
DiCaprio, who turned 50 on November 11, organized a glitzy birthday celebration a day early in his Los Angeles residence.
A source told People Magazine that the Hollywood star "had a family and friends dinner" where he intimately celebrated the upcoming milestone age.
After the private celebration, he had a "big party" with several high-profile celebrities in attendance.
The guest list reportedly included Brad Pitt, DiCaprio's co-star from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," as well as Tobey Maguire, his longtime friend and "The Great Gatsby" co-star. Jamie Foxx, who starred alongside DiCaprio in "Django Unchained," was also in attendance.
Other A-listers that turned up include Robin Thicke, Odell Beckham Jr., Tyga, Paris Hilton, Cara Delevingne, Chris Rock, Teyana Taylor, Bill Maher, Alexander "A.E." Edwards, Kevin Connolly and Todd Phillips.
The actor and his guests reportedly partied into the early morning hours with singer and record producer Anderson .Paak dishing out great music from the DJ booth.