How Hollywood A-Listers Are Affected By Donald Trump's Venezuela Operation

It turns out that having celebrity status doesn't get you special benefits when flights get grounded, and President Donald Trump is at the center of all of it.

Multiple A-listers and billionaires found themselves stranded in their luxury oases thanks to the POTUS's Venezuela operation. His move to arrest President Nicolás Maduro caused the South American nation's airspace to shut down.

Thanks to the no-flying aftermath, several stars and business moguls were trapped on St. Barths and the surrounding beaches. However, leaving celebrities stranded isn't a problem for Donald Trump, who believes his actions will save Venezuelans and reform their country.

According to new reports, celebrities such as Queen Latifah, Mike Tyson, Ming Lee Simmons, Natalie Portman, and Richie Akiva are currently stuck in St. Barths and the surrounding islands after Trump's Venezuela operation caused the South American nation's airspace to shut down.

Both commercial flights and private jets have been grounded, meaning that no one can fly out until the restrictions are lifted. However, some stars like Leonardo DiCaprio have managed to escape their involuntary confinement, as he returned in time for the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards.

Page Six reported that sources shed light on the plight of the remaining celebrities stuck in their vacation getaways, with one revealing that some stars had attempted to take boats to neighboring islands. They had hoped to be able to fly out from the bigger islands, but were sent back.

Given the no-flying restrictions, a source claimed that the islands' hotels and villas were struggling with the number of people hoping to get a place to stay. They noted that luxury Belmond properties like Cap Juluca in Anguilla are all booked, and "St. Martin hotels are sold out."

Akiva, famously regarded as the "King of Nightlife," did what he does best to save the day. Instead of worrying about escaping his confinement, he helped other celebrities let loose by hosting a party under the "F-ck Me We Can't Fly" banner.

The nightlife entrepreneur chose the name after David Guetta's "F-ck Me, I'm Famous" parties. He reportedly hosted the party with the famous DJ's ex, Cathy Guetta. Other stars trapped in their vacation getaways include actor Cuba Gooding Jr. and his girlfriend, Claudine DeNiro.

Celebrities stranded on their luxury oases felt like a minor problem compared to Trump's Venezuela operation. Sunny Hostin called out the president's action in the first episode of "The View" show's 2026 return.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Hostin slammed Trump's seizure and detainment of Venezuela's president as illegal, stressing that his actions violated international laws. She referred to his actions as the "kidnapping and capture" of Maduro.

"International law doesn't allow it unless Congress declares war, and Congress did not do that," Hostin argued. Co-host Ana Navarro echoed similar sentiments, calling out Trump for acting in his own interests rather than those of the Venezuelan people.

Although Navarro believed Trump didn't authorize the Venezuela operation because he cared about the people, she was happy to see Maduro go. She argued that one could criticize the methods used to remove the controversial president and still celebrate the outcome.

As for why Maduro had to go, the Department of Justice addressed the Venezuela operation in an indictment that was recently made public. The document claimed that "for over 25 years, leaders of Venezuela have abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions."

The indictment claimed that these leaders did so "to import tons of cocaine into the United States" and named Maduro as the "forefront of that corruption." The Department of Justice accused him and his co-conspirators of abusing their authority for cocaine trafficking.

In an interview with NBC News on Monday, January 5, Trump shed more light on the Venezuela operation. He assured the public that his actions weren't aimed at starting a war with Venezuela but to save the country from a corrupt government.

Trump explained that he planned on being at the forefront of Venezuela's reform, noting that a handful of U.S. officials would be in charge of America's involvement in Venezuela. The list includes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance.

On that note, Trump shut down the possibility of the Venezuelan people electing a new president of their choice, like Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. He argued that the country needed healing, with America ensuring the necessary changes are made in due time.

Will Donald Trump's Venezuela operation impact more people?