Leonardo DiCaprio slammed for taking private jet to collect environment award

The actor was at the Cannes Film Festival when he took a private jet to New York City on 18^th May to accept an environmental award and then hopped back on the plane to return to France just one day later.

The 41-year-old Academy Award winner was honored alongside Ralph Lauren at the Riverkeeper Fishermen’s Ball in New York City.

The next day, he flew back to France to attend the 2016 amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, where he auctioned off a week-long stay at his Palm Springs residence for $336,000.

A representative of the actor said that “He was asked to speak at both Riverkeeper and amfAR events, but the only way to attend the two fundraisers was to hitch a ride with flights that were already planned. Leo helped both events raise millions, donated his own funds, auctioned off his house and had speaking roles in both programs.”

DiCaprio has been an advocate for environmentalism for many years and famously used his acceptance speech at the 2016 Oscars in February to address the issue of climate change. He had said:

“Climate change is real. It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species. We need to work together to stop procrastinating…Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted.”

In 2014 he reportedly took six private jet fights over a span of six weeks. He also rented the world’s fifth largest yacht to watch the World Cup in Brazil.

However fans and critics alike took to social media on Friday to criticize the actor. Some called him a hypocrite, while others that only his self-awareness is as big as his carbon footprint.