Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCarpio has been known for his outright activism to save the environment.
The much-celebrated actor made some buzz during his first ever Oscar acceptance speech, where he took much of his time explaining that climate change is real. DiCarpio has also received several acknowledgments for his powerful speech during the UN General Assembly in New York.
However, some environmentalists have branded DiCarpio as hypocrite after reports of the actor flying for 8,000 miles aboard a private jet plane has surfaced on the news sites and social media.
In a report from Fox News, environmental analyst Robert Rapier slammed the Hollywood star's use of private planes and yachts, saying the movie-star lifestyle of the actor "diminishes his moral authority to lecture others on reducing their own carbon emissions."
"[He] demonstrates exactly why our consumption of fossil fuels continues to grow. It's because everyone loves the combination of cost and convenience they offer. Alternatives usually require sacrifice of one form or another." Rapier added, "Everybody says, 'I've got a good reason for consuming what I consume' . . . It's the exact same rationalization for billions of people."
According to the report from Page Six, a source close DiCarpio explained that the private plane was not chartered by actor himself, but he merely hitched a ride with someone, who by chance is also flying to Cannes.
The reports of the alleged environmental hypocrisy of DiCarpio began to surface when he boarded a private jet from Cannes to New York City to receive an award from clean-water advocacy group and fellow actor Robert De Niro for his efforts to raise awareness on climate change. And about 24-hours after, the actor boarded yet again another private plane returning to Cannes, where he attended amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS gala.
During the gala, DiCarpio auctioned off a week-long stay at his Palm Springs residence in California for $500,000.