A growing number of celebrities have revealed that their homes have been destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires, which have already claimed five lives and forced over 130,000 people to evacuate. The fires began on Tuesday and currently, at least five are still raging in LA, home to many of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Notable landmarks in the city are also under threat, including the Capitol Records building, the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Hollywood Bowl. The iconic Hollywood sign is also near the evacuation zone, and the Griffith Observatory, featured in films like Rebel Without A Cause and La La Land, could potentially be at risk.
High winds of up to 100mph are spreading the flames, initially preventing firefighters from tackling them from the air, resulting in homes being destroyed at an alarmingly fast rate. Paris Hilton’s beachfront house in Malibu was one of the casualties, leaving her “heartbroken beyond words”.
She shared a statement on Instagram, saying she saw her home “burn to the ground on live TV”. Actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody lost their £5 million LA home, with photos obtained by Page Six showing the flames ripping through the garage door and the roof completely burned down.
Anna Faris also lost her multimillion-dollar mansion in the fires, with photos showing the property reduced to rubble, reports the Express.
Top Gun: Maverick actor Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh have been left devastated after their recently purchased £6 million Pacific Palisades home was destroyed by the raging fire. Comedy legend Eugene Levy also felt the impact of the blaze, having been caught in traffic caused by the mass evacuations earlier in the week.
Anthony Hopkins, an Oscar-winning actor, saw his home in the same neighbourhood he has lived in for over 25 years reduced to ruins. Meanwhile, Billy Crystal and his wife Janice are mourning the loss of their home, which they’ve cherished since 1979, with only their tennis court surviving partially intact.
The couple expressed their sorrow, saying, “Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing.”
They continued, “Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away.”
They added, “We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this.”
praising the Pacific Palisades as a “resilient community of amazing people” and affirming, “It is our home”. In another loss to the community, actor John Goodman’s LA residence was also reduced to ashes, with Page Six reporting that photos show nothing but a blackened swimming pool remaining.
Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, stars of The Hills, have confirmed that their home was destroyed in the fire. The couple, who tied the knot for the second time in 2009, shared the progression of the fire on their Snapchat stories, with Pratt stating: “I’m watching our house burn down on the security cameras.”
Diane Warren, an Oscar-winning songwriter, also confirmed the loss of her beach home of 30 years in the wildfire, but added that her animals had survived the ordeal.
Numerous celebrities shared distressing accounts of having to evacuate their homes, including Mark Hamill, James Woods, and Mandy Moore. Star Wars actor Hamill described his family as “fleeing for our lives” during their evacuation, while Once Upon A Time In America star Woods said: “It tests your soul, losing everything at once.”
This Is Us actress Moore shared footage of the destruction in her neighbourhood on Instagram, writing: “Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family.”
“My children’s school is gone. Our favourite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too. Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, an Oscar-winner, confirmed her home was safe, but mourned the loss of “our beloved neighbourhood” as she shared videos of the fire on Instagram.
Many other celebrities were forced to evacuate their homes but have not confirmed if they’ve been burned down, such as Ben Affleck and Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie.