On Sunday night, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester attended the star-studded 2025 Golden Globes, where Brody was nominated for “Nobody Wants This.”
On Wednesday, according to reports, the celebrity couple was among the many California residents whose houses burned to the ground because of mammoth Southern California wildfires. Videos show the apparent rubble and damage the blaze caused to the couple’s $6.5-million home.
The wildfires, which began on Tuesday, have left residents displaced after more than 10,000 residences and businesses were destroyed, causing an estimated $150 billion (U.S.) in damage; at least 10 people are dead. The Associated Press reported that there is a zero per cent chance of containment. Of the five fires, the largest is an almost 3,000-acre blaze in the Pacific Palisades area near Malibu, which is home to many Hollywood stars.
More than 70,000 people were ordered to evacuate from the area, including actors Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods.
The fires have also disrupted awards season. On Wednesday, the in-person nomination presentation of the Screen Actors Guild Awards was cancelled. The Critics Choice Awards, originally scheduled for Jan. 12 in Santa Monica, have been postponed until Jan. 26. The Hollywood Reporter reports that production has also halted on shows, including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Hacks” and “Suits: L.A.” The deadline for Oscar nomination voting has been extended by two days.
Videos circulated purporting to show the famous Hollywood sign on fire. The Independent reports that those videos are fake and that the sign is unharmed: “Those images are fake and, at the time of writing, the legendary landmark is safe from the flames as the fire would have to cross over a freeway in order to impact the sign. The fire has however impacted the lights that illuminate the sign, affecting its visibility.”
Several celebrities have slammed the local government’s response to the tragic fires, calling out L.A. mayor Karen Bass and the governor of California, Gavin Newsom.
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” actor Sarah Michelle Gellar turned to Instagram in a story post to express her frustration with the difficulties evacuating the fire with congested roads.
“City of LA you want everyone to evacuate yet you have complete gridlock and not one traffic cop on the roads helping,” Gellar wrote.
Sara Foster, actor and creator of Netflix rom-com “Nobody Wants This,” blasted the mayor and governor by tagging them in an X post, sharing her irritation with the lack of wildfire preparedness and calling for them to resign, claiming they “ruined” the state.
“We pay the highest taxes in California,” Foster said. “Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor.”
Three-time “Dancing With the Stars” winner Val Chmerkovskiy also criticized the city’s wildfire response.
“5th largest economy on the planet. Firefighters didn’t have enough water pressure to do their jobs?! Are you joking me?! The taxes we pay for 3rd world infrastructure is unbelievable?! Come on,” he wrote in an Instagram story post.
Here are some of the celebrities who have been affected by the L.A. fires.
Eugene Levy
Canadian actor and comedian Eugene Levy is among the many who struggled to flee his Pacific Palisades home from the roaring wildfires as evacuators faced gridlock. He confirmed to the L.A. Times that while he couldn’t see the flames, the smoke was “very dark” and “looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon.”
By Wednesday night, the “Schitt’s Creek” actor’s multimillion-dollar mansion had reportedly burnt down. Levy and his wife, Deborah Divine, had lived there since 2006.
Cameron Mathison
Canadian-American actor Cameron Mathison, known for his role as Ryan Lavery in “All My Children,” lost his home in the fires. He shared a video capturing the rubble that was left behind.
“We are safe. But this is what’s left of our beautiful home,” he wrote on Instagram. “Our home where our kids were raised and where they wanted to raise their own someday.”
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard, the former Toronto Raptors player who currently plays for the L.A. Clippers, also lives in the Pacific Palisades after purchasing a $17-million mansion in 2021. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Leonard missed the Clippers’ Wednesday game against the Denver Nuggets to be with his family who have been affected by the fires.
Billy Crystal
In a joint statement, actor and comedian Billy Crystal and his wife Janice said that the Palisades home they had lived in for 46 years was destroyed in the fires.
“Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here,” the statement read. “Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this.”
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton watched her Malibu home burn to the ground on a live news broadcast.
Hilton shared a video clip of the destruction on her Instagram; she said she is “overwhelmed” but relieved that her family, including her son Phoenix, and her pets are safe.
“This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London,” Hilton wrote. “My heart and prayers are going out to every family affected by these fires. To all the people who have lost their homes, their memories, and their beloved pets.”
Mel Gibson
Actor and director Mel Gibson says he lost his home in the fire while he was in Austin, Tex. to record the Joe Rogan’s podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
Gibson, who lived in his Malibu home for 15 years, said that it is now “completely toasted.”
In an interview with News Nation, the Oscar winner said while his home didn’t survive the fire, his chickens did, adding that they were given some water and grain and that “they’re happy and laying eggs and stuff. So there you go, they weren’t roast chickens.”
Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag
Reality TV star couple Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag evacuated their home; Pratt said it is now in ashes. In an Instagram Story, Pratt said his parents’ home was also lost in the fire.
Pratt shared a heartfelt post on Instagram about the ruins of his son’s bed inside their home after losing it to the fire.
“The one positive sign i saw as our house burned down was ours (sic) sons bed burned in the shape of a heart,” Pratt wrote. “A sign of how much love was in this house so thankful for all the years and memories there with our family.”
Anthony Hopkins
According to reports, a $6 million Palisades mansion belonging to veteran actor Anthony Hopkins was lost in the fire. Perhaps best known for playing Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs,” Hopkins purchased the home in 2019 but lived in another home in the same neighbourhood for 25 years.
Milo Ventimiglia
“Gilmore Girls” and “This Is Us” actor Milo Ventimiglia’s Malibu home also burnt to the ground. He called it the home he was preparing to be a father in, as his wife is nine months pregnant.
He told CBS News that he had a nursery already set up for his first child and said it’s “heartbreaking” to see what was left of the area.
Jessica Simpson
“We stayed as long as we could,” American singer and actress Jessica Simpson wrote in an Instagram story post on Thursday. Simpson evacuated her home in the Hidden Hills area currently in the path of the Kenneth wildfire.
It is not clear yet if her home has survived the blaze.
Fergie
The Brentwood mansion of singer Fergie, who rose to fame in the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas, reportedly was surrounded by flames on Wednesday.
James Woods
In a live interview with CNN, veteran actor James Woods became emotional as he recalled how he and his family evacuated their Palisades home. Woods said once they finally got out, he remembered his 94-year-old neighbour with dementia. He called the neighbour’s son and then 911 to make sure rescue officials went back for him.
”(The rescuer) got him out and the house burned down about an hour later,” Woods said, while fighting back tears. “He would have … been in there alone.”
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis, who owns a home in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, confirmed in a social media post that she and her home are “safe.”
“It is a terrifying situation and I’m grateful to the firefighters and all of the good Samaritans who are helping people get out of the way of the blaze,” Curtis said on Instagram. “Neighbors have taken care of neighbors. We ALL take everything for granted because we are all living our lives but when it hits your community, it’s particularly shocking.”
Curtis has since pledged $1 million toward fire relief efforts.
“I’m in communication with Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass and Senator Schiff as to where those funds need to be directed for the most impact,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.
John Goodman
Acclaimed American actor John Goodman, known for sitcom “Roseanne,” lost his Palisades home to the wildfires according to several reports. Goodman has yet to speak on the tragedy.
Jeff Bridges
The home belonging to American actor Jeff Bridges, known for his role in “The Big Lebowski,” was one of the thousands reportedly destroyed.
Diane Warren
Grammy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren posted on her Instagram on Wednesday afternoon to share that the beach house she lived in for almost three decades was destroyed.
“This is the last pic I took of Leah’s rock from my beach house. I’ve had this house for almost 30 years. It looks like it was lost in the fire last nite (sic). There’s a rainbow shining on it which I’m taking as a sign of hope for all creatures who have been affected by this tragedy,” the post reads.
Mandy Moore
“This Is Us” star Mandy Moore shared harrowing footage of the wildfires in Altadena, after she and her family evacuated.
“Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family,” Moore wrote. “My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too.”
Miles Teller
The house that actor Miles Teller bought in 2023, in the area between Palisades Bluffs and Palisades Village, was also destroyed.
Anna Faris
Anna Faris, known for “Scary Movie” and “The House Bunny,” was displaced from her Pacific Palisades home, which was destroyed by the fire.
This story has been updated.
With files from The Associated Press
