L.A. wildfires: Celebrities whose homes were destroyed

January 9, 2025

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L.A. wildfires: Celebrities whose homes were destroyed

Celebrities Lose Homes in Devastating Los Angeles Wildfires

Several well-known personalities, including Paris Hilton, Adam Brody, and Billy Crystal, are among those who tragically lost their homes in the recent wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles.

Paris Hilton, a renowned entrepreneur and international influencer, took to social media to share the heartbreaking news of her beachfront mansion in Malibu being destroyed by the fires. She expressed her gratitude for the safety of her family and pets, despite the overwhelming loss of her cherished home.

Actor Adam Brody, famous for his role in “The O.C.,” and his wife, Leighton Meester, also fell victim to the wildfires, losing their $6.5 million home in Pacific Palisades. The destruction of their residence was captured in a video shared by celebrity news site TMZ.

The wildfires in Los Angeles forced thousands to evacuate, with the blaze in Pacific Palisades being the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles County, resulting in an estimated 1,000 structures being destroyed.

Legendary comedian Billy Crystal, who had resided in his Pacific Palisades home since 1979, was also devastated by the loss of his property due to the fires. Actress Anna Faris and reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag Pratt were among the other celebrities who lost their homes in the wildfires.

Actress and singer Mandy Moore shared harrowing clips of her fiery neighborhood on social media, expressing uncertainty about the fate of her own home in Altadena.

The wildfires have left a trail of destruction in Los Angeles, impacting the lives of numerous individuals, including these prominent figures from the entertainment industry.

See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"

With files from Reuters