LA fires: Mandy Moore, Adam Brody, Paris Hilton lose homes

January 9, 2025

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LA fires: Mandy Moore, Adam Brody, Paris Hilton lose homes

Mandy Moore, Paris Hilton, Adam Brody and Billy Crystal were among the celebrities who lost their homes in the devastating wildfires that have swept through Los Angeles.

“This is Us” actress and singer Mandy Moore, 40, showed clips on social media of her burning L.A. neighbourhood Wednesday afternoon.

“This is Altadena. Leveled. My sweet home. I am devastated and gutted for those of us who’ve lost so much. I’m absolutely numb,” she wrote in a caption to a video showing the fiery destruction.

In an update on social media Thursday, she said she was able to park and see the main part of her family’s house still standing but “not livable.” She said her garage, back house and studio with instruments and equipment were gone, and all homes on her street were destroyed.

Hilton, the entrepreneur and international influencer who gained fame as a reality star in the 2000s, shared the news on social media about losing her home.

“Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience,” she wrote about her beachfront mansion on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old said the home where she built “many precious memories” was gone, but she and her family are safe.

“While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family and pets are safe,” she wrote. “My heart and prayers are going out to every family affected by these fires. … To know so many are waking up today without the place they called home is truly heartbreaking.”

Brody, 45, who starred in “The O.C.” television series, and his wife, “Gossip Girl” star Leighton Meester, also lost their US$6.5-million home in the affluent L.A. neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades, celebrity news site TMZ reported.

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Video from celebrity news agency Backgrid, posted on TMZ’s site, showed the couple’s home in flames.

Thousands evacuated the Los Angeles area after the wildfires started Tuesday. The fire in the Pacific Palisades was the largest of the blazes and was called the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles County, The Associated Press reported, with more than 1,900 structures destroyed.

Actor and comedian Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice Crystal, arrive on the red carpet at the State Department for the Kennedy Center Honors gala dinner in Washington on Dec. 2, 2023. (Kevin Wolf / AP Photo)

Legendary comedian and actor Billy Crystal, 76, also lost his Pacific Palisades house where he had lived 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,” Crystal wrote in a statement to CNN on Wednesday.

“We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this. We pray for the safety of the fire fighters and first responders.”

The fires also burned down the home of Anna Faris, 48, who is known for her comedic roles and for starring in the “Scary Movie” films.

People magazine confirmed with the actress’s representative that she and her family “are safe and very grateful.”

Reality stars Spencer Pratt, 41, and Heidi Montag Pratt, 38, also lost their home in the Pacific Palisades.

Pratt shared Snapchat clips of the fire burning behind their house on Tuesday and the aftermath, including a view of their child’s room, People reported.

His wife, Montag Pratt, posted a video showing her family preparing to leave their home.

Actress and former talk show host Ricki Lake said on social media Wednesday that her “dream home” was destroyed.

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The 56-year-old called the spot on the bluffs where she got married three years ago her “heaven on earth.”

“I grieve along with all of those suffering during this apocalyptic event,” she wrote, noting she was praying for everyone.

Celebrity chef Sandra Lee said she worked hard to buy her home, calling it her “slice of heaven in Malibu” in a social media post. Although she said she was grateful to be safe, she too grieved the loss.

“My house is gone – I cried all night and thought about every room, nook, and cranny,” she wrote. “It was perfection and now it’s just Ash. Please keep our community, the firefighters and the first responders in your prayers.”

TMZ posted Backgrid video that showed the ruins of the residences that it said belonged to Canadian actor and comedian Eugene Levy, 78, and American actor John Goodman, 72.

“Top Gun: Maverick” star Miles Teller, 37, and his wife, Keleigh Teller, lost their US$7.5-million home, Page Six reported.

As well, Hollywood legend Anthony Hopkins’ home was decimated in Pacific Palisades, the New York Post’s gossip column reported. Page Six posted photos of the wrecked celebrity residences.

“The Princess Bride” star Cary Elwes said in a social media post Wednesday that his Malibu home was gone. He said he and his family were safe.

“Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire,” he wrote, noting his heart goes out to those affected by the tragedy and thanking everyone from fire crews to police and people who offered their support.

Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren, 68, who is behind hits by Cher, Becky G, Toni Braxton and Celine Dion, said she believes she lost the house she owned for nearly 30 years. She posted what she said was the last photo she took of a rock from her beach house.

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!"

“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,” she wrote, noting the animals at her rescue ranch are fine. “Stay safe everyone.”

Actor Jeff Bridges, 75, said through his publicist that the Malibu home he and his siblings owned was a casualty. The four-bedroom residence with views of the Pacific Ocean had been in his family for generations, TMZ reported.

Candy Spelling, wife of the late TV and film giant Aaron Spelling, told TMZ she’s “in shock” after the fires obliterated her US$24-million Malibu home.

“I am beyond grateful for the memories,” the 79-year-old told the celebrity news outlet. “It was truly a wonderful gift to have.”

Grammy-nominated R&B singer Jhené Aiko, 36, posted on social media Thursday that she lost her home. She said that she and her two-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter are safe, People reported.

She wrote that she was praying for everyone, including wildlife, pets, the city, the world, “those who lost their home, those who lost their life’s work, those who lost their life.”

“General Hospital” star Cameron Mathison, who was born and raised in Canada, posted video on social media of what’s left of his home Wednesday. He said he and his family were safe, but the 55-year-old lamented the loss of the place where he raised his children, and he thanked everyone for their support. “Sending so many prayers to everyone being affected by these fires,” he wrote Wednesday.

With files from Reuters, CNN and The Associated Press