Wildfires are still burning in Los Angeles. Over 9,000 buildings have been consumed, and at least 24 lives have been lost, according to officials. “The Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley on January 9. Celebrities are among the hundreds of thousands of residents who have had to evacuate their homes. Meanwhile, premieres, events, and film and TV productions are being canceled across the city. Below, the latest updates from Hollywood.
In an interview with Variety, Spencer Pratt acknowledged that his wife’s single topping the iTunes chart may not help his family recover all that much. “Everybody keeps telling me, don’t expect any money. I’m more excited about the energy and opportunities that come from it. I don’t think these streams and all these charts [make money],” Pratt said. “Based on what people are telling me, the music business is about touring, it’s about merchandise, it’s about all the things that come with it.” In the same interview, Pratt said he’s made $4000 passively on TikTok, but got $20,000 from people directly donating on TikTok live. That’s the power of individual supporters, people just backing you and getting behind you,” he said.
Bruce Willis made a rare public appearance earlier this week, shaking hands and posing for a picture with a police officer as wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles. “Spotting a first responder, Bruce never missed a chance to show his gratitude with a heartfelt handshake and a “thank you for your service. Yesterday was no different,” his wife captioned a January 16 video of the interaction.
Willis has kept a low profile since 2022, when his family announced that he would be “stepping away” from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia. The following year, his family shared that his condition had progressed to a more specific diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.
With more artists still set to join the lineup, the FireAid benefit concert is shaping up to be a packed night of performances for charity at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum on January 30.
Abel Tesfaye, better known as the Weeknd, is donating $1 million to LAFD Foundation, GoFundMe’s Wildfire Relief Fund, and L.A. Regional Food Bank. The singer previously canceled a Rose Bowl concert and delayed the release of his album Hurry Up Tomorrow due to the fires. He joins an increasing number of celebrities who have contributed to fire relief efforts, including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Leonardo DiCaprio, Metallica, and more.
All hands are on deck in Los Angeles. The retired late night host brought his own vintage fire truck to the scene in the Palisades with a “hot meal” for the first responders. That’s one way to help out for sure.
And he brought famous firefighter Steve Guttenberg!
Former teen stars gotta stick together. Hilary Duff opened her home to Mandy Moore and her family after they evacuated. That news came from Moore’s brother-in-law Griffin Goldsmith, who is in the band Dawes with Moore’s husband, Taylor, and who also lost his house. “Our dear friends Matthew Koma and Hilary Duff thought it wise to set up a GoFundMe for us to help with everything moving forward,” Griffin wrote on Dawes’s Instagram. “Not to mention they are currently housing my brother’s family. They’ve taken care of my entire family from the moment this began. I will never be able to thank them adequately.” When Moore previously shared Griffin’s GoFundMe, she faced criticism from fans wondering why she wasn’t supporting her family. “We just lost most of our life in a fire too,” she wrote. “Kindly F OFF.”
The Oscars nominations were delayed for a second time. They will now be broadcast January 23. The Academy also canceled the Nominees Luncheon entirely. Which means there will be no class-of-2025 group photo.
After the devastating spread of wildfires paused production on many series that film in the Los Angeles area, production will resume on Monday on CBS series NCIS, NCIS: Origins, Poppa’s House, and The Neighborhood, per The Hollywood Reporter. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! will also begin filming again this week. Other shows that paused filming, including Hacks and Fallout, have yet to announce when they will resume production. Jimmy Kimmel Live! has also turned their back parking lot into a supplies drive for those affected by the wildfires.
The Weeknd has canceled his Pasadena Rose Bowl concert and delayed the release of his reportedly final album, Hurry Up Tomorrow. The album was set to come out January 25, but will now debut January 31. Canceling the Rose Bowl concert makes sense, given that much of Pasadena is currently devoted to helping those who have evacuated from nearby Altadena. The Rose Bowl itself is currently being used by the police and fire department for emergency response coordination. So many people have given food and clothing there that the Bowl is no longer accepting donations. “This city has always been a profound source of inspiration for me, and my thoughts are with everyone impacted during this difficult time,” Tesfaye wrote. “My focus remains on supporting the recovery of these communities and aiding its incredible people as they rebuild.”
Despite some uncertainty, the Grammys will still be held in Los Angeles on February 2. The Recording Academy came to the decision “in close coordination with local authorities,” CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and board of trustees chair Tammy Hurt said in a statement, via Billboard. Grammy-week events like the MusiCares Person of the Year ceremony (honoring the Grateful Dead this year) are not yet confirmed. After the 2021 and 2022 ceremonies were both pushed owing to the pandemic, Variety previously reported on January 13 that a wildfire postponement was an option. Now, Mason and Hurt said the on-schedule show will “carry a renewed sense of purpose” of fundraising for wildfire response. “In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort, and unite like nothing else,” they said. “The Grammys will not only honor the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles.”
Although the Grammys are proceeded as normal, not all the events surrounding them are following suit. Universal Music Group announced that they have canceled all their Grammy-related events, “including the Artist Showcase and After-Grammy Party.” Money that would have been spend on those events is instead going to “assist those affected by the wildfires.”
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker interviewed incarcerated firefighters who are doing a lot of the on-the-ground work battling the fires. These men get paid as little as $5.80 a day to risk their lives. “I try to use my platform this way ’cause there are lots of normal ppl out there who fell through the cracks of the system with no support whatsoever,” Piker wrote on Twitter. “We cast them aside and choose to dehumanize them. Everyone is trying their best. rehabilitation & reintegration lowers recidivism.” Earlier that day, Kim Kardashian urged Governor Gavin Newsom to raise the wage for incarcerated firefighters.
@hasandpiker I went to visit the incarcerated firefighters that California pays $5 an hour #hasanabi #california #firefighters
♬ original sound - hasanabi
Netflix has pushed back Meghan Markle’s new series, With Love, Meghan. The streamer released a statement explaining that the Duchess of Sussex requested the delay. She and Prince Harry have been volunteering in Los Angeles all weekend with Harry even going on a doughnut run for one elderly evacuee. “I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,” Meghan said in her own statement. With Love, Meghan will now premiere in March.
Selling Sunset’s Jason Oppenheim is warning people against price hikes by landlords during this crisis. On BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the Oppenheim Group head said one of his clients was gouged $3,000 a month more in rent on a home owing to increased demand. His client “offered $20,000 a month, and he offered to pay six months upfront, and the landlord said, ‘I want $23,000,’” he said. “There are price-gouging laws in California, they’re just being ignored right now, and this isn’t the time to be taking advantage of situations.” There are indeed laws against this sort of price gouging, and officials are asking victims to report offending landlords either online or by calling 800-952-5225.
Heidi Montag’s 2010 album Superficial is topping the iTunes charts as fans stream her work in order to support the Speidi family at this difficult time. Spencer Pratt spearheaded the initiative, asking fans to stream his wife’s tunes so they can rebuild. Montag posted to her Instagram Stories thanking folks for supporting her. “Thank you for the overwhelming love and support of my music and really rallying behind us in this devastating time and making it such a blessing,” she said. “And it’s the 15th anniversary of Superficial. So the timing is just crazy. It’s so crazy, thank you.” Spencer Pratt also expressed his gratitude on TikTok.
Paris Hilton, Sharon Stone, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and more have joined Jamie Lee Curtis on our running list of celebs who have pledged to give money, clothes, or supplies to wildfire relief. And we might soon see some artists donating their talents — per Billboard, music mogul Irving Azoff and his wife, Shelli, are planning a January 30 benefit concert at Los Angeles’s Intuit Dome to support California wildfire victims. The Azoffs are producing the event alongside Live Nation and AEG Presents. While a lineup hasn’t been announced yet, there will presumably be plenty of options headed to L.A. for the Grammys on February 2.
Meanwhile, a number of Hollywood companies and organizations have also pledged to provide monetary support. Per Variety, the Walt Disney Company has committed to donating $15 million to support response and rebuilding efforts, while Paramount has committed to donating $1 million. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Creative Artists Agency’s CAA Foundation has created the SoCal Fire Fund to support recovery initiatives for impacted students, school employees, and families. The fund, kicked off by donations from CAA leadership, is being launched in partnership with Sean Penn and Ann Lee’s aid organization CORE and the Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation.
Sony has canceled the January 13 Hollywood premiere for Keke Palmer and SZA’s buddy comedy One of Them Days, per Deadline. The movie previously held premiere screenings in Atlanta and New York and is set to release in theaters on January 17.
More homes belonging to the rich and famous have gone up in flames this week with Mel Gibson, Bella Hadid, and Milo Ventimiglia among the latest additions to our updating list of celebs who have lost property to the fires. But Guillermo del Toro’s collectible-filled creative home base, Bleak House, was still safe as of the morning on January 10, the filmmaker confirmed on Bluesky. Del Toro said that he returned to the property and retrieved “over 100 pieces” from his renowned collection of costumes, props, paintings, and other possessions. “Many friends lost their homes. Helping them now,” he added. In a follow-up post in the afternoon, he said that he was also stopping by to thank everyone supporting friends, neighbors, and “brave safety and firefighters.”
At first glance, the photo set seemed to capture a kind of universal truth that celebrities — even those staring down historic Hollywood wildfire destruction — are, indeed, just like us. In images featured by “Page Six” and TMZ this week, a “worried” looking Ben Affleck was shown “evacuating” his recently bought $20.5 million Pacific Palisades home as he “raced” to the nearby residence of ex-wife Jennifer Garner (who had apparently not yet evacuated) to reunite with the children they share, Violet, 19; Seraphina, 16; and Samuel, 12.
To those familiar with the ins and outs of the celebrity-industrial complex, however, the shots of Affleck behind the wheel of a black sedan navigating charred Palisades canyons by night with “the emotion of the devastating fire written all over his face” registered a secondary reality. That is, despite significant risks of third-degree burns and smoke inhalation, falling trees and wind-whipped power lines, paparazzi still roam the city’s most exclusive enclaves hunting celebrity quarries.
Two veteran paps explain why their colleagues are risking the Los Angeles fires for celebrity photographs here.
As with all live entertainment in Los Angeles right now, stand-up comedy has been impacted greatly by the ongoing wildfires. Local clubs the Comedy Store, the Hollywood Improv, and the Laugh Factory all canceled shows on January 8 and January 9 due to safety concerns, and venue Public Displays of Altadena — notable for being a hub of the city’s emerging clown scene and the filming location for Maria Bamford’s 2013 special Local Act — was destroyed. Some comedians who live in L.A. are losing more than just stage time, though. On January 9, comedian Pete Lee, who’d been booked to do stand-up on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon became Vulture’s top late-night clip of the week — despite the fact that his house had burned down in the fire earlier in the week.
In addition to persevering with his planned set, Lee sat down on the couch with Fallon to talk about losing his home, and tell a few jokes he’d written about the experience to cope. “My house burned down! I can tell jokes about this!” he began, pre-emptively defending himself against anyone who might say his jokes are “too soon.” Lee learned his house burned down because he saw it on the news with a friend, he explained in one: “My friend goes, ‘Which one is your house?’ I go, ‘The orange one!’ … My house looked like the logo for a Guy Fieri restaurant. That’s my house: Flavor Town.”
In addition to the tremendous loss of personal homes, a number of historic buildings and locations used in television and film have been lost in the fires. Deadline reports that an eyewitness saw the Altadena Spanish Colonial Revival mansion, used as Deb Vance’s “second mansion” in Hacks and on Palm Royale, burned down. In addition, the historic McNally mansion (featured in Entourage) and Will Rogers’s ranch were lost. NBC Los Angeles also reported that Palisades Charter High School, or “Pali High,” where the Jamie Lee Curtis/Lindsay Lohan Freaky Friday and Brian De Palma’s Carrie were shot, has been significantly damaged.
Leighton Meester and Adam Brody are among the many stars who’ve lost their homes this week during the L.A. fires. Mandy Moore, whose home in Altadena was damaged in the fire, said she feels “survivors guilt” after seeing the devastation in her neighborhood. Find a full, updating list of celebrities recovering from the fires here.
The Universal Studios theme park — located a little north of the Hollywood Bowl, practically equidistant to the Palisades, Hurst, and Eaton fires — remains closed due to the circumstances. “Out of an abundance of caution, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk will be closed on Thursday, January 9 as a result of the extreme winds and fire condition,” the website reads. “As always, the safety of our team members and our guests is our top priority. We continue to assess the situation and are directing guests to visit our website for updates.” Meanwhile, the Disneyland Resort area, which includes the big Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, still appears to be open for visitors at this time.
Maybe next year. Several award ceremonies and nomination announcements have been postponed, including the Writers Guild of America nominations (now January 13), Oscar nominations (January 19), and the Critics Choice Awards (January 26). Keep up with the full list of awards season delays.
The SAG nominated actress, who evacuated her own Santa Monica home near the Palisades fire, is the first celebrity to pledge money to relief efforts. Read more on her response here:
As the wildfire rages on, Jamie Lee Curtis shared on Instagram that she would be donating $1 million to fire relief, noting that the donation will be coming from her family foundation. (Curtis is married to the filmmaker Christopher Guest; they have two kids.) She added that they are communicating with California governor Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, and Senator Adam Schiff on the best use of those funds.
Tina Knowles shared a video and statement in tribute to the Malibu bungalow that was destroyed on Instagram. “It was my favorite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place. Now it is gone!” she wrote. Knowles also expressed her utmost appreciation to the disaster workers and first responders, as well as shared condolences to those who have lost loved ones and homes.
ESPN newsbreaker Shams Charania flagged the development on social media, following the announcement that the NBA has postponed the Lakers’ match with the Charlotte Hornet scheduled for tonight at Crypto.com Arena. Redick, who’s in his first year coaching the city’s beloved NBA team, had previously noted that his family evacuated from their Pacific Palisades home on Tuesday, when he was on the road with the team in Dallas. “I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now,” Redick said to the press before Tuesday’s matchup. ESPN also previously reported that the 90-year-old mother of Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, was among the thousands evacuated from their homes in the city.
Severance’s season-two red-carpet premiere scheduled for January 13 has been canceled, per Deadline. The premiere was set to take place at the TCL Chinese Theatre, on the border of the evacuation zone for the Sunset fire that raged on Wednesday night. Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted yesterday that the company intends to donate to victims and recovery efforts.
TMZ is reporting a few other celebrities have lost their homes in the fire, including Jeff Bridges, Candy Spelling, and Miles Teller. Bridges’s and Spelling’s Malibu home were both beloved by late members of their respective families — Bridges’s home in particular had been occupied by his relatives for generations. Teller and his wife, Keleigh, have yet to confirm the destruction of their house themselves, but TMZ’s footage shows that the only part of the property remaining is the front gate.
Actress Jean Smart took to Instagram to share her opinion that Hollywood should stop airing awards shows for the time being and instead donate the potential revenue they would have earned.
Melissa Rivers, Joan Rivers’s daughter, evacuated her home before it burned down, saving only essentials. “My mom’s Emmy, a photo of my dad and a drawing my mother had done of me and my son,” she told CNN. “I went for a drawing of my mother’s rather than a photo, because I know I can find the photos.”
A fifth fire erupted on the evening of January 8 — this time in the Hollywood Hills. Dubbed the “Sunset Fire,” per CNN, it has burned down acres in the Runyon Canyon area. The remaining active fires, as categorized by Cal Fire, include the Lidia fire, the Hurst fire, as well as the Eaton and Palisades fires. A sixth, the Woodley Fire, has been contained after breaking out in a nature reserve on Wednesday.
Paris Hilton’s Malibu beach house has burned to the ground, TMZ reports. The site describes Hilton’s former beachside property as “reduced to a pile of burning rubble,” alongside the homes of Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, Diane Warren, and Speidi. Moonshadows, the restaurant Mel Gibson was leaving when cops pulled him over in 2006, has also burned to the ground.
Hilton wrote that the loss of her home made her “heartbroken beyond words” on Instagram. “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. “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.”
TMZ is now reporting that Billy Crystal, Eugene Levy, and John Goodman have all lost their Malibu homes as well. Anna Faris and Cary Elwes’ homes have been lost, and Mandy Moore is waiting to see if her Altadena home is gone.
The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards ceremony has been postponed due to the still-raging wildfires. Deadline reports a new date has not been chosen for the event. Alan Cumming was set to host.
The WGA Awards have postponed their nominations announcements, like the Oscars earlier in the day. The WGA says their nom list will now drop January 13. Los Angeles is currently under a state of emergency.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended the voting period for the 2025 Academy Awards by two days, and postponing the announcement ceremony to January 19. AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer sent a message to voters, obtained by IndieWire, announcing the delay and postponing several screenings.
Warner Bros. is the latest studio to shut down production. Work halted on their Burbank lot, affecting Abbott Elementary, All American, The Pitt, George & Mandy’s First Marriage and a table read for an upcoming Leanne Morgan project.
Other shows on pause for Wednesday include Grey’s Anatomy, Doctor Odyssey, NCIS, and NCIS: Origins. On the Universal Studios lot, filming for Hacks, Suits LA, Happy’s Place, Ted, and Loot has shut down for the day, and the adjoining theme park is closed to guests. Additionally, Jimmy Kimmel Live and After Midnight have suspended today’s episode tapings.
Diane Warren shared the last photo she took from her beach house on her Instagram grid, in which she paid homage to her late friend, with that her Malibu home was lost in the fire last night. “I’ve had this house for almost 30 years,” she wrote. The songwriter has two Malibu-based properties: her beachfront home and her nearby rescue ranch that houses an assortment of misfit animals. She confirmed in the post that her rescue ranch and the critters who live there are safe, “which is the most important thing.”
The Critics Choice Awards, which were originally scheduled for January 12, have been rescheduled to January 26. “This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community,” CCA CEO Joey Berlin said in a statement. “All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected.” They will still be broadcast live.
From the wildfires or the paparazzi. Not to let a fire get in the way of a scoop, paps snapped Ben Affleck evacuating his home on January 7. Where was he heading? None other than his ex Jennifer Garner’s house, per TMZ, where his children were also staying. “Page Six” said Affleck “seemed worried” as he drove his black SUV to Garner’s place, in an area currently on standby. Or, you know, maybe he was annoyed that he still had to deal with paparazzi during a destructive fire.
They reportedly lost their Palisades mansion, per TMZ, just days after married actors Adam Brody and Leighton Meester attended the Golden Globes, where he was nominated for his show Nobody Wants This.
The Hills stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag are among the celebrities to lose their Pacific Palisades house in the fires, per TMZ. As shown in Pratt’s Instagram Stories, the house burned to the ground, but their entire family was evacuated to safety.
On the same day that the film scored double SAG nominations for Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl’s premiere was canceled, per Variety.
The SAG Award nominations were intended to be broadcast live, read by Cooper Koch and Joey King, at 10:30 a.m. on January 8, but they ended up going out in a press release instead.
Actor James Woods is also evacuating, and he’s documenting his experience on X. “To all the wonderful people who’ve reached out to us, thank you for being so concerned. Just letting you know that we were able to evacuate successfully,” he posted on January 7. “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing, but sadly houses on our little street are not.” He also posted, on January 8, that he does not believe that the fires are due to climate change, preferring to blame “liberal idiots like Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass.”
Eugene Levy told the Los Angeles Times that he got stuck in traffic during his evacuation. “The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon,” the actor and comedian, who is currently the honorary mayor of the Pacific Palisades, said. “I couldn’t see any flames, but the smoke was very dark.”
Actor Steve Guttenberg hopped onto the front line of the fire on January 7 to tell a local news crew that people need to move their cars to aid with evacuation. “It’s really important for people to help each other,” he added. “It’s really important for everybody to band together. And don’t worry about your personal property … just get your loved ones and get out.”