WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
The fires in Southern California that began on January 7th are still raging, as the region faces strong winds. So far, the wildfires have resulted in at least 25 deaths and forced more than 180,000 residents to evacuate. More than 12,500 structures have been damaged in the Eaton fire in the Altadina area, the Kennet fire in the West Hills neighborhood, and the Hurst fire (the last two were contained on January 12th).
The one that brought the most destruction was the one in the Palisades area, not only because it destroyed almost 6,000 structures, but because that area was a gathering place for the villas of the famous, the successful, practically urban summer home of Hollywood. In the last ten days, the world has witnessed once again that everyone is in trouble. Fires were not selective, and so many celebrities lost their homes.
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson had information that his home was threatened before entering Joe Rogan's famous podcast arena, but it was only after the podcast that he learned that he was not among the lucky few whose houses remained intact.
Unlike other Hollywood stars, Mel Gibson's was his primary home, where he spent the last 15 years. The mansion worth more than $15 million was completely destroyed in the Palisades fire.
The famous actor, who is soon to turn seventy, whose film hits (acting and directing) are too numerous to list in comparison to their number, toured the remains of his home, casually in a blue flannel shirt and a blue cap. "It's just things," as if it were the leitmotif of his suffering. His attitude later became a guiding principle for the rest of Hollywood, which seemed to be less spoiled than usual.
Only the safe remained in dust and ashes, in which everything had also been burned. The two-time Oscar winner did save his two most valuable trophies, which fortunately were not located in Malibu, while the rest of his awards were destroyed, along with numerous antique books from the 16th century, works of art and paintings, which were a passion of this actor.
Melted vehicles, a garden, a garage, corroded metal objects and still hot metal were all that could be seen in the News Nation television report.
Mel Gibson, who did not spare Governor Gavin Newsom for inadequate fire protection in Rogan's podcast, declared that his house in Costa Rica, hidden deep in nature, devoid of major infrastructure, would be his destination for the future.
Billy Crystal and Jeff Bridges
Actor Billy Crystal and his wife Janice were also left homeless in the Pacific Palisades fire. Billy Crystal paid just $400,000 for the house they spent nearly half a century (46 hours) in back in 1979, before Chautauqua Boulevard became a celebrity enclave, a series of exclusive multi-million dollar complexes in a neighborhood where it was almost impossible to buy a house, partly because of the prices. Namely, shortly before the fire, their house was valued at $9 million.
The left side of his house looks untouched in the pictures, but that's little consolation when it consists solely of a tennis court and evergreens that withstood the onslaught of fire.
The star of the films "When Harry Met Sally," "Before," "City Slickers," "The Princess Bride," and "Analyze This" is one of the favorite residents of the Palisades, and was also the honorary mayor of this part of town.
Eugene Levy, the current honorary mayor, is also among those left homeless, along with his neighbors Mandy Moore and Diane Warren.
A video posted on YouTube shortly before the fires took place, taking viewers through a landscape that is now unrecognizable, is a true reminder of the sadness and grief felt by the city’s residents.
Iconic locations, including several famous Malibu restaurants, Palisades Charter High School, the historic Will Rogers Ranch House, and the iconic Topanga Motel, once owned by William Randolph Hearst, are no longer there.
Jeff Bridges, arguably Hollywood’s most authentic voice, the star of “The Big Lebowski,” lost his parents’ home, which he shared with his brother and sister.
The actor’s four-bedroom, rustic, and cozy residence, which had been in the Bridges family for generations, was destroyed, leaving his Santa Barbara home, which he shares with his wife, Susan Geston, as a consolation.
Tragedy never comes alone. Bridges has had some personal battles in recent years, having been diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020 and announcing a year later that his cancer was in remission.
Bridges' home was located right next door to the home of Candy Spelling, mother of actress Tori Spelling (Beverly Hills, 90210 Donna), and her brother Randy, and was once home to famed producer Aaron Spelling, with whom she spent 50 years.
Anthony Hopkins
The fire did not spare Anthony Hopkins either. The home of the Welsh actor, who turned 87 on December 31, burned to the ground, as seen in numerous photos posted on social media.
Only a few concrete pillars , a few charred trees and a stone path on the property, are what remains of the former four-bedroom, five-bathroom home in Pacific Palisades, West Los Angeles, which Hopkins purchased in 2019.
Hopkins was a previous resident of the area, having purchased the three-bedroom, two-bath property in 1995 for a now-symbolic $660,000, before moving to Malibu, on the oceanfront, where he spent 25 years (which fortunately remained untouched by the Woolsey Fire in 2018). He bought the house in 2001 for $3.75 million, and years later sold it for $10.5 million.
This is not the first time Hopkins' home has been gutted by fire, as his London home burned down during his time in Los Angeles.
The Oscar winner, who was nominated for a sixth time on Monday for his role in “The Father,” said goodbye to his home in a touching message on Instagram.
John Stephen Goodman, an American actor with Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards, also suffered the same fate.
Goodman, the star of “Rosen,” “The Big Lebowski,” “The Flintstones,” and a native of Afton, Missouri, had owned the house since 2008, and its value is estimated at $4.6 million. Thus, the star of the legendary 1998 film by Ethan and Joel Coen, which had numerous Oscar nominations, became the biggest Hollywood collateral damage of the biggest American natural disaster, along with Hurricane Katrina.
The list is far from complete. Influencer Paris Hilton’s Malibu home, an $8.4 million beachfront estate where she lived with her husband Carter Reum and two children, was also completely destroyed, as was the home of singer Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles. She lost her Malibu beach bungalow.
Knowles, like many others, was not lucky enough to be the exception, as the house of David Steiner, a former Texas waste manager, was the only one left standing among the rubble. Meanwhile, Beyoncé announced that she would donate $2.5 million to her mother’s fire relief fund.
Also losing their mansions were Adam Brody, star of Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This,” Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls), host Rosie O’Donnell, Spencer Pratt, Heidi Montag, Anna Ferris, Dennis Crosby, Miles Teller, star of “Top Gun, Maverick,” and many, many others.
The celebrities will never be able to regain numerous memories and relics, but they will certainly have a new chance to build their homes, which is hardly a realistic option for the large middle class of Los Angeles, for whom the high cost of living in the "City of Angels" was unbearable even before the tragedy.
