Shell-shocked A-Listers mourn for their devastated communities

Anthony Hopkins, Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, and Eugene Levy are among the celebrities who have lost their homes in the devastating California bushfires.

The $US6.5m home of actors Adam Brody and Leighton Meester has been completely destroyed

Anthony Hopkins, Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, and Eugene Levy are among the celebrities who have lost their homes in the devastating California bushfires.

Among the most destructive is the Palisades fire, which has torn through more than 70sq km in one of Los Angeles’ most affluent areas, home to celebrities such as Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The $US9m home of comedian Billy Crystal, where he has lived with his wife Janice for 46 years, has been destroyed.

“Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. We ache for our friends and neighbours who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy,” the Crystals said.

“Janice and I lived in our home 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. 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 firefighters and first responders. The Pacific Palisades is a resilient community of amazing people and we know in time it will rise again. It is our home.”

The Silence of the Lambs star Hopkins lost his $US6m home in the Pacific Palisades. Hopkins bought the four-bedroom, five-bathroom home with his wife in 2021, after selling a $US10.5m beachfront property in Malibu in 2020. Hopkins shared a video from the home in December, celebrating 20 years of sobriety.

Eugene Levy, the Schitt’s Creek creator and star and honorary mayor of the Palisades, also lost his $US3.9m property. His son, Dan Levy, wrote on social media: “Heartbroken for my family, my friends, and the people of LA affected by the catastrophic fires. So much gratitude tonight for the firefighters risking their lives and working around the clock to protect this city. Heroes.”

Socialite Paris Hilton said she watched her $US8.4m Malibu mansion, where her young son took his first steps, burn to the ground on live television.

“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 in an Instagram post.

“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. My heart aches for those still in harm’s way or mourning greater losses.

“The devastation is unimaginable. To know so many are waking up today without the place they called home is truly heartbreaking.

“While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family is safe … The devastation is unimaginable … We’re in this together, LA.”

Actor and musician Mandy Moore posted videos of devastated streets in Altadena near Pasadena, where the Eaton Fire blazed.

“Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family,” Moore wrote on Instagram. “Our community is broken, but we will be here to rebuild together.”

Moore shared a bittersweet update about her Altadena home. “Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now.” While the house is mostly intact, it is currently unliveable.

The family lost a garage, a back house, and a music studio containing every instrument and piece of equipment owned by her husband, Taylor Goldsmith, and bandmate Griffin Goldsmith. “Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone,” Moore said, noting that her in-laws and close friends were among those whose homes were destroyed.

Actors Adam Brody and Leighton Meester’s $US6.5m home was destroyed, just days after the couple celebrated Brody’s Golden Globe nomination for Nobody Wants This. The family had a five-bedroom, six-bathroom home in Pacific Palisades, where they lived with their two young children.

The $US4m rental home shared by Hunter Biden and his wife, Melissa Cohen, has been destroyed by the Pacific Palisades fire. The property, a 1950s three-bedroom home with panoramic views of the Pacific, was reduced to rubble in the blaze. President Joe Biden addressed the uncertainty surrounding his son’s home during a Wednesday briefing on the fires. “My son lives out here and his wife,” he said. “They got a notification yesterday that their home is probably burned to the ground. Today, it appears that maybe it’s still standing. We’re not sure.”

James Woods has lost his Pacific Palisades home. Speaking through tears with CNN, the 77-year-old actor, known for roles in Videodrome and Once Upon a Time in America, described the upheaval in his neighbourhood.

“One day you’re swimming in the pool and the next day it’s all gone,” Woods said. He shared a poignant moment when his wife, Sara Miller-Woods, told him that her eight-year-old niece had retrieved her piggy bank, hoping to contribute to rebuilding the home.

Woods also recounted the evacuation, including his efforts to assist his 94-year-old neighbour, who has dementia. “He’d been left alone,” Woods said.

Reflecting on the loss, Woods added “I thought I would be stronger than this,” before pausing to wipe his eyes.