Celebrities' Most Gut-Wrenching Reactions To The CA Wildfires

When a multitude of wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area on January 7, 2025, they left behind a wake of utter devastation and loss. Wreaking havoc on multiple neighborhoods and iconic monuments, the blazes have been difficult to battle, and many homes and several lives have been lost. Plenty of those impacted by the catastrophe are from working-class backgrounds, especially in the Altadena neighborhood. However, that hasn't stopped nature from destroying the homes of celebrities as well.

Some famous faces are handling the loss better than others. From sitcom stars accusing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of not behaving appropriately to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez proving just how out of touch they are, the LA fires have been a litmus test to see some true colors of the rich and famous. And all the above mentioned stars still have their homes intact! Other celebrities were not so lucky though, and the heartbreak has been real. 

On January 12 it was confirmed that Joshua Jackson lost the home he both grew up in and was currently raising his daughter in to the wildfires. The "Dawson's Creek" star told People, "First and most importantly, all the people closest to me affected by the fire are okay ... My daughter, my family, my neighbors all made it out safely." However, the childhood home he grew up in and bought back from the man who had since purchased it did not make it. "Sadly my beautiful home did not survive the fires," he continued.

Jackson shares his daughter with his ex-wife, Jodie Turner-Smith, and he wanted to raise her in that particular house for sentimental reasons. "I bought this house for my daughter," he said on an Instagram Live. He first dreamed that his daughter would see a happy marriage while growing up, but after his relationship crumbled, Jackson had to pivot his expectations. "But what I've realized in this last year is I never got to experience the love of a father. And I'm getting to experience it now. And that's what this house is for," he said. His daughter was even living in the room he grew up in as a child, which makes the loss of their home all the more devastating.

When Milo Ventimiglia and his very pregnant wife Jarah Mariano evacuated their Malibu, California home on January 7, they did their best to be prepared — but they were still taken aback by the complete loss of their home. Speaking with CBS Evening News, Ventimiglia opened up about how he and Mariano watched their house burn through their security camera. "You start thinking about all the memories in different parts of the house ... And then you see your neighbors' houses and everything, kind of around, and your heart just breaks." However, the "Gilmore Girls" star is using the fire to keep things in perspective.

Actor Milo Ventimiglia tells CBS News' @TonyDokoupil he helplessly watched his home burn to the ground through security cameras. The 47-year-old father-to-be returned to his property to see what was left. pic.twitter.com/jidcR5ZAsY

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 10, 2025

After acknowledging the eerie similarities between his real life and his "This Is Us" character Jack Pearson's experience, Ventimiglia pointed out how lucky he is to still have what's most important to him. "We got good friends, and we got good people we're working with, and we'll make do ... Wife and baby and dog most important," he mentioned. What some might not know about Ventimiglia is that ever since the scene he filmed that unforgettable scene for "This Is Us," he's been interested in learning more about fire safety. Now, he's indicated he might be open to pursuing more bold wildfire safety advocacy.

Milo Ventimiglia wasn't the only "This Is Us" alum to have tragedy strike. Actress and singer Mandy Moore suffered a double whammy when the fires broke out in LA. She and her husband Taylor Goldsmith had to evacuate their home, along with their family and pets. However, Moore and Goldsmith reside in the Altadena area, and their entire community has since been gutted by the fires. In an Instagram post the "Saved!" actress shared, she said, "Honestly, I'm in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family. My children's school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too."

Moore and Goldsmith were able to return to view their home on January 16, where the structure was mostly still standing, but the garage was a loss and the house is not suitable for living in at the moment. However, Moore now admits to "Feeling weird survivors guilt," according to another Instagram update. "Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone."

In a truly surreal experience, controversial reality television star Paris Hilton watched her home burn down on live TV. In a post on Instagram, "The Simple Life" personality mentioned she was sitting with her family watching her Malibu home turn to ash on the news. In the extended caption for the post, Hilton mentions "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."

According to People, Hilton got to return to the remains of her home on January 16, after which she made another long post on X, formerly Twitter. In the post she mentions, "standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million pieces." However, part of Hilton's radiant transformation includes a dedication to activism, and in her previous post she mentioned her 11:11 Media Impact Team, which has started coordinating efforts to connect with nonprofits to help support those devastated by the fires. A reminder that helping others can often help us heal during hard times.

Acclaimed Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins appears to have been outrunning flames for decades now. Unfortunately, his home in Pacific Palisades succumbed to the blaze in 2025 — he will have to find a new home to create his strange videos in. According to the Daily Mail, Hopkins purchased the home in 2021, largely in response to the Woolsey fire in 2018. That fire threatened his Malibu home at the time, and he was possibly opting for a safer spot.

Bizarrely, there was a previous incident in which "The Silence of the Lambs" actor lost his home in London to a fire back in 2000. Now that he will once again have to rebuild, Hopkins took to Instagram to make an incredibly heartfelt post. There is no caption, but the image is a block of text which reads, "As we all struggle to heal from the devastation of these fires, it's important we remember that the only thing we take with us is the love we give." A wonderful sentiment to keep at the forefront during these difficult times and beyond.