LA fires: ‘Nothing left’ of Mel Gibson’s house as he urges California governor to ‘spend less on hair gel’
Mel Gibson says there is “nothing left” of his Hollywood home following the LA wildfires and “someone should answer” for the devastation.
The Braveheart star was with podcaster Joe Rogan when the flames engulfed his Malibu mansion and said he was a “little tense” while recording their discussion.
But he knew his family were “out of harm’s way” and a few “necessary things” such as passports were saved.
The loss of his home and others is “tragic”, however, and it “makes you really sad”, he added.
While describing lost items as “only things”, he said they included “works of art, photographs, [and] rare books”, some of them dating back to 1600.
Regarding the conduct of the authorities, he told Fox News: “Apparently, some people were asleep on the job, mainly our leaders.
“That’s something they have to live with. Kids are traumatised. Someone should answer for it.”
Asked if he had a message for California governor Gavin Newsom, or Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, he commented: “Spend less on hair gel.”
LA fires latest: Civilian drone ‘rips hole in emergency plane’
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Celebrities’ homes have burned down in the LA fires
At least 16 people have been killed in the blazes, with more than 100,000 asked to evacuate their homes.
The fires have affected multiple celebrities, ripping through exclusive suburbs in southern California, home to film stars and billionaires.
Legendary British actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has reportedly lost his home in the Pacific Palisades fire.
The star – perhaps best known for his performance as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs – posted a message on Instagram, in which he said: “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.”
The mother of British child star Rory Sykes, 32, has confirmed her son died in the Pacific Palisades fire.
Sykes appeared in TV programme Kiddy Kapers in the 1990s.
Shelley Sykes said her “beautiful son” was “born blind with cerebral palsy and had difficulty walking” but had overcome “so much with surgeries and therapies to regain his sight and to be able to learn to walk”.
Pic: Paris Hilton/Instagram/Reuters
Paris Hilton, meanwhile, says her “heart shattered into a million pieces” after visiting the charred remains of her Malibu beach house.
Describing herself as “in complete shock”, the hotel heiress said seeing her family memories “reduced to ashes” was “devastating”.
Hilton, 43, said she watched her home burn to the ground on TV – and shared a video on social media from inside the gutted structure.
She said she was grateful to be safe along with her husband Carter Reum and their two children, Phoenix and London, but was still devastated.
She wrote on Instagram: “I’m standing here in what used to be our home, and the heartbreak is truly indescribable.
“When I first saw the news, I was in complete shock – I couldn’t process it. But now, standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million pieces.”
She has lived in the multi-million-pound property for three years.
Water dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills. Pic: AP
Hilton added: “This house wasn’t just a place to live – it was where we dreamed, laughed, and created the most beautiful memories as a family.
“It was where [son] Phoenix’s little hands made art that I’ll cherish forever, where love and life filled every corner. To see it reduced to ashes… it’s devastating beyond words.
“What breaks my heart even more is knowing that this isn’t just my story. So many people have lost everything. It’s not just walls and roofs – it’s the memories that made those houses homes. It’s the photos, the keepsakes, the irreplaceable pieces of our lives.”
She described herself as “incredibly lucky”, adding: “My loved ones – my babies – and my pets are safe. That’s the most important thing”.
She thanked the firefighters, first responders and volunteers who she said were “all risking their lives” to help, adding: “Even in the ashes, there is still beauty in this world.”
The West Hills section of Los Angeles. Pic: AP
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Presenter Ricki Lake said she and her husband Ross had lost their “dream home” and their “heaven on earth”.
She said on Instagram: “We never took our heavenly spot on the bluff overlooking our beloved Malibu for granted, not even for one second.
“This loss is immeasurable. It’s the spot where we got married three years ago. I grieve along with all of those suffering during this apocalyptic event.”
The ancestral home of Big Lebowski actor Jeff Bridges is also understood to have been destroyed.
The four-bedroom home, which had been in the Bridges family for generations, was inherited by Bridges and his two siblings in 2018 according to the Los Angeles Times.
Tina Knowles, mother of singer Beyonce, has also lost a house she owned in Malibu to the fires.
Tina Knowles with Jay-Z, Beyonce and Blue Ivy Carter in December. Pic: AP
She shared a short video of dolphins playing in the sea on Instagram, writing: “This is what I was looking at on my birthday this past weekend from my tiny little bungalow on the water in Malibu! It was my favourite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place. Now it is gone!!”
She went on to thank the fire department and first responders and offered condolences to others affected by the fires.
Take That star Mark Owen and his family were evacuated from their home, his wife Emma Ferguson describing them waking to “helicopters, thick black smoke and winds howling”.
She said that while she was grateful her family was safe, it was “exhausting” to be “constantly looking online to see if your house is gone”.
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Steve Guttenberg: ‘I’ve seen such tragedy’
Actor Steve Guttenberg, best known for his role in the Police Academy film franchise, has called the fires “absolutely the worst” he has ever seen and has been doing what he can to help distressed residents.
Other stars to have lost their homes in the fires include Billy Crystal, Miles Teller, Diane Warren, Cary Elwes, Milo Ventimiglia, Anna Faris, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag.
On Friday, the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammy Awards, and charity MusiCares pledged $1m (£813,000) to support music artists affected by the fires.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has pledged the same amount to fire relief efforts from her family foundation.
US
National Guard to be deployed to LA immigration ‘riots’ – as Trump claims state officials ‘can’t do their jobs’
The National Guard will be deployed to Los Angeles after “riots” in response to immigration raids extended into a second day.
California Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed that the Trump administration is deploying “2,000 soldiers” to Los Angeles after local police used tear gas, stun guns, and riot shields to push back immigration protesters on Saturday.
Demonstrations began outside the Los Angeles Federal Building in the downtown area of LA on Friday after officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out raids in the area.
On Saturday, several dozen protesters were involved in police standoffs in Paramount, a city south of LA.
Mr Newsom warned in a post on X: “The federal government is sowing chaos so they can have an excuse to escalate. That is not the way any civilized country behaves.”
He described the deployment as “purposefully inflammatory” and claimed it will “only escalate tensions”.
President Donald Trump hit back at Mr Newsom in a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday.
“If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!,” he wrote.
Mr Trump’s defence secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that active duty marines would also be mobilised if “violence continues”.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy holds back protesters in Paramount, Los Angeles on Saturday. Pic: Reuters
Fireworks amid police standoffs with protesters in Paramount, Los Angeles on Saturday. Pic: Reuters
LA mayor Karen Bass said that amid the recovery from this year’s wildfires, “many in our community are feeling fear” following “recent federal immigration enforcement actions” across LA County.
“We’ve been in direct contact with officials in Washington, D.C., and are working closely with law enforcement to find the best path forward,” she said.
“Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
Reports the guard would be deployed to LA came earlier on Saturday, from Mr Trump’s border tsar Tom Homan on Fox News.
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Tear gas is fired at protesters in Paramount on Saturday. Pic: Reuters
Fires amid immigration protests in Paramount, Los Angeles County on Saturday. Pic: AP
44 arrested in Friday raids
At least 44 people were arrested on suspicion of immigration violations during raids on Friday, with crowds of around “1,000 rioters” forming around the building before some “assaulted law enforcement officers, slashed tires, and defaced taxpayer-funded property”, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The raids saw street vendors and day workers rounded up across Home Depots, a clothing factory, and a warehouse, Salas of Chirla (The Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles) said.
In a statement on Saturday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said “violent mobs” had “attacked ICE officers and federal law enforcement agents carrying out basic deportation operations”.
She described such activity as “essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States”.
Ms Leavitt said Californian politicians were “feckless” and had “completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens”, prompting Mr Trump’s order to send in the guard.
Police fire stun grenades at protesters outside the Los Angeles Federal Building on Friday. Pic: Reuters
A protester holds up a sign to police outside the Los Angeles Federal Building on Friday. Pic: Reuters
Protests spread to second city
On Saturday, protests spread to the Paramount area, where there is a significant Latino population, after demonstrators spotted ICE employees in a Home Depot car park they appeared to be using as a base.
Law enforcement officers faced off protesters at a road junction at around 5pm where a car had been set on fire earlier in the day.
The roads were pictured strewn with trolleys and rubbish bins set on fire, as gas canisters and fireworks were also set off.
A car burns on Atlantic Boulevard in Paramount, Los Angeles on Saturday. Pic: Reuters
The car burnt out in Paramount on Saturday. Pic: Reuters
Commenting on Saturday’s protests, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said: “It appeared that federal law enforcement officers were in the area, and that members of the public were gathering to protest.”
Vice President JD Vance claimed that “insurrectionists” were seen “carrying foreign flags” and “attacking immigration enforcement officers” in Paramount.
“One half of America’s political leadership has decided that border enforcement is evil,” he posted on X. “Time to pass President Trump’s beautiful bill and further secure the border.”
Mexican and US flags are flown by protesters in Paramount. Pic: Reuters
‘Death to ICE’, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is written on a bin in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. Pic: Reuters
The clashes come amid Trump’s nationwide crackdown on illegal migration.
As soon as he was re-elected in January he set a target of arresting 3,000 suspected illegal migrants per day – and promised to lock down the US-Mexico border.
Elon Musk’s social media post claiming Donald Trump is in files relating to the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has been removed.
The tech billionaire made the allegation on X as he traded blows with the US president in a dramatic public row.
In the post, which now appears to have been deleted, Musk said: “@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.
“Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”
He gave no evidence for the claim, which was dismissed by the White House – with the post disappearing from his social media platform by Sunday.
Users clicking on the message – first posted on Thursday – were instead greeted with: “Hmm…this page doesn’t exist. Try searching for something else.”
Epstein killed himself in his jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.
File pic: Reuters
Musk and Mr Trump’s relationship broke down publicly on Thursday, just days after the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive left his role as a special government employee.
In a fiery exchange, Musk posted a series of messages on X criticising the president’s signature tax and spending bill as a “big ugly spending bill”.
President Trump posted on Truth Social, saying Musk had been “wearing thin” and claimed he “asked him to leave” his government position – something Musk denied.
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Musk then hit back with his claim about the US president appearing in the Epstein files.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the comment in a statement.
“This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted,” she said.
“The president is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again.”
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The spat hit Tesla shares, which closed down 14.3% on Thursday, losing about $150bn (£111bn) in value.
In an interview with ABC News, Mr Trump was asked about reports a phone call was scheduled between him and Musk on Friday.
He reportedly said: “You mean the man who has lost his mind?”
Donald Trump has said Elon Musk has “lost his mind”, according to US media, as the White House reveals the president is not interested in speaking to him.
In a phone interview with ABC News, the US president was asked about reports that a phone call was scheduled on Friday between Musk and himself.
“You mean the man who has lost his mind?” he is said to have responded.
A White House official has said Mr Trump is not interested in talking to his former ally amid a bitter feud between the two, adding that no phone call is planned for the day.
It comes as a source familiar with the situation has told Sky News the president is considering selling his Tesla, in a further sign that no resolution to the explosive bust-up is in sight.
Mr Trump purchased a Tesla earlier this year, describing the company as Elon’s “baby”.
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‘Wheels come off’ Musk-Trump relationship
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The pair’s relationship broke down publicly on Thursday, just days after Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk left his role as a special government employee.
In a fiery exchange, Musk posted a series of messages on X criticising the president’s signature tax bill as a “big ugly spending bill”.
President Trump posted on Truth Social that Musk had been “wearing thin” and claimed he “asked him to leave” his government position, something Musk denied.
Elon Musk then hit back, alleging the president “is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.”
He gave no evidence for the claim, and it was dismissed by the White House.
In a statement, it called the bust-up an “unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted.”
Read more:
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The extraordinary spat minute-by-minute
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Trump hits out at Musk
The bill at the centre of the spat was passed by the House Republicans in May and has been described by the president as a “big, beautiful bill”.
The president said to reporters in the White House on Thursday that Musk “knew the inner workings of the bill better than anybody sitting here”.
“He had no problem with it. All of a sudden, he had a problem and he only developed the problem when he found out we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate.”
Musk then denied this, saying: “False, this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”
The spat hit Tesla shares, which closed down 14.3% on Thursday, losing about $150bn (£111bn) in value.
Musk also said SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft “immediately” after Mr Trump threatened to cancel government contracts with Musk’s businesses.
Hours after issuing his threat, however, Musk heeded advice from X users telling him to “cool down” and posted: “Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon”.
The row between two of the most powerful men in America comes a week after Musk left his position in the government, where he spearheaded a controversial cost-cutting department, DOGE – the Department of Government Efficiency.
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