
How Hollywood hangout has become apocalyptic ghost town of crumbling mansions & burnt supercars 6 months after wildfires
But driving down The Pacific Coast Highway, six months on from the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, Malibu feels more like a post-apocalyptic ghost town.
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Along the scenic coastal road, which was shut for months after the fires ravished LA, the view is still one of total devastation.
Damaged structures and piles of debris are all that is left of many of the high end buildings and a burnt Porsche, along with various other vehicles, lie abandoned on the side of the road.
The devastating fires, which broke out on January 7 and raged for three weeks, claimed dozens of lives and destroyed thousands of homes - including those belonging to celebrities such as Mel Gibson and Billy Crystal.
Standing at the site of Paris Hilton's former Malibu beach house, the huge impact is clearly visible.
All that remains is a section of the home's foundations, part of a wall and two doors with weeds now growing around the concrete.
It feels as though it will be a long time before Malibu is back to being a magnet for visitors and bustling with big names.
But less than 10 miles away in the Pacific Palisades, one of the neighbourhoods hardest hit by the inferno, residents remain optimistic and are hard at work rebuilding their community.
It was home to many Hollywood stars, including Anna Faris, Miles Teller, Anthony Hopkins and Adam Brody, whose properties burnt to the ground.
Months on, the neighbourhood is only open to residents, construction workers and members of the media.
It still looks like the set of a war movie after the fire destroyed more than 6,000 structures, including homes, businesses, and community landmarks.
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The historic Starbucks building, which was 100 years old and commissioned in 1924, is in ruins with the remaining walls still covered in black smoke damage.
Firefighter controversy
Hollywood actor Dennis Quaid, famous for his roles in The Parent Trap and The Substance, has several friends who lost their homes, including his agent, and has been vocal about the City's response to the disaster, slamming Mayor Karen Bass for her failure to "hit the ground running" as the fires raged.
He compared the state of the affluent neighbourhood to the early 20th Century, before studio expansions in the area prompted a building boom.
As we stood close to the rubble in the town centre, he told The Sun: 'Right now, looking at it, it's almost like it was in 1907.
'It's beginning [the rebuild]. There are a lot of lots for sale publicly, which I think is a good thing.
'It's a tragedy for people who have lost [everything] but the community needs to come back.
'There is a ray of hope I think. We're as strong as ever. The City just needs to get out of the way.'
Quaid was in the area to greet billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso who has announced plans to invest.
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He hired private firefighters to save his shopping centre which is one of the only large buildings to remain intact.
But his actions sparked controversy, with some saying private crews draw resources away from public firefighters.
Quaid thinks he did the right thing.
'He had his own fire department here because he wanted to take pressure off the City in case there ever was a fire so they could handle it,' he said.
'This is a guy who thinks of things.'
He also insisted it's 'not just movie people' who lost their homes, adding: 'I know they're considered rich people and all that but these are also people with mortgages, and they've been under hardship.
'And all the people who supported the community; the store owners, small businesses, gardeners, it's had its impact.'
Caruso, who lost the Los Angeles Mayor's race in 2022, is reportedly investing around $50million to rebuild and upgrade the area.
Rebuilding from ground zero
Despite the backlash he has previously faced, he was met with positivity from residents this month as he announced that Palisades Village will reopen in mid-2026.
He told The Sun: 'We've got construction starting now, we're bringing everything back.
'We're rebuilding inside of all the stores, the restaurants, the apartments are all getting redone, we're going to rocking and rolling within a year.
'You did have tourists in the summer time because people were visiting Malibu, the beach, and whatnot, and they will come back, they just need a place to go. And that's what we need to do, give them that.'
The tragedy also affected the area of Altadena in east Los Angeles, where a fire burnt for more than 20 days.
Asked if there is any hope for the other areas, Caruso said: 'Absolutely. That's what I think is really important about this announcement because what's happening here, it will happen in Malibu, it will happen in Altadena.
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'When a retailer says, 'I'm willing to invest in a community that has basically been devastated' that means they believe it's coming back.
'Malibu is open this summer. The highway is open. Go support those businesses, the beaches are as beautiful as ever.'
During this year's holiday season, the Palisades Village will bring back its annual Christmas tree lighting and Menorah celebration so the community can reunite.
Caruso will also reconstruct the public park and fund the revitalisation of the streetscapes, including the sidewalks.
Corinne Verdery, CEO of Caruso's business, said the announcement "reinforces our long-term commitment to the Palisades.'
She explained, 'Our goal is to restore Palisades Village and the surrounding area as a vibrant and welcoming destination once again for residents, workers, and visitors – a place that reflects our community's resilience and optimism for the future."
Fashion designer and business owner Elyse Walker tragically lost her original store after 25 years to the fires but is rebuilding her flagship.
She said: 'I opened the first elysewalker location in the Pacific Palisades because I saw the huge opportunity to bring fashion retail to the area.
'I knew that I wanted a store to feel like a home base within the community.
'More than a store, it was where friends and family got together to connect, celebrate, and of course, shop, elysewalker Pacific Palisades epitomized that.
'Re-opening in the Palisades and moving to the Village is incredibly exciting and important as we focus our efforts on rebuilding and supporting this incredibly strong and resilient community.'
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Five years of misery
Over in Malibu, it's likely to take a lot longer to get things moving, while local police are still trying to protect the community from squatters.
Jeff Schmucker, senior superintendent with Santa Barbara-based Clear Construction, spoke to The Sun as he was working on site.
Despite Caruso's optimism, Schmucker feels it could be up to five years until Malibu is thriving once again, as he believes only 50 per cent of homeowners will rebuild, while the rest will sell their lots.
He told The Sun: 'We're already submitting plans to build but I don't know how fast that process will be. We've got seven maybe eight houses signed up now.
Malibu is open this summer. The highway is open. Go support those businesses, the beaches are as beautiful as ever.
Rick Caruso
'We'll start the first one by October, as soon as we get permits we'll start. It would take anywhere between a year and a half to three years depending on the size.'
It can take up to 18 months to just get a building permit in Los Angeles, which home owners are pushing to be reduced as many are refusing to wait years to return.
Asked if he's seen any construction work in Malibu so far, he said, 'Nobody's even started yet. I saw one going up in the Palisades and that guy had just built.
'As soon as it burnt down they just resubmitted the exact same plans that they'd just finished.'
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He said many of the residents were underinsured and are being left thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Many of the iconic restaurants and cafes in Malibu remain closed, while some have burnt down completely and will not reopen.
But there are still a few local owners who are pushing forward and are adamant business will one day be booming again.
Joel Auiz is the owner of The Country Kitchen on Pacific Coast Highway, which has been a popular spot for four decades.
£200k loss
He said despite the business not burning down, there was a lot of damage and with the Pacific Coast Highway being closed for months it's been a huge struggle.
'When I saw the situation 11 days after the fires there was no electricity and I had to throw everything away,' he said.
'We reopened in March but business has been down about 60 per cent. It got better this past weekend when the PCH reopened but it's slow.
'Hopefully things get better. I don't know how long it's going to take to rebuild, everyone has to get new permits, septic tanks, so many things.
'I hope tourists do show up this summer, people from other states and other countries help a lot. We've already lost more than $200,000, we were closed for 50 days.
'It's sad to see the destruction and the lives lost. To rebuild all this is going to take a while. But thank God we are still here, it could be worse.
'We are grateful and ready to serve people. Our breakfast burritos, we serve those all day, the burgers are good, good sandwiches, homemade salsas as well.'
While all of the communities affected by the wildfires have a long road ahead, it's clear so many do not want to give up hope.
But they can't bring life back to some of the most beautiful areas of the city alone.
The message is clear; they need help from the City, investors with big pockets, and they need tourists to take a chance on them.
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The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
Millionaire Sacha's fat jab jibe is a kick in the abs to normal people struggling with obesity
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And skinny jabs are no laughing matter for those who have struggled with obesity for years. Their choice shouldn't be made fun of. Mocking them isn't big or clever. Sacha's smug comments insinuate that they are somehow cheating too. But who cares? If it works, it works. Skinny jabs such as Mounjaro and Ozempic have transformed lives. Yes, some people have cheated the system to buy the medication privately without a prescription but, mostly, people use it as a last resort to tackle health problems associated with obesity. There is now a guessing game of 'who has and hasn't' used it when people lose weight because often they are too embarrassed or ashamed to admit it because of people like Sacha. He was trying to be funny, but his Ozempic comment was unnecessary. There was no guessing game in his transformation — the magazine detailed exactly how he got in shape — and this is a man who has clearly never struggled with his weight either. Sacha is right, though, when he says 'some celebs use Ozempic'. Oprah Winfrey says skinny jabs not only helped transform her weight but her mental health too after years of suffering because comedians would poke fun at her figure. Deliberate dig Now comedian Sacha is poking fun at countless others for how they deal with their weight problems, too. Robbie Williams said that the skinny drugs are like a 'miracle' for him and helped his mental health, while Whoopi Goldberg may have saved her life with them after peaking at a deadly 21st. I admire them all for speaking out and telling the truth. And there is actress Rebel Wilson, who admitted she used Ozempic as part of an overhaul for her health. Her public spat with Sacha is so well documented, and I can't help wondering if his barbed comment was actually a deliberate dig aimed specifically at her. As well as the Ozempic comment, he said of the photo: 'This is not AI. 'I really am egotistical enough to do this.' 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Underwear is not for prancing around your local boozer, or nipping into Tesco. You'd give someone a heart attack. Face it, joke is wrong ON his daughter's last day at school, Chris Napthine decided to put on an ape costume and mask because he says: 'I was just trying to embarrass her'. Which he has now well and truly achieved because the school has kicked off, saying it's a safeguarding issue because they can't see who is picking up kids when the person's face is covered – which is a very valid point. 7 And no parent would like a call from the school office saying that a giant gorilla had nabbed little Johnny and they no longer know his whereabouts. Maybe Chris should try to remember it's the kids who are the ones that are supposed to be monkeying around, not the adults. IF you want some light entertainment, I can highly recommend the car crash interview on Monday's Lorraine show between Christine Lampard and Helen Lederer, who is appearing in the new Fawlty Towers stage show. 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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
WWE star Chelsea Green quits social media after being attacked over controversial Hulk Hogan tribute
WWE superstar Chelsea Green has been forced to flee social media after receiving horrific death threats over her comments on the late Hulk Hogan. Green, WWE's inaugural Women's United States Champion, paid tribute to the wrestling legend live on CBS News 24/7 shortly after his death from cardiac arrest Thursday. The 34-year-old attempted to give as balanced outlook on the 'Hulkster', acknowledging his 'polarizing political views' before hailing the impact of the 'absolute icon.' However, given her advocacy of the LGBTQ + community, some fans slammed the Canadian fighter for speaking out in support of the wrestler, who had been an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump and had endured a racism scandal in 2015. As the abusive criticism began to flood in on social media, Green attempted to clarify her comments, apologizing for any offense she had caused. 'A significant part of my role at @WWE involves engaging w the public & responding to questions, often on live platforms,' Green wrote on X. 'Yesterday, I was asked to comment on Hulk Hogan on live tv. Let me be clear: my stance on racism is unwavering. I do not condone it—period. 'If my response (or tweet) seemed dismissive of real concerns, I sincerely apologize,' Green continued. 'That was never my intention. I tried to acknowledge a death respectfully, even when the legacy is complicated. I am learning one day at a time and will continue to learn.' However, the vitriolic reaction to her remarks was not quelled by her apology. Instead, it only began to escalate to such a level that Green was forced to take a step back from the platform. 'I've tried to keep my page positive and comedic, but today, a lot changed… and it hit harder than I expected. The name calling, the death threats, the faceless accounts,' she posted Friday night. 'Social media was supposed to be a fun place and it hasn't been for a while. It's been overwhelming and I need to step away for a little bit.' Hogan died at the age of 71 on Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida. EMTs were called to the property and the wrestler was transported to a nearby medical facility, where he ultimately passed away. Before his death, Hogan launched his own beer brand and became known as an ardent Trump supporter. He endorsed Trump's presidential candidacy at the 2024 GOP convention and later spoke in favor of his fellow reality TV star at a Madison Square Garden rally in October. He even pitched himself to be Trump's Vice President before JD Vance was chosen. But in some corners, his act was growing tired, especially after Hogan was recorded using racist slurs in 2015. In a video made public by The National Enquirer, Hogan said 'I guess we're all a little racist' and used the n-word while referring to his daughter's love life, repeating the phrase 'f***ing n******' several times. Anger over the incident continued into this year as Hogan was booed during a rare WWE appearance in Los Angeles. Although Green opened her on-air tribute to Hogan by acknowledging the divisive aspect of his life, she went on to praise his 'legacy.' 'He was an absolute icon,' she told CBS News 24/7. 'If it weren't for Hulk Hogan there are many of us in the wrestling industry that absolutely would not be here. He inspired a massive generation. It is a loss that we are feeling deeply in the wrestling community.' Hogan is survived by his wife Sky Daily, his two children, Brooke, 36, and Nick, 34, whom he shared with his first wife Linda Hogan, as well as two grandchildren. Sky was Hogan's third wife, marrying the former wrestler in 2023 following his divorces from ex-wives Linda and Jennifer McDaniel in 2009 and 2021 respectively. Through the final months of his life, Hogan battle through the emotional toll of a bitter family feud with ex-wife Linda and his daughter Brooke. In an astonishing video on social media shared back in March, Linda first accused her former husband of being a 'complete liar' and 'sex addict' . She also claimed their family is 'in the worst mess' after Brooke cut both parents out of her life, before hitting back at her mom by alleging that her dad was not the only reason behind the shocking family divide, claiming she was 'verbally and mentally abused' during her childhood. 'Sadly, it would frequently turn physical. And sometimes it's not by the person you would assume, abuse comes in all shapes and sizes,' Brooke alleged. After Brooke's stunning response, Linda then took a dramatic U-turn by defending Hogan and branding her daughter a 'narcissist.'


The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Elon Musk opened a diner in Hollywood. What could go wrong? I went to find out
It was just before lunchtime on its third day of operation, and the line outside Elon Musk's new Tesla Diner in Hollywood already stretched to nearly 100 people. The restaurant has been billed as a 'retro-futuristic' drive-in where you can grab a high-end burger and watch classic films on giant screens, all while charging your Tesla. After months of buildup and controversy, the diner had suddenly opened on Monday, at 4.20pm, the kind of stoner boy joke that Musk is well-known for. Hundreds of fans lined up to try burgers in Cybertruck-shaped boxes, or take photos of the Optimus robot serving popcorn on the roof deck of the gleaming circular diner. But that was for the grand opening. Less than 48 hours later, when we visited for lunch, the Tesla Diner experience was less a futuristic fantasy than a case study in how to fail with impunity. Many parts of the experience were breaking down, the food was mediocre, yet the fans were still cheerfully lining up to buy merch. The line to get into the diner on Wednesday morning was so long, an employee told us, in part because of technical problems. The app that allowed Tesla drivers to order from their cars was glitching, so the diner was 'prioritizing' Tesla owners who had to come inside to order instead. This meant that non-Tesla owners in the walk-up line might need to wait as long as two to three hours before we got our food. I expected at least a few people to leave the walk-up line immediately, but the only ones who did were two families of Tesla owners who went back to order from within their cars. Even if the app didn't work for them, they would still get their food faster. The hierarchy was clear: things were broken for everyone, but owners of Musk products had to suffer slightly less. The rest of us kept waiting in the hot sun. 'Retro-futurism', in this case, seemed to mean gorgeous, Tesla-inspired, mid-century modern architecture coupled with wait times that would shutter an ordinary McDonald's. An episode of Star Trek was playing on the giant drive-in movie screens, but the best entertainment available was watching tricked-out Cybertrucks arrive and depart. I counted at least six when I arrived, and more kept appearing: a neon orange Cybertruck with Texas plates, another floating on giant custom rims. I did not spot a single anti-Musk protester, though social media posts were advertising protests outside the diner later in the week. Musk's special projects have often unfolded with a degree of chaos. Most recently, his attempt to dismantle the large parts of the US government ended with him feuding with the president he had spent nearly $300m to elect. Serving high-end burgers to Tesla fans while they charge their electric cars should be much easier than launching space rockets, developing brain implants or running a social media platform that is not overrun with hate speech and harassment. And Musk's diner operation partners, the Los Angeles chef Eric Greenspan, who advised Mr Beast Burger, and restaurateur Bill Chait, of République and Tartine Bakery, have impressive food industry credentials. But the billionaire CEO tends to make big promises and not quite fulfill them. That appeared to be true even for a tiny burger joint. You don't have to own a Tesla to order a meal at the diner, and its appeal clearly reached far beyond Tesla drivers. There were many people in the walk-up line on Wednesday with babies and small children, some of whom were particularly excited to be visiting the Tesla Diner after seeing videos about it online. While we all waited and waited, employees in branded T-shirts brought us glasses of water and paper menus. Jake Hook, who runs a Los Angeles-focused 'Diner Theory' social media account, had described the Tesla Diner menu to me as 'all over the place', with a combination of 'very fast food shlocky' items combined with sandwiches made with 'bread from Tartine', the luxury California bakery. The diner also offers a mix of 'own the libs' and 'we are the libs' options: on the one hand, 'Epic Bacon', four strips of bacon are served with sauces as a meatfluencer alternative to french fries, and on the other, avocado toast and matcha lattes. There was a kale salad served in a cardboard Cybertruck: welcome to southern California. 'Diners are kind of a reflection of the community, and it doesn't seem to really be that,' Hook told me over the phone. 'It's like a diner-themed restaurant.' An employee gave the Wednesday walk-up line another update: they didn't have chicken, waffles or milkshakes, or any of the 'charged sodas', which came with boba and maraschino cherries and extra caffeine. 'It gets better and better,' sighed a man behind me. Josh Bates and his son Phoenix were in town for the day from Orange county, where they lived. 'We are big Musk fans,' he said. Phoenix, age 10, had been excited to visit the diner. 'I never seen Elon Musk open a restaurant, so I just wanted to come here and see how the food is,' he explained. But after waiting in line for 20 minutes and not getting much closer to ordering, Bates decided it was time to find somewhere else for lunch. 'It's the grand opening – things happen,' the father said. 'It is what it is. They're doing the best they can.' Bates wasn't the only Musk fan with this attitude. Ivan Daza, 36, who lived in Los Angeles, later told me that he had waited two hours the day before, only to be told around 6 or 7pm that the Tesla Diner's kitchen was closed. He had brought his eight-year-old daughter back the next day to try again. She had seen the Tesla Diner on YouTube and was especially excited to see the Optimus robot. But it turned out that Optimus was not in operation. Daza said he was surprised by the various problems the kitchen seemed to be having – he thought they would have a 'plan B'. But he was pleased the diner offered an 'experience'. The prices, though expensive, weren't that bad for Los Angeles. The burger was $13.50, without french fries. Later, as Daza ate the meal that had taken him two days to get, he grinned: 'Delicious.' The interior design was certainly closer to Disneyland than In-N-Out: all sleek and shining chrome, futuristic 1950s white chairs and tables, and beautifully designed lighting. The curved staircase up to the Skypad was decorated with robots in display cases on the wall. Inside a curved chrome window was what looked like a pretty ordinary, low-tech restaurant kitchen. I had waited in line for a full hour before I could place my order. When I finally got to the register, I asked an employee to remind me what on the menu was actually available. She said I needed to check the screen in front of me – they had whatever was there. It turned out, contrary to what I had been told, that I could order both chicken and waffles. After the long wait outside, my food arrived in about 10 minutes – much less than the three-hour wait I feared, but absurdly long for any fast-casual restaurant. A waffle, branded with the Tesla lightning bolt, was cold. The fried chicken had a tasty coating but was also cold. The heap of kale and tomatoes was only partially dressed with an odd dill-flavored dressing. The generic-brand cola tasted cheap and was served with a woke bamboo straw. But the food did come in elaborate Cybertruck boxes – and they were, to be honest, delightful. While locals seemed to be forgiving of the new diner's glitches, some tourists were less impressed. Rick Yin, 32, who was visiting Los Angeles from China with his mother, had stopped by the diner on their way to the airport to 'grab a quick lunch' that had turned out not to be quick at all. Yin had also been excited to see the Optimus robot in action, and had hoped the diner would be 'more hi-tech'. What he had found was 'a regular restaurant'. 'It's all right,' he said, while still waiting for his food. After eating, he said he liked the Cybertruck boxes: 'That's the only thing that's worth it.' I took my meal upstairs , to the Skypad, an open-air balcony with a view of the charging Teslas. The Twilight Zone was now playing on two giant screens. I sat down next to a steady line of people buying Tesla Diner merch: a $95 retro diner hoodie, $65 Tesla salt and pepper shakers, a $175 'levitating Cybertruck' figurine. There was a large popcorn machine in front of me, which seemed to be where Optimus had been serving snacks on opening night. Musk had been posting on X earlier in the morning that 'Optimus will bring the food to your car next year' and suggesting the robot might be dressed in a 'cute' retro outfit. In reality, Optimus was nowhere in sight. The robot was 'out today', an employee told me later, as if the pricey piece of machinery were a human celebrity with a busy schedule. 'Maybe tomorrow.' 'Is it possible to get some popcorn regardless of the robot?' a woman asked. 'It's probably old popcorn,' an employee told her regretfully. A different employee warned me that I could not walk down the same staircase I had taken up to the Skypad because it was too crowded and that 'everyone's colliding with each other and trays and milkshakes'. I would have to go down another way: a bland flight of stairs without any hi-tech decoration. During a Tesla earnings call on Wednesday, as the company disclosed declining revenue and profits, Musk highlighted his new burger palace as a success: 'Diners don't typically get headline news around Earth,' he bragged. He also called the diner 'a shiny beacon of hope in an otherwise sort-of bleak urban landscape'. (It is located on Santa Monica Boulevard, in a neighborhood full of high-end art galleries.) I'd had plenty of time in the diner line to think about 'retro-futuristic' experiences, and how good a description that was, not so much for this very ordinary diner, but for the rightwing political project that Musk had joined. We were now moving into a future that offered tank-like electric cars and on-demand drone deliveries, and also a resurgence of measles outbreaks and women dying from preventable pregnancy-related complications. But continuing to function in the United States right now requires being very good at compartmentalization. I tucked away the cardboard Cybertruck lids to show my co-workers, threw away the Tesla waffles, and went on with my day. Nothing works properly here any more, but hey, it's an experience.