People online have been celebrating James Woods being forced to evacuate his home in the Pacific Palisades as wind-fueled fires spread across Los Angeles.
Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Woods for comment on Wednesday outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
Southern California is battling multiple wildfires fueled by some of the strongest Santa Ana winds in recent memory, prompting mass evacuations, infrastructure damage and an ongoing state of emergency.
The Palisades Fire, which erupted on Tuesday, rapidly ballooned in size to cover more than 2,900 acres. Two new blazes—the Eaton Fire near Altadena and the Hurst Fire in Sylmar—also erupted late Tuesday.
What to Know
The Oscar-nominated actor is one of the many people who has been affected by the fires, having taken to X to share the news—but not everyone is sympathetic.
Woods is known for his prolific acting career. He has over 130 credits to his name, as well as two Oscar nominations, a Golden Globe, two Primetime Emmys and one Daytime Emmy. However these days, he is perhaps best known for being a staunch supporter of Donald Trump—and this tragic natural disaster is an example of how such events can get politicized.
What People Are Saying
X user @MrRaceBannon reshared a video from Woods showing the fire around his home, adding: "James Woods house is on fire. If only he'd raked his backyard."
This comment refers to the fact that in 2020, then-President Trump had threatened to withhold emergency funding from California because the state had ignored his "raking" theory of forest management to prevent wildfires.
People took to the comments of the post to share their thoughts, with one person writing: "Awww... Poor James. Poor, poor James. I hate it when s***** things happen to even s******* people. Don't you?"
"Karma put her High Heels on today," someone else commented.
"That's clearly unfortunate, but frankly I've no respect or time for Woods. The historical 'attitude' (arrogance) in his acting has fueled MAGA, and his endorsements of Trump are undeniably overbearing and irrational. He's been on my Trump 'shit list' for a LONG TIME," said another.
A fourth person added: "It always finds evil."
However, others online aren't impressed with those celebrating the fact that Woods' home has been hit by the wildfire.
X user @ChrisDJackson reshared @MrRaceBannon's post and added: I'm no fan of James Woods, but seeing people cheer that his home is on fire is disgusting. Wishing harm on someone over political differences is a sad reflection of where we are. And no, I don't give a damn what the other side does—be better."
I'm no fan of James Woods, but seeing people cheer that his home is on fire is disgusting. Wishing harm on someone over political differences is a sad reflection of where we are.
And no, I don't give a damn what the other side does—be better. https://t.co/nk5RTF51Bu
Others took to the comments to agree with his sentiment, with one person writing: "Completely agree. Wishing harm or cheering for something like that is out of the MAGA playbook."
"I agree. This is not a time to celebrate James Wood's home being burned. I'm not too far from the fires. It's scary, dark, gloomy, and extremely windy. Over 30,000 people, including a few friends, were told to evacuate, but they can't," said another.
Someone else commented: "I agree [100 emoji]. I don't like the guy much but I'd never wish this upon him and his family, nor anybody else for that matter."
California Governor Newsom, in a statement after declaring a state of emergency due to the Palisades fire: "This is a highly dangerous windstorm that's creating extreme fire risk – and we're not out of the woods. We're already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes.
"Our deepest thanks go to our expert firefighters and first responders who jumped quickly into fighting this dangerous fire. If you're in Southern California, please pay attention to weather reports and follow any guidance from emergency officials."
What Happens Next
Firefighters and emergency workers continue to respond to all three active wildfires.
Around 30,000 residents of Pacific Palisades have been told to evacuate immediately. The Eaton fire has now consumed approximately 1,000 acres in the hills above Altadena and prompted evacuation orders for parts of Altadena and Pasadena.
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