Jamie Lee Curtis criticised for ‘inappropriate’ comparison of LA wildfires and Gaza

4 hours ago 4

Fans have criticised Jamie Lee Curtis after she compared the LA wildfires to war-torn Gaza.

The Freaky Friday actress, 66, has received some flak from fans after she spoke about the wildfires in Los Angeles at a Q&A for The Last Showgirl.

While on stage with Pamela Anderson, the star spoke about the California fires which have caused mass destruction and has burned many celebrity homes to the ground.

The star attempted to emphasise the horrifying scenes in California by suggesting that it looked like Gaza.

‘The entire Pacific Palisades looks like, you know, unfortunately Gaza or one of these war-torn countries where awful things have happened,’ she said in a snippet shared online.

The comment from the Halloween actress was met with very divided views as some felt the comment was ‘inappropriate’ and ‘lacking sensitivity’.

Jamie Lee Curtis comments on the Los Angeles fires during a Q&A:“The entire Pacific Palisades looks like, you know, unfortunately Gaza or one of these war-torn countries where awful things have happened” pic.twitter.com/APe3CYw8we

— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 10, 2025

‘I live in California and you would never find me comparing these fires to gaza…both tragedies but not comparable AT ALL,’ said lizziesjuul on X.

‘This comparison is inappropriate and lacks sensitivity to the actual experiences of those living in war-torn regions,’ said bk_bites0319.

‘Entirely incomparable but okay,’ said buffys.

Some fans defended the star who believed she was trying to emphasise the scale of destruction.

‘I see what Jamie Lee Curtis is saying, and honestly, I kind of get it, the fires are devastating, and sometimes you need a big comparison to really drive the point home. Sure, mentioning Gaza might stir some debate, but I think her heart’s in the right place, she’s just trying to get people to realize how bad things really are,’ said Reading1776.

‘why is everyone being so sensitive.??? she was not comparing LA to Gaza she just said the STREETS in LA look like Gaza rn I swearr ya’ll hear the word Gaza and have a whole lot to say without listening first,’ said xclaireangelx.

The actress has been vocal about the wildfires and spoke about feeling ‘powerless’ as she continued to work despite her neighbourhood being engulfed in flames.

‘My home is safe. My street is safe. Flying to New York and hearing the beginnings of the stories of the fire was very challenging to be far away from my home and family and friends and feeling very powerless,’ she said in a social media post.

She has used her platform to share information about the fires and encouraged her followers to donate and pray for those affected by the fires. She has also donated $ 1 million (£813,145) to help those affected by the destruction.

‘It is a terrifying situation and I’m grateful to the firefighters and all of the good Samaritans who are helping people get out of the way of the blaze. Neighbors have taken care of neighbors. We ALL take everything for granted because we are all living our lives but when it hits your community, it’s particularly shocking,’ she said in another post online.

Metro has reached out to Jamie Lee Curtis’s representatives for comment.

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