Tyra Banks Reveals She Lost Her Home in the LA Wildfires: “I’m one of them. I lost my house.”

Dang. While many individuals have shared their experiences in real-time during the Los Angeles wildfires, Tyra Banks chose to remain silent out of respect for others impacted by the disaster. On Sunday (Jan. 19), the supermodel revealed the heartbreaking news that she lost her home in the devastating fires that swept through the city.

Currently overseas, in Australia for her SMiZE & DREAM ice cream brand, Banks opened up about the loss during a segment on Sunrise. When asked by the host if she knew anyone affected by the fires, Banks responded, “I’m one of them. I lost my house.”

Get this, the America’s Next Top Model host went on to explain why she had kept the news private for some time. “I haven’t really talked about it but, yeah, I have,” she admitted. “I just didn’t want to put a lot of attention to me, I feel that there’s a lot of people that need that attention, so I haven’t really talked about it, but I can’t sit here and not tell the truth, so yeah we lost our house.”

When it comes to reflecting on the moment she first became aware of the fire’s severity, Banks recalled, “We were celebrating and just having fun. I kept checking my phone, not for my house, but just for friends and family. I was just making sure they were evacuating and everything. Then, I asked my partner, ‘I’m seeing something here. What do you think?’ And he said [nods].”

Sadly, after processing the shock privately with her partner, Banks shared, “I didn’t say anything to my friends. I just stayed in that moment. Then we went home and we cried. We had our moment.” Thankfully, some of her most cherished mementos were safe in her New York property. Whew.

Although she didn’t provide many additional details, Banks shared an update on her Instagram, expressing that she’s “head down” and fully focused on her new ice cream brand. “I’m just really in ‘ice cream world,’ working hard on this next chapter,” she said.

As of Jan. 21, the wildfires have tragically claimed at least 25 lives, destroyed over 12,000 structures, and scorched more than 60 square miles, according to CBS. Hundreds of thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, with many still under evacuation orders as the Palisades and Eaton wildfires continue to burn.