Several Hollywood celebrities, including some who have supported liberal policies in the past, are lashing out at the California government over the LA fires that continue to burn through homes and lives.
Gavin Newsom speaking at an event – Office of the Governor of California, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
As raging wildfires sweep through Southern California, destroying homes and leaving a trail of devastation, a wave of Hollywood celebrities have turned their frustration on California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. The LA fueled by dry conditions and fierce winds, have ravaged areas including the Pacific Palisades, Eaton Canyon, and other parts of Los Angeles County.
With the death toll climbing and damages estimated at $150 billion, the backlash has been swift and pointed.
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION (L to R) GRIFFIN NEWMAN as ORKO, TIFFANY SMITH as ANDRA, SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR as TEELA, JUSTIN LONG as ROBOTO and LENA HEADEY as EVIL-LYN in episode 103 of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021
Among the celebrities lashing out over the LA fires is Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar. A former Republican now known for her liberal leanings and vocal support for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Gellar took to Instagram to share her outrage at the lack of emergency management during evacuations.
“City of LA, you want everyone to evacuate yet you have complete gridlock and not one traffic cop on the roads helping,” she wrote, highlighting the chaos on Southern California’s streets as thousands fled the encroaching flames. She tagged LA mayor Karen Bass in this post directly.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sara Foster and more stars slam LA mayor over botched fire response: ‘Ruined our state’
By Tamantha Ryan
Published Jan. 9, 2025
Updated Jan. 9, 2025, 12:31 p.m. ET @nypost
Well, maybe you will remember this when you go to the polls next time. pic.twitter.com/A2sMcspSXr— Steven W Owen (@SOWEN1966) January 9, 2025
Other prominent voices joined the chorus of criticism. Actor James Woods, an outspoken conservative, blamed both Newsom and Bass for their alleged incompetence.
It took mere hours for the ineptitude of Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass to render the Pacific Palisades a scorched wasteland. To rebuild will be a gargantuan task. The first necessary step must be to recall these two worthless political hacks. #RecallGavinNewsom #RecallKarenBass pic.twitter.com/V2XxpnOmd2
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 10, 2025
“This fire is not from ‘climate change,’ you ignorant a******,” Woods posted on X, responding to people chalking these fires up to climate change. “It’s because liberal idiots like you elect liberal idiots like Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass. One doesn’t understand the first thing about fire management and the other can’t fill the water reservoirs.”
It’s been requested that I post this one more time. Petition · Demand the Immediate Resignation of Mayor Karen Bass – Los Angeles, United States · https://t.co/OE7YKlXuna https://t.co/M8U9mtFnAI
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 13, 2025
Woods didn’t stop there, sharing photos of the charred Pacific Palisades and calling for a recall of both officials. Speaking with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Woods said, “This isn’t a wake-up call. This is the kind of thing they have tribunals for, where they try people and say, ‘You had an oath of office to perform certain duties.’”
James Woods on the tragic fires happening in California:
“Laura, with all due respect, if it is true that things were handled this way if it is true that Gavin Newsom is the absolute blithering idiot that I believe he is in the way.”
“This isn’t a wake-up call.”
“This is the… pic.twitter.com/ERd4Yemhui
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 9, 2025
Fitness guru Jillian Michaels, who previously lost her home to a wildfire in 2018, also voiced her frustrations.
“Pacific Palisades ran out of water at 3 a.m.,” Michaels posted on X. “This is not a partisan issue—it’s pure incompetence and misprioritization.”
California governor @GavinNewsom issues a press release admitting they knew about the insane fire risk this past Sunday because he was propositioning fire engines. And yet, he just called in the national guard a few hours ago. Pacific Palisades ran out of water at 3am. I’m so…
— Jillian Michaels (@JillianMichaels) January 8, 2025
She went on to place the blame squarely on Newsom’s shoulders.
“California governor @GavinNewsom issues a press release admitting they knew about the insane fire risk this past Sunday because he was propositioning fire engines. And yet, he just called in the national guard a few hours ago.”
Michaels called for cross-party cooperation to get new leadership in California following this horrible event.
I’m saying that regardless of one’s political affiliations protecting people from natural disasters is paramount. And whether you are red or blue you should demand change in California.
— Jillian Michaels (@JillianMichaels) January 8, 2025
“I’m saying that regardless of one’s political affiliations protecting people from natural disasters is paramount,” she said. “And whether you are red or blue you should demand change in California.”
Actor Mel Gibson took aim at Newsom during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, accusing the governor of failing to invest in wildfire prevention.
NEW: Joe Rogan and Mel Gibson blast California Governor Gavin Newsom for failing to prepare Los Angeles for the devastating wildfires.
“They spent $24 billion last year on the homeless, and what did they spend on preventing these wildfires?”
“In 2019, Newsom said he would take… pic.twitter.com/xJaQeDVMIA
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) January 9, 2025
“He didn’t do anything,” Gibson said. “And then I think all our tax dollars probably went for Gavin’s hair gel.”
Host Joe Rogan added that Newsom had “ruined the state personally,” to which Gibson agreed, criticizing the governor for California’s broader struggles with homelessness and infrastructure.
Patricia Heaton, best known for her role on Everybody Loves Raymond, posted a video to X lamenting California’s leadership.
The primary role of government is to secure infrastructure, make sure disaster preparedness is up to date, and protect citizens from harm both criminally and otherwise. Newsome & Co have done the exact opposite. Infuriating. pic.twitter.com/sdYWR2oE3g
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 8, 2025
“What are you paying all these taxes for to see your neighborhood go up in smoke?” she asked, accusing the state’s leaders of mismanaging resources while presiding over skyrocketing crime and homelessness.
Former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick also weighed in on social media, questioning the state’s preparedness for disasters despite its abundance of natural water sources.
“California has 840 miles of coastline and 3,000 lakes and reservoirs. Why don’t they have enough water to fix any and all fires?” she posted on X. Patrick didn’t mince words, calling for Newsom’s resignation: “Time for Newscum to be the next to announce his resignation.”
Actor and producer Sara Foster also targeted Newsom and Bass in a scathing X post, pointing to overgrown vegetation, empty fire hydrants, and budget cuts to fire departments.
We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug…
— Sara Foster (@saramfoster) January 9, 2025
“Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish,” she wrote. “But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits.”
The criticisms highlight a growing frustration across ideological lines, with even traditionally liberal figures like Gellar speaking out. As wildfires continue to devastate Southern California, the political fallout for Newsom and Bass appears to be gaining momentum.
The Sunset fire burning in the Hollywood Hills – YouTube, Fox 11 Los Angeles
Incoming President Donald Trump also weighed in, posting on Truth Social, “One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump further accused Newsom of refusing to sign a purported “water restoration declaration” that, according to Trump, could have mitigated the disaster. Newsom’s spokesperson dismissed the claim, calling it “pure fiction.”
Do you think Newsom and Bass will resign? If they don’t will they have a political career left after such an egregious failing? Are you surprised that celebrities are speaking out against the California government in the wake of the LA fires? Sound off in the comments and let us know.
