It’s been four months since Mandy Moore and tens of thousands of others were displaced because of the Los Angeles wildfires and every day comes with a new set of problems.
The This Is Us alum, 41, gave fans an update on her house rebuild on Tuesday, May 6, slamming Los Angeles County for making it so hard to pick up the pieces following the January fires that destroyed more than 16,000 structures.
“Thanks, LA County for making it as frustrating and impossible to rebuild after the fires as possible,” Moore quipped via an Instagram Story statement. “Shouldn’t be surprised but it’s mind boggling the red tape and hoops they’re putting us all through.”
The actress, whose house in Altadena was partially spared, noted that amid the “fury” of her initial post her message might’ve come out “a bit convoluted” so she penned a second statement directed at the county.
“It’s maddening and heartless … the endless hoops and meaningless protocol LA County is asking of fire victims who want to rebuild and get their lives back,” Moore wrote, asking, “Wasn’t California going to make this as easy as possible?”
A defeated Moore added, “We JUST finished construction in November and the fact that we’re back at square one is heartbreaking enough …”
On January 7, the landscape and lives of tens of thousands of Los Angeles residents were forever changed after a windstorm sparked brush fires throughout the region. The Palisades Fire — which includes the Pacific Palisades neighborhood — and the Eaton Fire — which includes Altadena — both broke out on the same day, eventually destroying more than 16,000 combined structures and burning more than 37,000 acres.
After temporarily moving with her husband, Taylor Goldsmith, and their three children, Gus, 4, Ozzie, 2, and Louise, 7 months, into pals Hilary Duff and Matthew Koma’s home, Moore revealed whether their home survived the destruction.
“Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now. It’s not livable but mostly intact,” Moore shared via Instagram on January 9, sharing photos of the aftermath. “We lost Taylor and Griffin’s studio with every instrument and piece of equipment they’ve ever owned. We lost our garage and back house. Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone.”
The A Walk to Remember actress revealed that her in-laws, her brother and sister-in-law (who was due with her first baby in six weeks) and their “best friends” all lost their homes completely.
“Feeling weird survivor’s guilt,” Moore confessed. “We love this community and will do everything we can to help rebuild and support. Thanks for everyone for checking on us and offering us help. Altadena strong.”
The following month, Moore revealed that while their home was still standing, they were informed that due to “the proximity to the fires/ burning structures” that the contents of their home “are a near total loss.”
“Yes, we are exceedingly lucky to technically still have the structure of a home. But also … do we still have a home?” she wrote via Instagram in February. “I think my definition is in flux. The physical space? No. It goes without saying that our sweet brood and our pets are ALL that matters and home is where we are together … but having a sanctuary and safe space to feel settled really goes a long way too.”
Moore recalled finding her and Goldsmith’s dream home in 2020 and taking four years to “slowly and painstakingly restore, remodel, and make it our own.”
Despite being heartbroken at their loss, Moore told her followers at the time she was “so lucky” and “grateful” for being able to find their forever home, even if it needs to be rebuilt.
“By the grace of god we found a place to stay in the meantime and the kids are happy and safe,” Moore continued. “It’s not a competition of who lost what or more. Real human beings across this town, regardless of their jobs or socioeconomic status, lost the life they’d come to know and count on in an instant. My whole heart is with them. Every one of them. This place, our home and the town itself, was our dream and I hope in time it will feel like that again … just a slightly different one.”
