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Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome is set to host a benefit concert to help rebuild the communities affected by the devastating fires raging across the city. FIREAID, advertised as “an evening of music and solidarity,” will take place on Jan. 30.
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Ticket information and performers will be announced in the coming days.
The event, produced by the Azoff family alongside Live Nation and AEG Presents, donate proceeds toward an organization created to rebuild Los Angeles infrastructure, as well as support displaced families and advance fire prevention technologies and strategies.
The catastrophic fires started earlier this week in the Pacific Palisades on the west side of Los Angeles, and quickly spread to other areas over the next few days, including Altadena, Studio City and Runyon Canyon. As of Friday, most of the fires were not contained and new ones, including one in Granada Hills, continued to ignite.
Estimates are that up to 350,000 people have been evacuated with more than 9,000 structures destroyed. The fires are among the costliest natural disasters in the United States, with estimated damages to be up to $57 billion, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The music industry has been hard hit with more than 100 executives and artists losing their homes. Several have noted their losses on social media, including attorney Laurie Soriano and publicists Kim Grant and Lesley Zimmerman, as well as Zachary Cole Smith of the L.A. band DIIV. A document with more than 120 names of those who have lost their homes has been circulating with links to GoFundMe accounts for those who have set them up.
Additionally, a number of other resources are available for those who have lost their homes or need assistance in other ways. MusiCares and the Recording Academy have launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to support music professionals impacted by the crisis, making a combined pledge of $1 million to kick off the efforts. People who have worked in the music industry for more than five years may qualify for immediate assistance, including up to $1,500 in financial aid and $500 in food vouchers.
Britney Spears has left Los Angeles amid the city’s ongoing wildfire crisis, the singer revealed on Instagram Thursday (Jan. 9). “I hope you are all doing OK !!!” she wrote, sharing a video of a doll wearing beaded pink heels. “I had to evacuate my home and I’m driving 4 hours to a hotel !!! […]
Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan said he is among the nearly 200,000 people in Los Angeles who’ve been forced to evacuate due to the historic wildfires burning around the city. The singer/guitarist posted a video on Thursday night (Jan. 9) of airtankers flying over the hills dropping water on a giant plume of white smoke in the distance.
“Footage I shot the other night of a fire near where we’d been temporarily staying,” wrote Corgan. “High praise for how the LAFD put this out; as the fire had spread from what you see here to the right and down the ridge. Please pray for everyone who has been hurt or displaced or lost homes and properties in this unprecedented situation.”
In an earlier selfie video, Corgan shifted the camera over his shoulder and noted that the white puffs behind him were not clouds, but smoke from the fires that have killed 10 people to date while destroying more than 10,000 homes and businesses and causing an estimated $57 billion in damage.
“I wanted to kind of give everyone a little message today, I’m feeling better. Thank you for all your well wishes,” Corgan said. “I’m out here in LA right now, and it’s kind of the apocalypse. I think about 1,000 structures built burned last night. People I know I’ve had to evacuate and it’s a pretty intense situation.”
Corgan noted that he and his family were safe where they were staying, seemingly out of the “zone of concern” in the midst of a number of raging fires (Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, Altadena, Sylmar, Calabasas) that are barely contained and which have been whipped up by near-hurricane strength Santa Ana winds in the city that has seen a fraction of an inch of rain over the past six months.
“We lost power last night and that was pretty intense because obviously, with the power out, it’s hard to get information and you know, you’re kind of almost fearful of going to bed, lest you miss an alert or something,” the Chicago-bred Corgan continued. “With this dry brush, the fires can move very quickly. So lots of love, of course, to all our friends and family that have been affected. The air quality where I’m at is not too bad. It hasn’t helped the recovering cough, but this at very minor against all this incredible and fearful devastation. So just wanted to give everyone an update, as I get tired of texting or writing things out, just seemed easier to put this in a video. So lots of love. Check in with you later.”
In the accompanying caption, Corgan also noted that he and his family had to evacuate the night before amid a situation he said was “at times chaotic,” revealing that one fire came within 250 yards of where they were staying. He also sent his thanks and love to the first responders who are tirelessly working to save homes and citizens in what has been described by many as an apocalyptic situation.
“Praying for everyone today as hopefully this can come under control for the entire area, which is vast in scope and so full of nature. The loss overall is awful and unspeakable and that is what I wish to highlight; as the fires touch every strata of society,” Corgan wrote.
The fast-spreading fires obliterated the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, with a growing list of celebrities sharing that their homes have been completely destroyed, including Mandy Moore, Paris Hilton, Tina Knowles, Diane Warren, Eugene Levy, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, Jhené Aiko, Milo Ventimiglia, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Billy Crystal, Brad Paisley and Anna Faris joining tens of thousands of others who’ve been displaced or lost their homes.
The Recording Academy and MusiCares have launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to support music professionals impacted by the crisis, making a combined pledge of $1 million to launch the effort.
See Corgan’s posts below.
Grimes is reflecting on the state of the world amid the ongoing wildfire crisis in Los Angeles, from which she and nearly 200,000 other Californians have been forced to evacuate this week.
In a tweet posted Thursday (Jan. 9), the musician wrote that she thinks “the vibe is rather Biblical out here,” positing that “we might be outta time w regards to twiddling our thumbs whilst every level of our culture, environment, government, institutions, mental health, etc have obviously crumbled.”
“Luckily unlike all previous dark ages, we have an immunity against lost information,” she continued. “Printing press, hard drives etc. but what are we going to do about it?”
Grimes’ post comes about two days after wind-fueled flames first broke out in the Pacific Palisades area Tuesday (Jan. 7), quickly spreading across L.A. County and claiming an estimated 10,000 homes and structures. More fires have since torn through the Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, Altadena, Sylmar and Calabasas, with at least 10 people reported dead in the destruction, according to CNN.
As of Thursday, about 180,000 residents had been placed under evacuation orders or warnings — including the “Oblivion” singer, who tweeted the day prior, “Just had to evacuate, tried to go to a friends place / it got an evacuation warning on the way there – now aimlessly driving out of the city.”
“is the whole city gna be gone?” she’d added. “This is a serious tragedy for LA – I feel profoundly sad for everybody.”
In the replies to her tweets, Grimes sympathized with the “billions of climate [refugees] from less wealthy areas of the world” who might also be affected by similar environmental disasters outside of L.A. and said that the wildfires feel “like a weird invisible hand poking the dominoes.” And when one commenter tried to pivot the climate conversation to her past relationship with Tesla boss Elon Musk — with whom she shares three young children — the Elf Tech founder shut it down.
“He’s pretty vocal about climate change and is primarily known for, in part, revolutionizing electric vehicles,” she replied to a person who’d called the billionaire “one of the most evil climate deniers of all time.”
“I think there’s plenty to be angry about but when you stray from fact and reason, your critique loses power,” Grimes continued of her ex partner, who has reportedly taken up near-permanent residence in Florida near soon-to-be-inaugurated President Donald Trump, a vocal climate change critic.
“The biggest challenge right now is not falling into creating and consuming dopamine rage bait on social media and focussing on thoughtful, rational, truth based discourse so that we can properly diagnose and solve our problems,” Grimes wrote.
The “Miss Anthropocene” musician and the Tesla CEO had an on-again, off-again relationship between 2018 and 2022. In 2020, they welcomed their first child — a son named X Æ A-Xii — and later became parents to daughter Exa Dark Sideræl (now 3) and son Techno Mechanicus (2). Musk is also Dad to seven children he shares with his first wife, Justine Wilson, and twins Strider and Azure, whom he shares with Neuralink director Shivon Zilis.
In December, Grimes touched on their breakup during an exchange with Azealia Banks on X. “i didn’t ‘get dumped,’” the former wrote of Musk at the time. “I bounced. My amazing baby is asleep in my bed beside me, I’m in love. no regrets. Life is as beautiful as u want it to be.”
Click here for a list of organizations providing assistance for music industry workers during the fire emergency.
See Grimes’ tweets about the L.A. wildfires below.
The vibe is rather Biblical out here. I think we might be outta time w regards to twiddling our thumbs whilst every level of our culture, environment, government, institutions, mental health, etc have obviously crumbled. Luckily unlike all previous dark ages, we have an…— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) January 9, 2025
Just had to evacuate, tried to go to a friends place / it got an evacuation warning on the way there – now aimlessly driving out of the city. is the whole city gna be gone? This is a serious tragedy for LA – I feel profoundly sad for everybody 🙏🏻— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) January 9, 2025
He’s pretty vocal about climate change and is primarily known for, in part, revolutionizing electric vehicles. I think there’s plenty to be angry about but when you stray from fact and reason, your critique loses power. The biggest challenge right now is not falling into…— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) January 9, 2025
Maná has spoken out about the devastating ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, asking their fans and colleagues to make donations. “Los Angeles is like hell. There are devastating fires that are affecting the houses…it’s tremendous how the fire is raging,” frontman Fher Olvera said in a video message posted on Thursday (Jan. 9). He continued: […]
As the devastation from the wildfires in Los Angeles continues to unfold, the Recording Academy and MusiCares have launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to support music professionals impacted by the crisis, making a combined pledge of $1 million to kick off the efforts. “The entire Grammy family is shocked and deeply saddened by […]
Megan Thee Stallion won a restraining order against Tory Lanez on Thursday (Jan. 9) after tearfully testifying before a Los Angeles judge that she’s scared he’ll “shoot me again” when released from prison and “maybe this time I won’t make it.”
A month after the star’s lawyers warned that Lanez has continued to “terrorize her” with a “campaign of harassment” even as he sits behind bars, Judge Richard Bloom granted her a civil restraining order that will bar Lanez from any harassing conduct for the next five years.
The ruling came after emotional testimony from Megan herself, who fought back tears as she told Bloom that she hasn’t “been at peace since I was shot” and is “just tired of being harassed.”
“It just seems like I have to relive it every day. The person who shot me won’t let me forget it,” Megan told the judge via livestream video conference. “I’m scared that when he gets out of jail he’s going to still be upset with me … I feel like maybe he’ll shoot me again and maybe this time I won’t make it.”
Judge Bloom issued the order from the bench, saying that Megan had shown a “credible threat of violence” and other potential wrongdoing that “seriously harasses the petitioner and serves no lawful purpose.” The order bars a wide range of conduct, including any contact or harassment through any means.
After Bloom issued the order, the star briefly unmuted her microphone: “Thank you, judge.”
Lanez was convicted in 2022 on three felony counts over the violent 2020 incident, in which a drunken argument in the Hollywood Hills escalated into a shooting. After Lanez allegedly yelled “Dance, bitch!,” he proceeded to shoot at Megan’s feet with a handgun, striking her multiple times. In 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison; he has filed an appeal, which remains pending.
In recent months, Megan’s attorneys have fought what they call an unlawful campaign by Lanez to spread misinformation about the case on the internet — like a viral story that circulated on X in October falsely claiming an appeals court had declared him “innocent.”
In October, Megan’s lawyers filed a federal lawsuit against YouTuber and social media personality Milagro Gramz, who she claims has served as a “mouthpiece and puppet” for the convicted singer. In later filings, they alleged that discovery in the case had revealed prison phone calls in which Lanez coordinated payments to Gramz.
And last month, Megan’s attorneys demanded the civil harassment restraining order in Los Angeles court, arguing Lanez had conspired with people outside the prison to “harass, bully, and antagonize” her. They said they had only recently learned that the criminal restraining order from the shooting case was no longer in place and that it could not now be reimposed.
“Mr. Peterson’s attempts to retraumatize and revictimize Ms. Pete recognize no limits — indeed, they continue even while he is behind bars,” Megan’s lawyers wrote at the time. “While Mr. Peterson distorts and recklessly disregards the truth in his desperate attempt to appeal his conviction, his false assertions have reignited a slew of negative, harmful, and defamatory comments directed to Ms. Pete.”
Attorneys for Lanez responded late last month, calling the petition a “frivolous request” and accusing Megan of trying to “weaponize the justice system” because she “disagrees with free speech” and couldn’t handle criticism: “Rather than rebut the commentary or debate the issues … Plaintiff has succumbed to the current trend of using the legal system in an attempt to cancel those opinions she disagrees with.”
At Thursday’s hearing, Lanez’s attorney Michael Hayden reiterated those arguments, saying his client was “not threatening the petitioner in any way.” Instead, he argued that Megan was simply upset about criticism from internet bloggers with “their own independent minds” who Lanez cannot control — and he warned that such a restraining order would violate the First Amendment.
“This is about an attempt to chill free speech based on prior restraint,” the attorney told the judge.
At one point, Megan herself returned to the virtual witness stand to rebut that point, saying she was “not trying to take anyone’s free speech away” but rather to stop Lanez from continuing to drive harmful harassment from behind the scenes.
“I understand that being a public figure comes with hearing a lot of people from all over the world talk about you,” she told the judge. “The problem that I have is that the man that shot me is orchestrating other people and paying people … to put out lies and smear campaigns against me.”
In issuing his ruling, Judge Bloom seemed to avoid the issue of online smears and instead focus on the potential for violence, citing the 2020 shooting that lay at the heart of the case.
“We have a shooting that took place … and with a violent act like that there’s a ripple effect that continues on,” the judge said. “In some cases, it may be small ripples that go away with time, and in other cases, it could be ripples that grow with time. Ms. Pete’s testimony here seems to make clear that the ripple effect here has been significant.”
Since Tuesday (Jan. 7), ferocious wildfires have been blazing through the greater Los Angeles region, causing extensive damage to life and property, including those of many individuals working in the music business. With nearly 180,000 residents impacted by evacuation orders, at least five dead and thousands of structures damaged or destroyed, music industry organizations are finding ways to provide relief for impacted music workers.
Below, find a list of some of the music organizations offering relief for L.A. industry owrkers. We will continue to update this list as more announcements are made.
(For health alerts, evacuation updates and shelter information, check out L.A. County’s emergency website here.)
MusiCares
The Recording Academy’s philanthropic arm MusiCares say it “can consider emergency funds related to evacuation and relocation costs, instrument replacement/repair, home damage, medical care, mental health services, & other essential living needs,” according to a statement released to social media. Further details have yet to be announced.
Reach out to: musicaresrelief@musicares.org or call 1-800-687-4227
Backline
Mental health non-profit Backline is sharing resources for musicians in Los Angeles via social media and offering its own services. “Know that Backline is here for you and that you are not alone,” the organization wrote on Instagram. “You can reach out to us via our case submission form and a Case Manager will contact you to help you get the long-term support you need. If you need immediate assistance, please reach out to the Disaster Distress Hotline for free 24/7 support by calling 1-800-985-5990.”
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, the non-profit helping musicians and music industry workers in need, has launched a natural disaster relief fund for those in Los Angeles County and the surrounding areas. Applications are also open for those seeking relief, with funds raised going toward loss of music-related equipment, medical bills related to the fires and other vital living expenses.
Head here to donate or fill out an application.
Tina Knowles has lost her home amid the ongoing wildfire crisis in Los Angeles, the businesswoman revealed Thursday (Jan. 9) on Instagram.
Sharing a video of what appears to be dolphins swimming in the ocean just outside of her beachside bungalow in Malibu, Knowles — who is Mom to Beyoncé and Solange Knowles — wrote, “This is what I was looking at on my birthday this past weekend.”
“It was my favorite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place,” she continued. “Now it is gone !! God Bless all the brave men and women in our fire department who risked their lives in dangerous conditions. We thank you for your dedication and bravery and for saving so many lives.”
Adding that her “deepest prayers” are with Californians who have been affected by the fires — particularly the family members of the five victims who have been reported dead since the disaster broke out two days prior — the designer concluded, “I am praying diligently for our beautiful City of Los Angeles !! We are resilient though and we will recover!”
Knowles is just the latest public figure who’s reported losing their property to the fires, which first erupted in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday morning. More blazes have since torn through the Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, Altadena and Sylmar, claiming more than 28,000 acres so far and necessitating that nearly 180,000 residents be placed under evacuation orders or warnings, according to CNN.
Mandy Moore, Brad Paisley, Jhené Aiko and songwriter Diane Warren have also shared that the fires have destroyed their homes, while Kid Cudi, Travis Barker’s son Landon and daughter Alabama, and more celebrities have posted about evacuating. Stars such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Shawn Mendes have been doing their part by boosting resources on social media, while countless industry events have been forced to cancel or postpone due to the destruction to the city.
Knowles’ post comes just five days after she celebrated her 71st birthday on Jan. 4. On her big day, the mogul shared a reel of photos with her daughters and wrote on Instagram, “I am so thankful To God today for so many things ! My family ! My friends , my health and my life!!!!”
See Knowles’ post below.
Mandy Moore is one of the thousands of people affected by the devastating fires that continue to rage across Los Angeles, and the star took to Instagram to share videos and photos of the damage she and her community endured.
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“I love you, Altadena. Grateful for my family and pets getting out last night before it was too late (and endless gratitude to friends for taking us in and bringing us clothes and blankets),” she wrote on Wednesday (Jan. 8) alongside videos of her neighborhood, engulfed in smoke and flames. “Honestly, I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family. My children’s school is gone. Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too. Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together. Sending love to all affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control.”
She followed-up with another series of photos the next, this time from her property, much of which was left as rubble. “We were able to park and walk up our street to bear witness to all the loss. Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing,” she wrote. “For now. It’s not livable but mostly intact.”
Moore continued, “Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone. My in laws. My brother and sister in law- 6 weeks from welcoming their first baby. Our best friends. Feeling weird survivors guilt. 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.”
See her post here.
She joins a number of celebrities who also lost their homes or sustained significant damage, including Jhené Aiko, Paris Hilton, Anna Faris, Spencer and Heidi Pratt, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody and Diane Warren, among others.
A series of wildfires broke out across Los Angeles this week, fanned by gust-like winds, leading to more than 200,000 evacuations. The Palisades Fire on the west side of the city has consumed more than 17,000 acres, while the Eaton Fire on the east burned more than 10,000 acres. Crews also fought the Sunset Fire on Wednesday night (Jan. 8) in the Runyon Canyon area of the Hollywood Hills, and the blaze led to the burning of dozens of acres of vegetation.