The Pacific Palisades home where Friends actor Matthew Perry died has survived the Los Angeles wildfires, which have completely destroyed thousands of properties. Indian-origin Anita Verma-Lallian, the new owner, confirmed in an Instagram post on January 10 that the late Friends actor’s former residence was spared, PEOPLE reported.
“We want to express our deepest gratitude to the brave firefighters, our amazing neighbors, and the entire Palisades community for their help, strength, and support during this heartbreaking time”, Anita Verma-Lallian wrote on Instagram.
A representative for Verma-Lallian confirmed to PEOPLE that Brooke Elliott Laurinkus, the realtor who sold her the property, played a key role in monitoring and protecting the home during the fires.
Anita Verma-Lallian also expressed her thanks to Laurinkus for keeping them informed and assisting those in need of temporary housing. She also urged followers to donate to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
“Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this tragedy, and we hope we can come together to heal, protect, and rebuild what’s been lost”, she wrote. “The Palisades will always hold a special place in our hearts”.
The movie producer and real estate developer bought the property in an off-market deal one year after Mathew Perry’s sudden death.
She announced the purchase and her plans to use the house as a vacation home in an Instagram post on October 31, 2024.
As a Hindu, Verma-Lallian performed a traditional blessing ceremony upon acquiring the house, the report said. She also promised to retain unique features of the home, including the Batman logo in the pool, describing it as a “paradise filled with light.”
Perry had purchased the 3,500-square-foot property in 2020 and made several renovations, The New York Times reported.
Families return to search ruins for memories
Since the flames erupted in and around Los Angeles, scores of residents have returned to their still smouldering neighbourhoods even as the threat of new fires persisted and the US’s second-largest city remained unsettled, news agency Associated Press reported.
For some, it was a first look at the staggering reality of what was lost as the region of 13 million people grapples with the gargantuan challenge of overcoming the disaster and rebuilding.
Calmer winds enabled firefighters to start gaining some control of the biggest blazes in metropolitan LA on Friday before gusty weather returns over the weekend to an area that hasn’t seen rain in more than eight months. But by Friday evening, new evacuations were ordered in an area that includes part of Interstate 405 after a flare up on the eastern side of the Palisades Fire.
Bridget Berg, who was at work when she saw on TV her house in Altadena erupt in flames, came back for the first time with her family two days later “just to make it real.”
Their feet crunched across the broken bits of what had been their home for 16 years.
