Two days after Jay-Z and Beyonce were rocked by a lawsuit alleging that he and Sean “Diddy” Combs raped a 13-year-old girl in 2000, the mega-star couple have to contend with an evacuation warning affecting their new $200 million Malibu estate, due to the rapidly spreading Franklin Fire in the oceanside community.
Celebrities like Barbra Streisand, Julia Roberts and Lady Gaga also reportedly have homes in the exclusive Paradise Cove, Point Dume or Zuma Beach areas of Malibu, which are likewise under an evacuation warning as of about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The fire was first reported at about 10:45 p.m. Monday in Malibu Canyon and “exploded” overnight, CBS News reported. Fueled by dangerous Santa Ana winds, the “ferocious” fire reached some 2,600 acres with 0% containment as of Tuesday afternoon, posing a “significant threat” to the coastal city of some 11,000 people, according to the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek. The City of Malibu on Tuesday ordered mandatory evacuations for the central and western areas of the city, which affect more than 2,000 homes and other structures.
The rest of the city and portions of Los Angeles County were under an evacuation warning, affecting roughly 18,000 people, the Los Angeles Times also said.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a news conference Tuesday morning that a “minimal number” of homes had been destroyed, though he did not have an exact count of structures damaged, the Los Angeles Times also reported.
Sometime before the fire broke out Monday night, Jay-Z, Beyonce, their 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles were in Los Angeles, attending the premiere of the movie, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” People reported. Beyond and her daughter lend their voices to the animated musical.
The Carter family’s appearance at the premiere was considered an opportunity for them to show “a united front” in support of Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, People reported.
On Sunday, the billionaire rapper and music mogul was hit with potentially devastating allegations that he participated in the rape of a 13-year-old girl at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Music Video Awards.
The allegations came in an amended complaint that was originally filed against Combs in October. The plaintiff is a woman who has only identified herself as Jane Doe. She said the musicians raped her while a third person, an unnamed female celebrity, watched.
The blockbuster allegation against Jay-Z comes as part of the flurry of litigation against Combs, who is facing federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges and at least 30 lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct, the New York Times reported.
In a fiery statement, Jay-Z furiously denied the rape allegations, while lamenting how the “heinous” claims would hurt his famous wife and their three children, People reported. On Monday, Jay-Z’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against him, saying that the plaintiff’s Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee is running a “cynical,” “calculated” and “sprawling extortion” scheme. Page Six and other outlets reported.
“My only heartbreak is for my family,” the rapper said in a statement released to the media. “My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people.”
Jay-Z added: “I mourn yet another loss of innocence.” In addition to Blue Ivy, the couple also share 7-year-old twins, Rumi and Sir.
Now, one of the Carter family’s homes is under threat from a raging fire.
Like a number of very wealthy celebrities, Beyonce and Jay-Z have an extensive real estate portfolio, which also includes an $88 million mansion in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, Architectural Digest reported earlier this year. So, Beyonce, Jay-Z and their children will have a roof over their heads if they want to stay away from Malibu.
But the Malibu estate is a landmark, 40-000-square-foot home, designed by famed Japanese architect Tadao Ando. It’s located in an exclusive enclave of Paradise Cove known as Billionaire’s Row and sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Architectural Digest reported.
When Jay-Z and Beyonce paid $200 million for the stunning, modernist home in 2023, they set a real estate record for the most expensive property in all of California’s history.
For many Malibu residents, this new threat to their homes is a heartbreaking reminder of the 2018 Woolsey Fire that erupted in November of that year, Newsweek reported. That devastating blaze killed three people and burned more than 1,600 structures, including homes owned by actor Gerard Butler and singer Miley Cyrus.
Some 700 firefighters were battling the Franklin Fire Tuesday morning, as air tankers dropped water on the blaze, the Los Angeles Times reported. The aircraft were able to fly through most of the night and into the early morning even amid heavy winds, with Marrone saying that firefighters hoped to get some containment Tuesday afternoon.
