As the tragic fires in Los Angeles continue to rage on, several celebrities like “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Bozoma Saint John and Tina Knowles are among the handful of famous faces dealing with personal losses because of it.
In multiple photos and videos posted to Instagram on Thursday, Saint John alerted her followers and friends that her home in the Pacific Palisades, where she and her 15-year-old daughter Lael resided, had been destroyed. Describing it as “the house she prayed for” in the caption, Saint John said:
“The house I worked in blood, sweat and tears for. The house that I put a key pad instead of a key hole in the front door because I wanted all my family and friends to have a code and use the house whenever they wanted. This is the house where I found peace after battling with racist neighbors and a community that made me have to buy it in a trust within a trust so no one would know that widowed, single Black woman with a teenager was buying on the exclusively-held beach.
This was my EFF YOU I’m here house. The house that I built a movie room dedicated to my sister so she could see her films in her own sanctuary. This is the house where I finally felt like I could choose to spend time… when I wanted to and how I wanted to. It is gone.
“This is an unimaginable loss. I grieve with the rest of Los Angeles as it burns…,” Saint John concluded. “And even though I’ve found even words to write here, there’s nothing that I could say in this moment to describe this feeling. I ask for your prayer for Lael and I. God bless you.”
In a post to Instagram on Thursday, Knowles shared with her followers that the Malibu bungalow that she’d recently spent time at for her birthday less than a week ago had been destroyed due to the Pacific Palisades fire.
Describing the tiny bungalow as her “favorite place, my sanctuary , my sacred Happy Place,” Knowles took the time to thank first responders and empathize with those who were currently suffering.
“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. This could have been so much worse with out the dedication of the disaster workers and first responders,” Knowles wrote in part. “I’m so sad for the people who lost the five family members. My deepest Prayers are with you !!!!!! To the people who lost their homes and belongings , I can only imagine how it feels to lose properties and everything you own ! My heart and deep prayers go out to all of you”
In a since-deleted post to Instagram, Aiko also shared the sad news that she too, had lost the home that she shared with her 16-year-old daughter Namiko Love and two-year-old son Noah Hasani.
“Praying for everyone this morning. Those who lost their home, those who lost their life’s work, those who lost their life. praying for my city. praying for the wild life and lost pets. praying for the world. let suffering be a gift; a lesson in compassion,” she said as captured by PEOPLE, before later adding in a followup post: “[our] home is gone. burned to the ground with all of our things inside. Lord have mercy. Thankful we still have eachother. starting from scratch. My heart is so heavy.”
Additionally, comedian and “Bob Hearts Abishola” star also shared that she lost her home, telling fans in an Instagram post on Thursday that her house was “gone” and facetiously said that the universe gave her the “ultimate cleanse.”
“Despite this fuckin devastating loss, I’m glad all our friends and neighbours are safe. We put our hearts & souls into our home, & built many beautiful memories there & we are heartbroken, but at the same time we feel lucky. Love you all,” she captioned in her post.