Milo Ventimiglia was one of the more than 180,000 people forced to evacuate their home earlier this week as fires spread across Los Angeles County.
On Jan. 9, the 47-year-old “This Is Us” actor, who is expecting his first child with wife Jarah Mariano, returned to Malibu to see the damage in-person.
“Oh no,” he said as he drove through what was left of his community. “Wow man… Toast.”
The video was shared by CBS Evening News, which accompanied the actor on the somber drive.
Ventimiglia joins thousands of LA residents — including other celebrities, such as Paris Hilton — to lose their home to the devastating fires, which erupted on Jan. 7.
Actor Milo Ventimiglia tells CBS News’ @TonyDokoupil he helplessly watched his home burn to the ground through security cameras. The 47-year-old father-to-be returned to his property to see what was left.
When asked what it was like to see the damage for himself, Ventimiglia described it as “heavy.”
“It hits you so quick,” he says while standing on the ashes of what used to be his home.
“You start thinking about all the memories and different parts of the house. Then you see your neighbors’ houses and everything kind of around. And your heart just breaks,” he explains.
In the video, Ventimiglia walks CBS News’ reporter Tony Dokoupil through what’s left of the home.
“Yeah, that’s the kitchen,” he says on the tour. “These are stools.”
The reporter then reveals that Ventimiglia and his wife watched the house burn through security cameras.
“I think there’s a kind of shock moment where you’re going, ‘Oh, this is real and this is happening,’” Ventimiglia tells Dokoupil. “And then, at a certain point, we just turned it off.”
“What good is it to continue watching?” he asked himself. “We kind of accepted the loss.”
Ventimiglia and Mariano sparked dating rumors in 2022, but kept their relationship private. Us Weekly was first to report that they tied the knot in October 2023.
On September 29, the couple announced they were expecting their first child together. According to CBS News, Mariano is due to give birth “any day now.”
Their baby’s first crib was among the many household items they were unable to save when they evacuated.
Ventimiglia’s real-life tragedy hits a little too close to one of his character moments
Veteran fans might know Ventimiglia as Jess Mariano from the iconic TV series “Gilmore Girls,” but newer fans know him as Jack Pearson from the series “This Is Us.”
The show, which stars Mandy Moore, aired for six seasons on NBC from September 2016 to May 2022.
In Episode 14 of Season 2, Ventimiglia’s character’s house catches on fire. While the rest of his family manages to evacuate, Pearson ends up dying from smoke inhalation.
“It’s not lost on me — life imitating art,” Ventimiglia tells Dokoupil of the similarities between shooting a scene and the real-life tragedy.
Despite the losses, Ventimiglia clarifies that he has everything he needs moving forward.
“We’ve got good friends. We’ve got good people we’re working with. And we’ll make do,” he tells CBS News.
“We’ll make do. Wife, baby and dog are most important,” he concludes.
As of Jan. 10, the Los Angeles fires have killed at least five people and damaged thousands of structures, according to CNN.
One of the fires that broke out — the Palisades Fire — is being labeled the most destructive fire ever in LA County.
Other celebrities to lose their homes to the LA fires include Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, Ricki Lake, Cameron Mathison and Daniella Pineda, according to Fox News.
