Los Angeles Magazine 2025 Year in Review

YEAR IN REVIEW 2025 THE L.A. WOMAN

BEST NEW

RESTAURANTS

ALL THAT JAZZ Issa Rae’s new supper club honors South L.A.’s musical history

F E AT U R I N G

ALL RISE

THE ICONIC HELMS BAKERY RETURNS

BOTTLE IT UP

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM DEBUTS A NEW WING Plus

MOVING IN Uzo Aduba joins Shondaland for White House murder mystery The Residence

ACTIVIST

HOW THE PREMIER INFLUENCER USED HER PLATFORM TO AID DISPLACED RESIDENTS AND ANIMALS

BOTTLE IT UP

CAMERON DIAZ ON HER GAME-CHANGING WINE BRAND DOWN TO THE BONE

Paris Hilton

ALL RISE

THE ICONIC HELMS BAKERY RETURNS

Ladyhawk’s

MORE FEMALE LEADERS WHO FOUGHT FOR THE CITY AFTER THE WILDFIRES

HAYEK

New health and wellness centers, treatments and technology

Also In This Issue

OPRAH WINFREY STARTS A DIALOGUE ON AGING AND MENOPAUSE

plus A GUIDE TO THE CITY’S BEST PHYSICIANS

HOW THE ‘TOP CHEF MIDDLE EAST’ CHAMPION PAYS HOMAGE TO THE ENTIRE REGION

2025’S MOST ANTICIPATED CULINARY OPENINGS

Battle of Nerves ACTRESS SELMA BLAIR AND DR. REGINA BERKOVICH ARE WAGING WAR ON MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

12

CHARBEL

L.A.’S TOP DOCTORS

CORINNE FOXX, CHAD KING AND OTHERS SHARE THEIR MEDICAL STRUGGLES

APRIL 2025 L A M AG .CO M

SPRING FA S H I O N 2025 F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 5 L A M AG .CO M

THE TRAVEL ISSUE

JET TO THE MET THE NEXT STOP FOR POWERHOUSE DUO

WAYMAN + MICAH

TAKING OFF AERO LAUNCHES A LUXE NEW FLIGHT TO NYC

Also

TOP MOTHER’S DAY TEAS AROUND THE WORLD

IS NEW YORK — WHERE THEY’RE STYLING THEIR CELEBRITY CLIENTS FOR FASHION’S BIGGEST GALA

MARCH 2025 L A M AG .CO M

T H E

P R I D E

I S S U E

EXCLUSIVE

THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS’ PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

✴

MID-CENTURY MARVELS HOW NATHAN LANE, MATT BOMER AND NATHAN LEE GRAHAM ARE FURTHERING GAY REPRESENTATION THROUGH THEIR HULU SITCOM

City e h t n i r e VIEW Summ FROM THE TOP

50 Plus

L G BTQ+ A NG E L E NO S

IN HARMONY

RESTAURATEURS SUZANNE GOIN AND CAROLINE STYNE CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF CURATING HOLLYWOOD BOWL FOOD + WINE

UPLIFTING THE COMMUNITY IN ESSENTIAL WAYS

THE GETAWAY GUIDE INSPIRING DESTINATIONS BOTH DOMESTIC AND AFAR

APPLE TV+’S STICK STAR OWEN WILSON GIVES GOLF TIPS

AND

TAKING STOCK OF MALIBU AFTER THE WILDFIRES JUNE 2025 L A M AG .CO M

50 HOTELS REDEFINING THE CITY STAYCATION WITH HOT NEW ROOFTOPS, POOLSIDE RESTAURANTS AND POP-UPS

MAKING A SPLASH

A GUIDE TO THE CITY’S MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES

BET THE RANCH CALAMIGOS GUEST RANCH & BEACH CLUB’S TOP-TO-BOTTOM MAKEOVER

TAKING A STAND INSIDE THE SUMMER OF UPRISING AGAINST FEDERAL IMMIGRATION RAIDS AU G U ST 2 0 2 5 L A M AG .CO M

J U LY 2 0 2 5 L A M AG .CO M

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0000

FALL PREVIEW

WILD CARD

FILM, ART, THEATER, BOOK AND MUSIC DEBUTS

THE HIGH-STAKES POKER RING RUNNING UNDERGROUND GAMES

TMZ AT 20

HEAD TO THE DARK SIDE WITH MOODY DESIGNER PIECES

‘MALICIOUSLY SET’

SEPTEMBER 2025 L A M AG .CO M

Prosecutors say a former Palisades man intentionally started a New Year’s Eve blaze that allegedly ignited one of the most destructive fires in L.A. history.

The question now is why?

COMING IN HOT

Ray Garcia’s Broken Spanish returns

BREAKIN G NEWS

50 WINNING PRODUCTS, PLACES AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

+

JOURNALISM E OF CELEBRITY NGED THE FACAT THE SPEED OF LIGHT S EMPIRE CHA AL HOW THE NEW ING THE WORLD SCAND GIV BY SOMEBODY’S FEEDING LARCHMONT O C TO B E R 2 0 2 5 L A M AG .CO M

How the back-to-back champion Dodgers clinched the Series and united a city Plus

PLANNING FOR A THREE-PEAT

F E AT U R I N G

YSE BEAUTY FOUNDER MOLLY SIMS IS HELPING FANS SHINE

Best of Beauty Awards

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

THE L.A. MAN

EXC LUS IVE SCE NE S BE HIN D TH E

Fall Fashion 2025

INSIDE TV PRODUCER PHIL ROSENTHAL AND CHEF NANCY SILVERTON’S NOSTALGIC NEW DINER

OPEN BOOK

Judd Apatow’s career as a Comedy Nerd

N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 5 L A M AG .CO M

Brendan Fraser

IN RENTAL FAMILY FAMILY, THE OSCAR WINNER PLAYS A LONELY AMERICAN IN TOKYO SEARCHING FOR PURPOSE

26

MORE MALE LEADERS BEHIND SOME OF THE CITY’S BUZZIEST PROJECTS AND MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS

‘L.A. RISING’

Robert Vargas’ mural of four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani in Little Tokyo

DECEMBER 2025 L A M AG .CO M

SCAN TO ANIM ATE!

Publisher’s Note

W

H E N R E F L E C T I N G on

the year 2025, it’s impossible to forget that it was a year that tested the city of Los Angeles in a way that has brought forward the incredible heart of our city.

The year kicked off with the ravaging wildfires that consumed the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas, bringing to mind how fragile life can be in this picturesque city of ours. However, it also told us that, among the devastation, community reaches out to fellow Angelenos to help those who need it through volunteer actions and offering our homes and our hearts to those who need it. We also got to learn that it’s community that our world is all about, and that, among the devastation, we all

BY CHRISTOPHER GIALANELLA

arose. February marked our dedication to unity and healing through our covers, showcasing three talented individuals – Robert Vargas, Thierry Guetta “Mr. Brainwash,” and Guerin Swing – and how they conveyed messages of hope, resilience, and community that art can do that our words can’t.

March brought us the pleasure of naming Woman of the Year Paris Hilton, in recognition of her unwavering efforts on behalf of families affected by those fires, raising funds and awareness. This determination to make a difference that made headlines had an even greater impact off the page. This level of determination also defined the year for Selma Blair, whose steady progress with MS has inspired so many with her candor, strength, and beauty.

Style and creativity remained at the forefront in our city’s identity. We honored the likes of Wayman and Micah, stylists to the stars, for their design influence on red carpet events and culture as a whole. Our pride issue was a shining example, with the gorgeous and perpetually charming Matt Bomer in its pages, alongside legends Nathan Lane and Nathan Lee Graham.

From there, the year progressed much like any other in this crazy, beautiful city we love, Los Angeles. Our Best of the City and Best of L.A. issues celebrated all the people and places that make this city so remarkable, even when the weather refused to cooperate. The rain may have sidetracked our Best of the City Party at Calamigos Ranch, but it couldn’t rain on our parade. Our Best of Beauty issue, modeling by the lovely Molly Sims, is a testament that substance and style can indeed coexist, as is evident by the passion and successful endeavors of YSE Beauty founder, Molly Sims.

October is also a special occasion as it marks TMZ’s 20th year of entertainment journalism that has radically altered entertainment news consumption around the globe. In November, we awarded Brendan Fraser our L.A. Man of the Year, recognizing his incredible comeback as well as his moving performance in Rental Family.

And then, the perfect Los Angeles finish: the Dodgers’ victory in the World Series. This historic moment was also caught by Robert Vargas’s artistic hand in the form of the breathtaking mural “L.A. Rising” on a hotel in the Little Tokyo area.

We are reminded by the events that took place in 2025 that Los Angeles is something more than a city. It is a spirit that is resilient, resourceful, caring, and ever-rising. We hope you enjoy this first annual “Year in Review.” Thank you for your loyalty over the years. We begin our next year as we celebrate our 65th anniversary.

Christopher Gialanella, President and Publisher

BEST NEW

RESTAURANTS ALL RISE

THE ICONIC HELMS BAKERY RETURNS BOTTLE IT UP

CAMERON DIAZ ON HER GAME-CHANGING WINE BRAND DOWN TO THE BONE

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM DEBUTS A NEW WING Plus

2025’S MOST ANTICIPATED CULINARY OPENINGS

Ladyhawk’s

CHARBEL

HAYEK

HOW THE ‘TOP CHEF MIDDLE EAST’ CHAMPION PAYS HOMAGE TO THE ENTIRE REGION

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2025

Ladyhawk chef Charbel Hayek prepares his Za’atar Man’oushe, made with 48-hour fermented dough, wild thyme, olive oil, tomatoes and herbs.

Best New

Restaurants FROM A HOTEL HOT SPOT SERVING MEMORABLE MEZZE TO EGYPTIAN-INSPIRED SEAFOOD BY THE BEACH AND A LIVELY ISRAELI HAUNT ON MELROSE, MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE IS ON FIRE IN LOS ANGELES

EDITED BY JASMIN ROSEMBERG PHOTOGRAPHED BY IRVIN RIVERA

L A M AG . C O M 4 9

“

F

or me, food brings people together,” says chef Charbel Hayek, who was brought in to helm signature restaurant Ladyhawk at the Kimpton La Peer Hotel after someone from the team had seen him on Top Chef Middle East & North

Africa (which he won at age 24, in 2021).

“I think the market really needed it,” says the Lebanon-born, French-trained chef, who spent years at Josiah Citrin’s Mélisse. While he loved Bavel and Saffy’s, Hayek aspired to bring an elevated take on Middle Eastern cuisine to West Hollywood. “There are 10 to 15 Italian restaurants around us,” says Hayek, whose first restaurant opened at a tenuous time — in the weeks following the Oct. 7 attacks.

“That’s why I wanted to have dishes from everywhere — we wanted to be Eastern Mediterranean,” says Hayek, who shows food to be a unifier. “Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Syria, it’s a very similar cuisine. But each country does it a little bit differently: The Lebanese falafel are a bit different than the Israeli or Jordanian. The Israeli hummus is heavy on tahini. … I want to showcase a bit of every country. Like the chicken wing dish: Harissa is a Tunisian sauce, and Zhoug is Yemeni.

So we were able to mix the region in a very beautiful way.”

Since Ladyhawk’s debut, L.A. has seen a proliferation of Middle Eastern newcomers — from nearby Israeli spot Carmel to Michael Mina’s Egyptian-inspired Orla, to Layla in Santa Monica and even Hayek’s latest project, Laya in Hollywood (think sexy skewers in an al fresco garden). “I think people want to be healthy but also want good flavors,” Hayek explains. “It’s a very clean food. We only use good fat, like olive oil, great produce from the farmers market. And it’s a very fun cuisine.

You get together and you enjoy a bunch of dishes at the same time.”

Of the four to five Middle Eastern entrants

was eating at Carmel — I know the owners,

LADYHAWK

and they’re friends. And I would love to have

Eastern Mediterranean

everybody at Ladyhawk,” he says. “Everybody

623 N. LA PEER DRIVE, WEST HOLLYWOOD, LADYHAWKRESTAURANT.COM

are great. While the war was happening, I

— I don’t care where you are from. I don’t care what you believe. Everybody is welcome here, and that’s what the restaurant business is.”

5 0 L A M AG . C O M

D I G I T E C H : P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G

he’s seen pop up, Hayek decrees, “All of them

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2025

A S S I STA N T: M AT T H E W G E R E T Y

L . A .’ S H O T T E S T N E W restaurant — from Top

Chef Middle East & North Africa champion Charbel Hayek — is hiding in plain sight: it’s the hotel restaurant for the Kimpton La Peer in West Hollywood.

You may be skeptical, but one taste of the signature dish, a pizza-like za’atar-laden Man’oushe, topped with labneh and herbs and drizzled with chili oil, will solve that issue — dip it into the smoky, sweet, acidic baba ghanouj. Large-format dishes include an aged duck with fig and rose blossom, informed by his past working in technique-driven restaurants like Josiah Citrin’s Mélisse, as well as P H O T O G R A P H E D BY I RV I N R I V E R A

a more traditional roast chicken, charred on the massive wood grill visible throughout the art decoinfluenced dining room. The dishes are mostly based on food cooked in his youth by his Lebanese mother.

From the time he was hired to the restaurant plating its first dish was less than two months. But for Hayek, it’s second nature. “Just by being smart, and thinking about the way of working this simple thing, and making it interesting, it can be the star of the show,” he says. When put that way, Hayek could be talking about a flatbread covered in za’atar — or a restaurant in the lobby of a hotel. — J E F F M I L L E R

Ladyhawk at the Kimpton La Peer Hotel features rich tones, warm woods and food from chef Charbel Hayek.

L A M AG . C O M 5 1

Dish of the Year CHEF CHARBEL HAYEK’S MEZZE PLATTER USES LOCAL FARMERS MARKET PRODUCE IN TRADITIONAL RECIPES: ‘I WANT TO KEEP IT AUTHENTIC BUT HAVE SOME CALIFORNIA INFLUENCE’

BY JA S M I N R O S E M B E RG | P H O T O G R A P H E D BY I RV I N R I V E R A

“Mezze is a word that means ‘multiple dishes served at the same time,’” says chef Hayek, who envisioned this supersized medley of Middle Eastern dips and staples ($130 for a platter, $64 for a mini) when he conceptualized Ladyhawk. “It can be cold or hot, like the wings or the falafel,” he says. “What I don’t like is when you go to a restaurant and have one plate by yourself.

For me, it’s like, ‘Let’s all enjoy together. Let’s break bread.’”

BEETROOT HUMMUS

BABA GHANOUJ

» “We serve it with roasted beets, crème fraîche, dill and sesame.”

» “Baba ghanouj is made from charred eggplant, chopped and mixed with tahini sauce, topped with some fried eggplant, pomegranate and parsley.”

HUMMUS

PITA

» “It’s a process for 48 hours. We start with something called biga, which we ferment for 24 hours, and then we take it and we mix more flour, sugar, salt, oil, and then we have the pita the following day. So it’s a lot of work for very simple ingredients, but that’s what makes it special.”

SPICY HARISSA CHICKEN WINGS

» “[These are] dressed with Harissa and Zhoug.

Zhoug is like a Middle Eastern chimichurri.”

GARLIC LABNEH

» “We strain the yogurt, we season it, we mix it with confit garlic, top it with something called Makdous — pickled eggplant, which gives it a very interesting flavor — and olive oil.”

5 2 L A M AG . C O M

FALAFEL

» “Our famous falafel is made from chickpeas, onion, parsley, cilantro and a bunch of spices.”

D I G I T E C H : P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G , A S S I STA N T: M AT T H E W G E R E T Y

» “Hummus is one of the simplest dishes on earth but also very complicated.

The secret is to overcook the chickpea itself, and then you have to blend it and make it smooth, serve it with some high-quality tahini — we import the tahini from Lebanon.”

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2025

3 SI! MON Central American 60 N. VENICE BLVD., VENICE, SI-MON.LA

C A M É L I A : WYAT T N AO K I CO N LO N ; S I ! M O N : A S H L E Y R A N DA L L P H OTO G R A P H Y

PA N A M A N I A N S E A FO O D — what

2 CAMÉLIA French-Japanese

1850 INDUSTRIAL ST., DOWNTOWN L .A ., CAMELIADTLA .COM

Camélia’s striped bass in yuzu kosho sauce

JA M E S B E A R D AWA R D -W I N N I N G duo Courtney Kaplan and Charles Namba had always wanted to open a French restaurant, but they pivoted to an izakaya upon finding the venue for their Tsubaki in Echo Park. Now, their cozy new Arts District eatery Camélia (the English translation of “tsubaki”) combines elements of both cuisines in the former Church & State space — transformed into a 1950s Japanese kissaten with red oak, curved window frames and the pendant lights and marble countertops typical of a Parisian bistro.

Dishes are inspired by Namba’s Japanese heritage and classic French training, Kaplan’s journey through Europe’s wine country and the couple’s travels in Paris and Tokyo. You could start with cocktails like the Milk Punch from bar lead Kevin Nguyen (Death & Co), but more interesting are the extensive sake offerings that accompany an allFrench wine list.

The black sesame Parker House rolls with salted French butter are a must — as are now-staples like the spaghetti Bolognese à la Japonaise; croque madame (of ham katsu, Gruyère and Mornay sauce); and the abalone and shrimp pot pie, with king trumpet mushrooms and “snail butter.” But we’d just as soon return for the raw dishes, scallops and beef cheek with red wine wasabi sauce. — JA S M I N R O S E M B E R G

kind of adventurous deliciousness could be contained in that phrase, you might be wondering?

These days, only the very lucky can find out at Si! Mon — where the terracotta Venice dining room bursting with tropical greenery (the former James Beach) fills fast and reservations are hard to come by. But the buzzy menu of raw fish and other Central American delights created by head

chef José Carles (the genius behind the internationally renowned Fonda Lo Que Hay in Panama City) is worth the wait.

It’s hard for a Venice restaurant right off the beach to feel transformative. But walking off the boardwalk, the ultra-sexy restaurant is all vibes, a mini-escape with incredible drinks (like the Very MF Cold Martini) and an eclectic menu.

Start with the little neck clam and uni shooters, as well as other raw options like tuna carpaccio and surf clam ceviche. Then, move on to unique dishes like Afro-Caribbean shrimp-filled dumplings, fried chicken drumsticks and kanpachi steamed in banana leaves.

— MICHELE MCPHEE

Si! Mon’s Panamanian tasajo-style hanger steak

L A M AG . C O M 5 3

,

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2025

Standout Casual Spots THESE BELOVED NEWCOMERS PROVE THAT STELLAR FOOD DOESN’T HAVE TO COME AT A STEEP PRICE

AZIZAM

FIORELLI PIZZA

LITTLE FISH

With homestyle Persian dishes like mazeh (small bites served cold) and hot dishes like turmeric-braised Jidori chicken and eggplant khoresht, this Silver Lake counter restaurant conjures community and comfort with authentic flavors accessible to all. 2943 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, azizamla.com

Fresh, hot, made-to-order pizza that’s every bit as good as those made by pizzaiolos in Naples is the specialty of this al fresco Venice eatery centered around a woodfired Neapolitan oven. The adjacent garden adds to its immersive atmosphere. 1039 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, fiorellipizza.com

Little Fish’s signature crispy seafood sandwich helped turn this pop-up into a permanent pit stop in 2024. The rest of the menu, including breakfast and lunch items like smoked fish tartine and mushroom congee, will reel you in, too. 1606 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, littlefishechopark.com

BRIDGETOWN ROTI

GOOD ALLEY

LUV2EAT EXPRESS

Chef Rashida Holmes’ Caribbean food spot started as a pop-up with tasty patties and rotis during the pandemic. Her expanded menu of family recipes like mac and cheese pie and fish cakes made her new restaurant a hit. 858 N. Vermont Ave., East Hollywood, bridgetownroti.com

Specializing in guan tang bao (a soup dumpling from southwest Beijing), this Rosemead strip mall restaurant keeps customers coming back for its heavenly chicken broth-filled dough and everything from clay pot pork to crispy beef rolls. 8450 E. Valley Blvd. #108, Rosemead, @good_alley

The sister to its bistro next door, Express offers homestyle Southern Thai food like Hat Yai fried chicken, roasted duck rice and tasty curries.

It’s a culinary experience to “luv,” especially for fans of hot food. 6666 W. Sunset Blvd., Unit L, Hollywood, @thaist.foodbyluv2eat

CARNAL

HOLY BASIL

MIDEAST TACOS

This cocina artesanal (artisanal kitchen) serves inventively rich rancho dishes — tacos, tamales and more — inside a hip, black-walled space with communal tables to encourage sharing. 5831 N. Figueroa St., Highland Park, @carnalfoodla

Thailand-born chefs Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon and Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat expanded their Bangkok-meets-Central Thai street food menu at this favorite noodle and stir fry spot. 3170 Glendale Blvd., Unit C., Atwater Village, holybasildtla.com

The home of the “falafel taco,” MidEast took over the corner location that housed Mh Zh. Armenian ingredients meet Mexican traditions in an array of meat and seasoning-packed tortillawrapped offerings. 3536 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, mideasttacos.com

5 4 L A M AG . C O M

A Z I Z A M : L AU R A M O H N ; G O O D A L L E Y: A R I E L I P ; L I T T L E F I S H : M Y- H A N H L AC ; M I D E A ST TACO S : A S H L E Y R A N DA L L ; CO U R T E SY R E STAU R A N TS

BY L I NA L E C A R O

BUDONOKI Japanese

B U D O N O K I : DY L A N JA M E S H O ; CO U R T E SY L E O PA R D O

654 N. VIRGIL AVE., VIRGIL VILLAGE, BUDONOKI.LA

B U D O N O K I ’ S T R A N S I T I O N F R O M traveling L.A. pop-up to dinner hot spot in Virgil Village was swift, but it wasn’t a surprise — especially given partners Eric Bedroussian (Majordomo), Josh Hartley (Jon & Vinny’s) and chef Dan Rabilwongse (Bouchon, Hayato).

The izakaya’s inventive Japanese dishes go way beyond sushi but offer everything we love about the best rolls out there, boasting a balance of textures, temperatures and flavors. The spicy tuna hand rolls come deconstructed, via a bowl of finely chopped fish with toasted nori on the side and chili crisp for zest. The small selection of cut rolls are served oshizushi-style, pressed flat with a wooden mold (called an oshibako) to create a compact block and cut into small rectangular pieces. If you’re a Dragon Roll fan, you must try theirs with grilled umagi, prawn tempura and a tiny dollop of avocado mousse on top.

Other signature specialties include charred Japanese sweet potato made with miso butter and chives; seafood pancakes comprised of shellfish, garlic and house sriracha; and Negima skewers made with Jidori chicken, Tokyo negi (onion) and a spicy Galangal sauce. There’s also delicious sake drinks served in Budonoki’s aburi salmon adorable handmade animal mugs. — L I N A L E C A R O

Leopardo’s classic margherita pizza

5 LEOPARDO Italian 460 S. LA BREA AVE., HANCOCK PARK , LEOPARDOLA .COM

THOUGH THE PIZZA

oven that sits in the middle of Leopardo’s open kitchen is the unquestionable centerpiece of the restaurant that’s taken over the long-standing La Brea Bakery space, it may be unfair to call the spot an Italian restaurant or even part of L.A.’s new pizza renaissance — however, the pizza is doughy, chewy and exceptional.

The playful-yetrefined menu — which changes regularly and includes not only pies but way-out-there

dishes like deer tartare and waffles and caviar — is not strictly Italian.

Instead, it exists in a whimsical world where quality ingredients are the most important part of a dish, and the outcome can surprise even the creative minds behind the menu.

Chef Joshua Skenes is responsible for all that, and this shouldn’t surprise fans of his last project, Angler at the Beverly Center.

Leopardo is more reasonable than Angler ever was, and has allowed Skenes to expand past the seafood that defined his prior menu. The pizza dough took years to perfect and is also made into flat crackers for spreads and fermented for a couple more days to make into dosa for the duck dish.

So … maybe it is a pizzeria? “That was our original plan,” Skenes admits. “The wildest pizzeria out there.” — J. M .

L A M AG . C O M 5 5

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2025

CARMEL Mediterranean 7383 MELROSE AVE., FAIRFAX, CARMELMELROSE.COM

6

ORLA

is the collaboration between Ronnie Benarie and chef Yoav Schverd (of Malibu’s Pita ’Bu and Beverly Hills’ Nua), Liron Hazan and chef Asaf Maoz. The team preserved the iconic haunt’s exposed ceiling, dark wood and mid-room semi-circle bar, and built a lively open kitchen blending the sort of Middle Eastern flavors you’d find in a traditional spice shuk, or market — the restaurant is named after Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market.

Among the standout dishes are Maoz’s woodsy Moroccan mushroom cigars, grilled ribeye caps, kampachi tartare and a 72-hour fermented Moroccan Frena bread that’s doughy, chewy,

Mediterranean 1700 OCEAN AVE., SANTA MONICA , ORLASANTAMONICA .COM

AWA R D -W I N N I N G C H E F Michael Mina’s latest

cookbook had the same goal as his newest restaurant project: “The goal was to go back to Egypt,” says the Cairo-born MINA Group founder, behind over 30 restaurant brands around the world, including Bourbon Steak in Orange County and Glendale.

Mina’s Egyptian-Mediterranean restaurant concept Orla debuted first in Vegas’ Mandalay Bay and opened at the new Regent Santa Monica Beach hotel in late October. The former Loews Hotel houses the sprawling 270-seat indoor-outdoor space crafted to reference the Mediterranean beaches and aquatic tale The Odyssey.

The menu features several reimagined items from Mina’s childhood, like a tuna crudo made of falafel, and feteer, a pastry he tops with ashta cream and caviar. A lobster salad incorporates the mangoes that are pervasive in Egypt, and he also loves the classic Greek salad (leaning into the Greek influence on Egyptian food) and charcoal-grilled octopus. A baked snapper has Middle Eastern spices and a salt-baked sea bream is a showstopper. Finish just Orla’s 24K as authentically with the Egyptian golden mango tart or 24k golden baklava baklava sundae. — J. R . sundae 5 6 L A M AG . C O M

Uchi’s taiyaki, a scallion pancake

O R L A : A N D R E W B U I ; C A R M E L : YO N I B E R G M A N ; CO U R T E SY U C H I W E ST H O L LYWO O D

B R E AT H I N G N E W L I F E into the former Village Idiot space

Best Scene THESE NEW HOT SPOTS HAVE A LOYAL FOLLOWING FOR THEIR AMBIANCE AS MUCH AS FOOD

BY JA S M I N R O S E M B E RG

Carmel’s hamachi cevichè with leche de tigre, huacatay oil and avocado

T H E B E N JA M I N H O L LYWO O D : N I C K J O H N S O N ; C H E Z M I A : S I M R A N M A L I K P H OTO G R A P H Y; ST E L L A : JA KO B L AY M A N

salty and damn-near perfect.

More traditional Mediterranean fare is also represented, much of it cooked on the kitchen’s wood open-flame grill, including a grilled branzino and charred broccolini with a side of anchovy aioli.

For dessert: sorbet made in-house with seasonal offerings is a satisfying palate cleanser while the labneh-based sweet cream and chocolate concoction is delectable. Drinks include the tequila-based Turkish Village with cardamom bitters and preserved lemon, the gin/aloe/cucumber Jaffa Breeze and of course, an Espresso Martini, this one served with pistachio orgeat. — J. M .

UCHI WEST HOLLYWOOD Sushi 9001 SANTA MONICA BLVD., SUITE 101, WEST HOLLYWOOD, UCHI.UCHIRESTAURANTS.COM

I N A M A R K E T with a high bar

for sushi, it seems improbable that a newcomer, from Texas of all places, would top the charts — but the award-winning Austin-based restaurant group Hai Hospitality made its West Coast debut with a bang.

Following locations in Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston and Miami, the sixth outpost of Uchi (Japanese for “house”) replaces the former Palm

Restaurant at the foot of the new Nine Thousand One luxury development. Enter the designforward indoor-outdoor space to find rows of wooden slabs milled from local city trees and a Zen garden-inspired ceiling.

Take a seat at the bar or on the happening patio and try James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole’s innovative takes on sushi and sashimi, and hot and cold items — ideally by way of the seasonal 10-course omakase. Don’t miss signatures like the hama chili (yellowtail crudo with Thai chili) and hotate no tataki (scallop with vermouth butter and strawberry preserve).

Fans can also sample favorite Uchi bites (like the wagyu tartare, crispy pork belly and spicy crunchy salmon avocado hand roll) on a reasonably priced happy hour menu, and a new vegetarian omakase features 11 courses such as market vegetable tempura. — J. R .

THE BENJAMIN HOLLYWOOD » Ben Shenassafar (of streetwear brand The Hundreds) evokes classic Hollywood hangouts at this opulent 1920s-style eatery where guests can sip martinis paired with former Spago and Bestia chef Johnny Cirelle’s burger and other American favorites.

7174 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, thebenjaminhollywood.com

CHEZ MIA » Longtime celebrity haunt Ago is now a chic South of Franceinspired bistro thanks to Marissa and Matt Hermer (Olivetta, The Draycott). Sit on the lively patio under frothy umbrellas and enjoy caviar, fresh seafood, produce-heavy dishes and colorful cocktails.

8478 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, chezmia.com

STELLA WEST HOLLYWOOD » Restaurateur Janet Zuccarini (Felix) transformed the subterranean former Madeo space into an 8,000-square-foot bilevel Italian stunner, where chef Rob Gentile is serving his signature seafood, house-made pastas and Roman-style pizzas.

8899 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, stellawesthollywood.com

L A M AG . C O M 5 7

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2025

Coming Attractions HERE’S WHAT’S COOKING IN L.A. FROM SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST CULINARY STARS

BY JA S M I N R O S E M B E RG

ADAM LEONTI

DAVE BERAN

» This NYC hot spot coming this month from Prince Street Hospitality (Cobi Levy and Will Makris) will serve Leonti’s version of “Vacation Italian” cuisine. 8451 Melrose Ave., WeHo, cucinaalba.com

» The famed Pasjoli chef picks up where his Michelin-starred Santa Monica food court eatery Dialogue left off and tells a story through 15 to 18 courses.

3100 Main St., Suite 132, Santa Monica, selinerestaurant.com

DAVID CHANG SUPER PEACH

» This summer opening marks the next generation of Momofuku restaurants, building on the energy of Chang’s debut Noodle Bar that launched the brand in 2004.

10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City, momofuku.com

LUKE REYES

SELINE

ALICE MAI AND DAVID LEFEVRE

ATTAGIRL » In February, chef-owner LeFevre (M.B. Post, Fishing With Dynamite, Ryla) and chef Mai will team on coastal California-Mediterranean fare.

1238 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach, eatsimms.com

ROSE PREVITE

CAFÉ ESCA

MAYDAN MARKET

» A warm wine bar and restaurant in the Arts District is the newest project from the Rita’s Deluxe chef — who will also be opening a second DTLA location of his retro diner. 821 Traction Ave., DTLA, cafe-esca.com

» The first West Coast project of D.C. restaurateur Previte (Michelin-starred Maydan and Compass Rose), this global market with a live fire hearth is coming in February.

4301 W. Jefferson Blvd., West Adams, maydanmarket.com

5 8 L A M AG . C O M

I L LU S T R AT E D BY P I X E L P U S H E R S

Bar Sinizki’s Bistro Burger

9

BAR SINIZKI Café 3147 GLENDALE BLVD., AT WATER VILLAGE, SINIZKI.COM

T H E R E A R E F E W things more restorative than a great meal with a friend at a sidewalk cafe, and Bar Sinizki brings all of the best elements of this neighborhood pastime together.

From a perfect grilled burger to a juicy kielbasa sausage, the proteins on the entrée menu are succulent and palate-pleasing. There are also lots of small dishes, each reflecting the European sensibilities of owner Scott Zwiezen (and his partners Anne O’Malley and Alexander Mirecki Tavitian). A Ukrainian and Polish focus means that menu highlights include perogies made from Zwiezen’s grandmother’s recipes, stuffed with potatoes, cheese and mushrooms; and tasty tartines, served openfaced with toppings like fresh heirloom tomatoes and savory cheeses.

Sinizki offers an inviting environment in a neighborhood that’s become increasingly more stroll-worthy. Since opening this summer, Sinizki’s indoor cafe and al fresco scene quickly became a local hangout and visitor destination alike, even more so than Zwiezen’s vegan spot, Elf Cafe, in Echo Park.

As with that spot, it’s worth a visit any time of day thanks to different breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings, all complemented by thoughtful drink menus that include hot espresso concoctions in the morning and classy cocktails in the evening. — L . L .

B A R S I N I Z K I : J E R E M Y F R AY E ; È T R A : DA N I E L L E G . A DA M S ; H E A D S H OTS : CO U R T E SY S U B J E C TS

ALBA LOS ANGELES

10 ÈTRA Italian 737 N. WESTERN AVE., SUITE B, MELROSE HILL , ETRA .LA

È T R A’ S C H E F E VA N A LG O R R I and co-

Ètra’s bucatini alle vongole

owner/GM Andrew Lawson have hospitality down to an art form. The two native Angelenos honed their crafts at New York City favorites — Algorri at Lupa, Marea and Bouley; Lawson at Estela and Flora Bar — before uniting back home to helm this cozy Italian newcomer.

Italian for “in between” (“È” plus “Tra”) — as the intimate Melrose Hill space sits between a workspace and daytime café — Ètra greets guests with warm birch-clad walls, ceramic tile and romantic décor

inspired by weathered seashells.

The menu interprets classic Italian with California produce, and draws from Algorri’s extensive Italian travels.

Begin with signatures like the cheesy chicories salad with anchovy, cured yolk and black pepper; the hearty meatballs; and scampi with ‘nduja butter. Move on to pleasing pastas, like the rigatoni gricia or spicy campanelle alla vodka, and entrees such as a ribeye with salsa verde and a sizable dorade with red pepper.

Lawson’s deftness with wine shines, and he’s on hand to pair dishes with perfect French, Italian and California complements (which for us, included standouts like a 2022 Cantina Della Stazione Barbera d’Alba from Northern Italy and a 2023 Jolie Laide Trousseau Gris from Sonoma County). — J. R .

Raising the Bar B A R R S E CO : J U ST I N C H U N G ; SA M ’ S P L AC E : J E S S I SA AC P H OTO G R A P H Y; Z I ZO U : P E T E R Q U I N N ; CO U R T E SY R E STAU R A N TS

THESE HIP WINE AND COCKTAIL DESTINATIONS ALSO SERVE ELEVATED EATS WORTH ORDERING

BY L I NA L E C A R O

BARR SECO

HIGHLY LIKELY

JILLI

SAM’S PLACE

ZIZOU

» The connection between Asian and Latin flavors fuels this lively bistro from the team behind Santo.

3820 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, barrseco.com

» You’ll love the natural wine, potent coffee and savory salads and wraps at the cafe brand’s latest location. 5526 N. Figueroa St., Highland Park, itshighlylikely.com

» Come for a cool “sool jib” (Korean bar) scene and stay for kimchi rigatoni and some of the best crispy chicken in K-Town. 3905 W. 6th St., Koreatown, jilli.la

» This unfussy hidden hovel is worth your hang time for tasty bites like charred sweet potato and succulent steak in red wine jus. 5530 Monte Vista St., Highland Park

» A gorgeous patio and fun French-Moroccan menu (try the couscous) make this one of the area’s new gems. 2425 Daly St., Lincoln Heights, @zizou_losangeles

L A M AG . C O M 5 9

Where was the first McDonald’s in L.A.?

B U N I N T H E OV E N

McDonald brothers Dick (right) and Mac (center) examine early designs with a Southern California Edison exec.

A:

Like Barbie and the electric guitar, McDonald’s was invented in L.A. (well, 60 miles east, in San Bernardino, but we still lay claim to it). When Dick and Mac McDonald decided to allow other burger barons to make authorized copies of their innovation, a global icon was born. In May of 1953, a gas station operator in Phoenix paid the brothers $950 in exchange for blueprints, recipes and a list of suppliers. He built the first of the company’s landmark modernist buildings in Phoenix.

It was a dynamic little stand covered with neon and sporting red and white tile and a pair of 30-foot golden arches that burst 9 6 L A M AG . C O M

through the roof. The next store was to be in North Hollywood, but the owner changed the name and tweaked the arches, calling it Peak’s. Why? We don’t talk about that one. Mr. Arizona hipped his brotherin-law in Downey to

the deal and the first store in Los Angeles County opened there on Aug. 18, 1953.

Today, the world’s oldest McDonald’s is a living time capsule that’s still slinging burgers with neon blazing through the night — go! Locations

in Alhambra, Sacramento, Pomona and Azusa quickly followed, all before Ray Kroc opened his first outlet near Chicago in 1955. Later that year, another set of arches rose in Reseda, becoming the first McDonald’s in the city of L.A. Other franchises soon landed in South L.A. and Westchester, but 18761 Sherman Way is the first McAngeleno.

CHRIS’ PICK

On Location A DOCUSERIES CAPTURES HOLLYWOOD’S FAMED FILMING SPOTS

● Every time I go to dinner at Musso and Frank, I half expect to see Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio at the bar à la Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Film settings can be as evocative as actors, and Harry Medved has been obsessed with tracking them down for decades.

In his 2006 book Hollywood Escapes, the historian visited spots seen in hundreds of movies from Chinatown to Planet of the Apes. Late TV legend Huell Howser loved the book and did a show about it with producer Harry Pallenberg.

The group wanted to visit more and almost 20 years later, the two Harrys have created Locationland, a new series premiering Jan. 28 on PBS SoCal Digital, that takes viewers to the Hollywood Sign, racing in the L.A. River with the director of Grease and to the world of Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space with comedian Dana Gould.

— CHRIS NICHOLS

VOLUME 70, NUMBER 1. LOS ANGELES (ISSN 1522-9149) is published monthly by Engine Vision Media. Principal office: 644 S. Figueroa St., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA, and additional mailing offices. The one-year domestic subscription price is $19.95. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LOS ANGELES, 644 S. Figueroa St., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other materials, which must be accompanied by return postage. SUBSCRIBERS: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. Copyright © 2024 Engine Vision Media. All rights reserved. Best of L.A.® is a registered trademark of Los Angeles Magazine, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. SUBSCRIBER SERVICE: (949) 862-1133. GST #R133004424. Printed in the USA.

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THE ART OF REBUILDING H A RV E Y GUILLÉN A LTA D E NA

P H OTO G R A P H Y A S S I STA N T: P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G

Guillén, a Los Angeles native and actor, stands in front of the house where he and his siblings battled a fierce flare-up that reignited, threatening to consume what little remained of their beloved neighborhood and surrounding homes. "The hoses had melted and there was no way for the neighbor to put out the fire,” he says. “We rushed over with our sprinklers and put the fire out."

56 L A M AG . C O M

AS THE DEVASTATING FIRES OF JANUARY 2025 SWEPT THROUGH L.A., ANGELENOS RALLIED TO FIGHT BACK. THIS INTIMATE ACCOUNT DOCUMENTS THE DESTRUCTION, BUT MORE SO, THE RESILIENCE AND CAMARADERIE OF THE NEIGHBORS WHO UNITED TO HEAL THEIR CITY

BY MICHELE MCPHEE WITH JON REGARDIE AND CHRIS NICHOLS PHOTOGRAPHED BY IRVIN RIVERA

CA P TA I N FRANK LIMA PAC I F I C PA L I SA D E S

The LAFD Captain used an axe he pulled out of the trunk of his car, along with a small fire extinguisher, and smashed through a garden fence to extinguish smoldering embers at a home in the Palisades Highlands that caught fire after the house next door exploded in flames. The house was scorched but saved.

L A M AG . C O M 57

BROKEN BUT TOGETHER AMID THE UNTHINKABLE LOSSES FROM L.A.’S UNPRECEDENTED DISASTER, THERE WERE ALSO SMALL MIRACLES AND HARBINGERS OF HOPE

L L O C A L M E T E O R O L O G I S T S were breathless in repeating the warnings for “life threatening winds,” over and over in the days before Jan. 7.

“Life threatening?” I thought somewhat incredulously as I left my beachside studio in Venice around 7:30 a.m. that morning. But, at the boardwalk, the brute force of what marked unimaginable, imminent wind-fueled destruction hit like a bat to the chest. Palm tree branches lashed in a violent dance overhead. Sand particles whipped into furious tornadoes and darted the skin. A sandwich board guiding tourists to breakfast burritos flew into the air and fell with a thud like a heavyweight fighter taking a TKO punch.

All around, an ominous energy. Unsettling. Many Angelenos believe the Santa Ana winds rattle the psyche. Some writers, like L.A.’s Raymond Chandler, argue the gales can turn mild people murderous.

“There was a desert wind blowing that night,” he wrote in 1946’s Red Wind, a short story. “It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch.

5 8 L A M AG . C O M

CREDIT BOX

BY MICHELE MCPHEE

The owner of Revolver Gallery lost hundreds of artworks when his home burned down. But in a ravine behind his pool, he found a stainless steel sculpture titled “Broken but Together,” symbolic of the hope he and his neighbors feel about rebuilding their prized community.

P H OTO G R A P H Y A S S I STA N T: P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G

CREDIT BOX

RON RIVLIN PAC I F I C PA L I SA D E S

On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands’ necks. Anything can happen.”

Anything can happen … on this day, it did.

Three hours later, at 10:30 a.m., the Palisades Fire began. From the Venice Beach Boardwalk, spectators watched in horror as its ravenous flames built into a spreading wall of fire. An ugly, inky smoke began to stain the sky over the ocean. In the distance, crackling embers created a macabre fireworks show over the Palisades as a hellscape grew. In a matter of hours, famously picturesque swaths of Los Angeles would change forever.

I spoke with my literary manager that morning, a Pacific Palisades resident, about what now seems like utterly mundane nonsense. Neither of us knew that this would be the day that his house — and, as of this writing, 6,380 other homes and businesses in the tightknit seaside community and neighboring Malibu — would be reduced to ash. He is a collector of literary artifacts. All gone.

His neighborhood, also gone.

THIS IS AN ACT OF NATURE REMINDING US THAT NATURE WILL ALWAYS WIN.” - JAMIE LEE CURTIS

These enormous losses are what Jamie Lee Curtis came home to. The fervently proud bornand-bred Angelena had just boarded a flight to New York City when the texts started flying in about the fire in her neighborhood. She tells Los Angeles she felt fairly safe — even as her husband, fellow actor Christopher Guest, packed up their beloved rescue named Runi and a few belongings to hustle out of their home in a canyon on the outskirts of Pacific Palisades.

She recalls, “I never thought it would reach my house. To do that, it would have to burn across the entire area…” It did. She did not lose her home, but her community was decimated.

The church where she got sober in Alcoholics Anonymous was wrecked by flames, along with the women’s community center where she attended meetings. The grocery store where she did her shopping, ravaged. Palisades High School, where Curtis shot a scene for 2003’s Freaky Friday, was heavily damaged. Curtis rerouted back to her beloved City of Angels within a day.

Gutted by the apocalyptic scene she returned to, she immediately pledged $1 million to help her L A M AG . C O M 59

60 L A M AG . C O M

DISASTER DÉJÀ VU S O M E T I M E S we feel as if

we’ve seen it all. L.A. has been attacked by aliens and zombies in the movies but none of that compares to the real-life destruction we saw in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Insurance companies describe wildfires as an act of God, and God has been busy destroying SoCal over and over for the past century.

We always come back stronger. New regulations following the 1933 earthquake strengthened school buildings. After scores died when the L.A. river jumped its banks, the Army Corps of Engineers built a concrete channel so that would never happen again. California’s governor has made 57 disaster declarations this decade with more than half being wildfires. Here’s a look back at some of L.A.’s biggest natural and man-made disasters. — C H R I S N I C H O L S 1928 S T . F R A NC I S DA M D I SA S T E R

Soon after the giant dam structure a few miles north of Santa Clarita was built, it failed, killing an estimated 450 residents and ending the career of William Mulholland, who first brought a water supply to Los Angeles.

1933 L O NG B E AC H E A RT H Q UA K E

Just a month after the 6.4 quake that destroyed much of Long Beach and killed 120 people, the state adopted the Field Act. This early building code outlined new regulations to help make structures, especially hospitals and schools, safer. Twenty thousand homes were destroyed or seriously damaged, with damage estimates of $50 million — or $1.2 billion today.

MANUEL ALMANZA A LTA D E NA

Almanza, owner of Altadena Lock & Key, offered free locksmith services after the fire. By replacing car and house keys to help residents rebuild, he turned his sadness into action to support his struggling community.

their lives. Those tragedies include Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his son, Justin, who had cerebral palsy; the two died side-by-side in a bed waiting for an ambulance that tried desperately to move through the blinding fog of black smoke and flames but wouldn’t arrive on time. On another street, Victor Shaw, 66, defended his family home with a garden hose before he was overcome by smoke inhalation, dying on the lawn where he had played as a boy.

Two other elderly Altadena lifers — 82-year-old Rodney Nickerson, whose father is honored at L.A.’s largest housing development in Watts, and Erliene Kelley, 83 — believed the Eaton Fire, like others before it, would spare them. This time, the wildfires would not be so forgiving.

Another 11 people perished in the Palisades Fire, where fast-moving flames rapaciously devoured celebrity compounds, demolished entire beachfront communities, destroyed the Tahitian Terrace Mobile Home Park and decimated famous businesses like the Reel Inn and Moonshadows Malibu.

Among the lost include surfer Randy “Crawdaddy” Miod, a prolific contributor to the arts scene, who was found clutching his kitten

P H OTO G R A P H Y A S S I STA N T: P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G

neighbors. “This is an act of nature reminding us that nature will always win,” she says. “We now have to live with that grim reality, make changes and use our creative community, our will and spirit to rebuild.”

That sentiment is shared by art collector and West Hollywood gallery owner Ron Rivlin. His three-story home was filled with art — works by Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst and John Baldessari — and rare oddities, like a gumball machine from the Playboy Mansion, now dust. Desperate to find “something, anything,” he says, he climbed into the twisted rebar and hunks of debris with a ladder to look through the remains. In a ravine behind what had been a swimming pool, he spotted a glimmer. In the scorched brush, a stainless steel 15-foot sculpture: Michael Benisty’s “Broken but Together,” an aptly named artwork found among the hundreds lost.

“I take it as a hopeful sign,” he decrees. “One that represents the spirit of Pacific Palisades.”

Fourth-generation Altadena homeowner Johnny Agnew — a teamster on the Ryan Murphy series Monsters — is also a collector of artifacts, vintage trailers, rare cars and Americana curiosities, items he kept at his home, a 1920s-era log cabin dubbed Funky Junk Farms. His art may not have caught an appraiser’s eye, but it was priceless to the people lucky enough to visit his makeshift museum. As firefighters battled a hurricane of flames on the Westside on Jan. 7, the Eaton Fire began to blaze at 6:18 p.m.

Agnew and his girlfriend Yipsy watched the horizon as the flames roared through mansions in the canyon on the opposite side of town and then pushed down into the historic enclave of west Altadena, home to generations of Black families like his.

By midnight, it was chaos, he notes. The sky was pitch-dark with smoke, an orange glow enveloping their cabin. “My heart sank. It was a mountain of fire, moving toward us,” Agnew says.

The hurricane-force winds blew so ferociously that entire blocks — including theirs — were wiped out in minutes, at least 7,000 homes incinerated by fire like a book of lit matches, one after another. Mom-and-pop shops leveled; history wiped out. The delightfully eclectic Bunny Museum. Countless houses of worship. Fox’s famous restaurant. Now, all part of the war zone left behind. “It’s very emotional,” the 63-year-old says. “At my age, it’s supposed to be cruise control. Now we have to start over. We have 25 close friends who lost everything.” Still, Agnew is quick to talk about the outpouring of love from friends and strangers: “We are the lucky ones. We are alive. And we will rebuild.”

In his neighborhood, at least 17 people lost

J O H N N Y AG N E W A LTA D E NA

1 9 3 4 F LO O D : H I STO R I C A L S O C I E T Y O F T H E C R E S C E N TA VA L L E Y

Agnew and his girlfriend Yipsy spent 20 years transforming the onetime goldfish hatchery into Funky Junk Farms. Their vast archive of vintage travel trailers, automobilia and roadside treasures inspired the 2017 TV series Junkyard Genius. They plan to rebuild.

to his chest in his Malibu bungalow. He died attempting to escape the wind-fueled flames that bobbed and weaved like a linebacker, leveling everything in their path. His mother said Miod’s last words to her were: “Pray for the Palisades.

Pray for Malibu. I love you.” At a cottage nearby, one-time Australian child actor Rory Sykes, 32, who was born blind with cerebral palsy, was unable to escape his home despite a desperate attempt by his mom Shelley to douse the whitehot embers that landed on her son’s roof. “The water was shut off,” she wrote in a social media post, adding that even the “brave firefighters had no water all day.”

That lack of water, LAFD firefighters and union officials said, coupled with the unrelenting, unprecedented Santa Ana winds, crippled their efforts to control the hurricane of fire exploding all around them. “When you tap a hydrant and nothing comes out,” says International Association of Firefighters President Edward A. Kelly, “it’s like sending soldiers into war with tanks and guns and no ammunition.” Among the sites Kelly visited with his LAFD brethren was the devastated site of Corpus Christi Catholic

1934 C R E S C E N TA VA L L E Y F L O O D

A month after wildfires swept through the San Gabriel mountains, a foot of rain fell on the barren land, causing a flood that quickly swept through north Glendale. On Dec. 31, 1933, flood waters overtook the American Legion Hall, where a crowd, including volunteers from the Red Cross, had taken refuge. Twelve were killed at the hall and local historians say that 284 death certificates were signed in the Montrose community alone.

Church and School in Pacific Palisades, where he paused to say a prayer at its intact granite altar.

Firefighters began to buzz about what one called “a miracle” after recovering the Holy Tabernacle in the detritus and returning it to its Monsignor; all 14 stained glass Stations of the Cross were immaculate, which defied fire logic. “To me,” Kelly, a Boston native and lifelong firefighter says, “it’s a sign that this city is L.A. Strong.”

There were similar signs of hope across the city. Some seemed spiritual. Others resulted from brave actions by first responders and everyday Angelenos like actor Harvey Guillén, who is a series regular on Hulu’s What We Do in the Shadows. Guillén, the son of Mexican immigrants, was the first member of his family to buy a home and he’d fallen in love with Altadena. He was at home with family when the Eaton Fire began its monstrous lurch toward his neighborhood.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” he says.

“It was raining fire.” He remembers saying a quick prayer — “please save my house” — before snatching a photo of his father and running out.

When he returned the next day, he sobbed with “survivors’ guilt” that his sweet house was still L A M AG . C O M 61

HUMANE SOCIETY PA SA D E NA

Izzy Nidetz cares for a litter of orphaned kittens rescued from the Eaton Fire zone, just a handful of the more than 700 tiny lives saved by the Humane Society.

1938 L O S A NG E L E S FLOOD

Throughout L.A. history, floods have killed more people than fires or earthquakes. After five days of rain, some 115 people were killed and 6,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Damages are estimated at a billion dollars in today’s money. A few months later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began pouring concrete to channel the river to avoid another disaster.

miles upon miles of ruined neighborhoods to mitigate further damage to the structures that were left as the National Guard posted up to prevent looting. Dozens of bad actors were arrested, including some dressed as firefighters who were using a lifesaving, nonprofit app most Angelenos had never heard of until the fires broke out: Watch Duty.

Across L.A. County, Watch Duty’s unifying tone began to ding with real-time evacuation orders that corresponded with maps of the fast-moving fires so people knew where to go. “When this fire lit, we knew this was going to be catastrophic,” the service’s creator John Mills says. “We started sleeping in shifts,” he recalls of his staff of 15.

“What is happening, it’s on an untouchable scale we could not have foreseen.”

For all the destruction, there were endless stories of unfettered heroism. LAFD Captain Frank Lima was driving toward the Station 69 firehouse in Pacific Palisades when he spotted embers flying into the window of a house on Marquez Avenue, right next to another home fully engulfed in flames. Lima leapt from his car, grabbed his axe — along with a tiny fire

P H OTO G R A P H Y A S S I STA N T: P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G ; 1 9 3 8 F LO O D : E M RY DAV I S I V/ W I K I M E D I A CO M M O N S

standing — before noticing his neighbor’s home was smoking.

Guillén and his siblings grabbed a hose and soaked his neighbor’s house, saving it. It was an act that unwittingly put the family among the ranks of countless civilians who did what they could to aid exhausted, frustrated first responders from CalFire, the LAFD and nearby companies, plus 1,100 California inmates — among them juvenile detention center volunteers — who by then, had been engaged in a Sisyphean struggle to contain wildfires igniting all around them for days. They kept coming: the Hurst fire in Sylmar; the Kenneth near Woodland Hills, the Lidia in the Angeles National Forest, the Woodley in the Sepulveda Basin, then the Sunset in the Hollywood Hills. Flying embers made it as far as Ventura County, igniting the Auto Fire. Soon, help began to arrive on the line — and it was needed, as week two saw the Hughes Fire ignite in Castaic and the Laguna Fire in Ventura County.

The Navajo Nation Fire Department sent its best. So did Mexico; Canada. Then Texas and Vegas and Oregon and Utah and Tennessee.

Civilian fire brigades began to fan out across the

R I OTS : M I C K TAY LO R / W I K I M E D I A CO M M O N S

extinguisher — smashed through a garden gate at the house, and forced his way inside with whitehot fire all around him. He emptied the little hydrant as Engine 19 showed up on the scene to help, and that house is one of the only ones on the once-picturesque block in the Palisades Highlands neighborhood unscathed. Lima still visits the house to make sure it’s standing.

Overhead, fire pilots dazzled us with action movie-worthy shots of staggeringly accurate water drops from helicopters, planes and super scoopers — precision dumps that erased gigantic swaths of fire, captured in videos every bit as exciting as scenes out of a Marvel superhero film. In today’s world, the “superheroes” are the countless Angelenos who immediately jumped in to help.

Social media influencers took over the Pasadena Rose Bowl to create a spontaneous evacuation center. An Altadena locksmith on Lake Avenue that survived the fires offered free house and car keys to his neighbors who weren’t so lucky. Venice surf shops began collecting donated essentials. Strangers offered up rooms and guest houses to the more than 150,000 Angelenos left homeless or displaced, while

1992 L O S A NG E L E S RIOTS

The most devastating civil unrest in American history left 58 dead and more than $1 billion in property damage that was spread all over Los Angeles County. The fires, looting and destruction stretched from Pacoima to Long Beach.

hotels gave away free rooms. Countless restaurants dedicated their kitchens to those in need, delivering food (and comfort) to weary survivors and frontline workers. The Pasadena Humane Society rescued 700 terrified animals; dogs, cats, turtles, a small dragon, motherless kittens and even, at least for one night, a pony. Rescued horses were rushed to nearby equestrian centers. Veterinarians across the city turned their hospitals into makeshift shelters. Volunteering and acts of community service have replaced redcarpet events and awards shows.

Spontaneous murals by artists across the city remind us that the real superstars in Tinseltown these days are its first responders. Graffiti artists from the Santee Public Gallery took over a wall near the Venice Beach skate park that reads on one side, framed by the Pacific Ocean: “Thank You Firefighters.” On the other, it reads: “Heroes in Red,” backdropped by the boardwalk where spectators watched in horror the growing red threat on that windy Jan. 7 morning.

For Curtis, the outpouring of love and support amid continuing mayhem comes as no surprise.

After all, as she says: “We are the City of Angels.”

C O R P US C H R I S T I C H U RC H PAC I F I C PA L I SA D E S

Amid Corpus Christi Catholic Church's rubble in Pacific Palisades, 14 stained glass windows depicting Christ's Stations of the Cross miraculously survived. Their preservation against all odds has been called a miracle.

L A M AG . C O M 63

GRAB A HOSE, TAKE A STAND INSIDE THE HARROWING LAFD FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL AT FIRE STATION 69

BY MICHELE MCPHEE P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y I RV I N R I V E R A

64 L A M AG . C O M

B P H OTO G R A P H Y A S S I STA N T: P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G F I R E : CO U R T E SY F R A N K L I M A

F I R E S TAT I O N 69 PAC I F I C PA L I SA D E S

Opposite page, from left: Captain Nathan Bordofsky, Captain Mike McIndoe, firefighter Eric Gonzalez and firefighter Octavio Silveyra.

Below: The Palisades Fire grew so dangerous, LAFD firefighters had to seek refuge inside Fire Station 69 to save their own lives.

B Y N I G H T FA L L on the day the wildfires began, the scene in the Palisades was apocalyptic for the firefighters in the center of its unstoppable path. Blistering hot embers were the only thing visible in the blinding black smoke. Molten flames burned through thick fire hoses. Propane tanks exploded like heavy artillery in the darkness. It seemed like everything was ablaze, the sky filled with erratic firebrands carried by whipping, hurricane-force winds, all fueling the monster that ate through entire blocks in a matter of minutes.

And, despite the efforts of the firefighters on this harrowing battlefield, there was nothing they could do to extinguish the behemoth, and their own lives were increasingly at risk. Air support waterdrops were grounded because of the deadly Santa Ana gales. Worse, fire hydrants had run dry. The reservoir that should have been replenishing the hydrants was inexplicably empty, akin to sending soldiers into war unarmed. “We were chasing our tails trying to find water. We were running from home to home trying to turn off water mains to stop the strain on the system,” LAFD firefighter Andy Carter remembers. “This is our community. In our minds, we are focused on doing everything we can to save every home.”

With no water, saving houses was a futile mission. The conditions were so dire, firefighters now had no choice but to retreat to safety just to survive. The closest foxhole in this inferno was Fire Station 69 on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of the Palisades.

Earlier in the evening, the LAFD made the highly unusual decision to recall offduty firefighters, urging the city’s members

to call the Department Operations Center with details of their availability. Within minutes of the alert, the lines were jammed. The cavalry had been called and its members answered. Station 69 Captain Nathan Bordofsky kept getting a busy signal until he said, Fuck it. He grabbed his gear, jumped in his Jeep at his Calabasas house and aimed it toward his second home: Fire Station 69. He was in for a rough ride.

The paths on Temescal and Sunset Boulevards were blocked by cars that had been abandoned by desperate evacuees who fled toward the Pacific Coast Highway in a terrifying dash just minutes before their vehicles became charred hulls of steel. High-tension power lines crackled in the streets as flying trees ripped from their roots in the 90-mile-per-hour winds narrowly missed smashing through his windshield. All around, the windows of home and businesses blew out, adding oxygen to the raging fire tornado leveling everything in its ugly orange-hued path. “I had never seen anything like it,” Bordofsky recalls. “So much destruction.”

In one of the dozens of hot spots, firefighter Eric Gonzalez — who, like everyone else assigned to Station 69, is a veteran firefighter with decades of experience — was asked to scout a safe route to refuge in the department’s “plug buggy,” the nickname given to a pickup truck used for supply runs. He followed the same treacherous path his brother firefighter Bordofsky was navigating toward the firehouse. When he finally made it, things were bad. The refuge itself was in peril.

“It was an inferno: It was raining fire all around it, ember casts everywhere,” Gonzalez says. He sent an alert over his LAFD radio. Time to go!

Former Station 69 Captain Frank Lima, now L.A.’s union boss for the International Association of Fire Fighters, was already in the Palisades in a small department vehicle doing what he could — checking on his members and the community — when Gonzalez’ radio call went out. The situation was well past the point that could ensure the safety of the firefighters, who were already fatigued and defeated by circumstances well beyond anyone’s control.

Everyone was urged back to Fire Station 69 before the already unfolding tragedy in Los Angeles could include a first responders’ funeral.

L A M AG . C O M 65

Los Angeles was jolted awake at 4:31 a.m. by the 6.7 magnitude temblor, which carved a wide path of destruction. Freeways collapsed, apartments pancaked and reconstruction took years. In the end, 72 were dead and damages were estimated at $20 billion.

2017 W I L D F I R E S

F I R E S TAT I O N 69 PAC I F I C PA L I SA D E S

Above: Captain Nathan Bordofsky holds a heavy fire hose ripped apart by molten flames. Right: Inside the station.

Fire Station 69 has always been a special place for Captain Mike McIndoe. His father had served there before him when he was a boy, so a great bulk of his life was formed in the firehouse’s protective fold. His unit was knocking down anything they could on “the Alphabet Streets” of the Palisades when he got the call. He rounded up his troops and pushed back through the plumes of smoke, dodging the sparking, dangerous detritus on the path to Sunset Boulevard. In a matter of minutes, the firehouse would be defended by two engine companies and a ladder truck, roughly two dozen firefighters in all.

The mentality of L. A.’s bravest has always been “take a hose and take a stand,” says Station 69 Captain Eric Nakamaru. And on this night, that motto was about to be tested in a historic way.

There was no doubt the assembled firefighters, backed by their combined experience, were ready for a face-off with the encroaching flames.

66 L A M AG . C O M

There were 29 wildfires across Southern California, including the massive Thomas Fire, that December. One firefighter and one civilian were killed, and more than 1,300 buildings were destroyed. Damages were estimated at $3.5 billion.

2020 C OV I D -19

Even though masks and sanitizer are not as prevalent as they were four years ago, COVID continues to have a big impact on our lives. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports that 14,840 Angelenos have died from the disease, with the total number in the county somewhere over 36,000.

P H OTO G R A P H Y A S S I STA N T: P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G ; F I R E H O S E : M I C H E L E M C P H E E ; N O R T H R I D G E : R O B E R T A . E P L E T T/ F E M A N E WS P H OTO/ W I K I M E D I A CO M M O N S ; W I L D F I R E S : S COT T L I E B E N S O N / W I K I M E D I A CO M M O N S ; COV I D -1 9 : U. S . M A R I N E CO R P S /C P L . A L E X A M . H E R N A N D E Z / W I K I M E D I A CO M M O N S

1994 NO RT H R I D G E E A RT H Q UA K E

The ammunition — water — was the only thing lacking. To save the firehouse, they had to make do with a paltry 500 gallons stored in a reserve, on a single piece of apparatus. In seconds, the firefighters were positioned in strategic locations: on the roof, and at points that circled the building. With that, the heroic battle to save Station 69 and its LAFD protectors began. “It was like the Alamo,” Lima describes of what he calls a “once-in-ageneration fire.”

“Firefighters were in a fight for their lives.

It was so dangerous out there, it’s a miracle we didn’t lose any firefighters,” he adds. “The angels were looking out for us.”

Battling back the flames that surrounded them for hours was a perilous and scrappy scrum that dragged on into the early morning of Jan. 8. But the firehouse was saved. More importantly, so were the firefighters inside.

In the weeks since the brave stand for Station 69, a steady stream of grateful Palisades residents, among them Jay Leno, have stopped by with food and hugs. A banner now hangs in front of the firehouse with a message for the people of Pacific Palisades: “We are in this together. #PalisadesStrong.” It is their neighborhood too, Carter says, adding proudly, “Fire Station 69 remains steadfastly in the service of their community.”

P H OTO G R A P H Y A S S I STA N T: P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G ; F I R E H O S E : M I C H E L E M C P H E E ; N O R T H R I D G E : R O B E R T A . E P L E T T/ F E M A N E WS P H OTO/ W I K I M E D I A CO M M O N S ; W I L D F I R E S : S COT T L I E B E N S O N / W I K I M E D I A CO M M O N S ; COV I D -1 9 : U. S . M A R I N E CO R P S /C P L . A L E X A M . H E R N A N D E Z / W I K I M E D I A CO M M O N S

BUILD, BABY, BUILD HOW TO REPLACE THOUSANDS OF LOST HOMES — AND ALSO CUT THROUGH L.A.’S NOTORIOUSLY SLOW PERMITTING AND APPROVALS PROCESS

BY JON REGARDIE including San Diego. It allows licensed architects and engineers to design T W O DAY S A F T E R the devastating wildfires broke out, Mayor Karen plans, attest that they meet all building codes and standards, and then skip Bass was already looking toward the future. In the burned areas, she stated the lengthy plan-check process. It would not apply to every development, during a briefing on Jan. 9, “We’re going to clear the red tape and unneconly the simplest, and full plans and drawings must be submitted (and essary delays and costs and headaches that people experience in ordinary inspections still happen). times so that we can rebuild your homes quickly.”

Bass’ order calls for exploring the feasibility of self-certification. The idea It was the type of comforting promise that stunned and stricken also resonates with Councilmember Nithya Raman, who chairs the counAngelenos want to hear, but it masks the gargantuan complexity of replaccil’s Housing and Homelessness Committee. She tells Los Angeles that even ing thousands of lost homes in a city with infamous bureaucracy, where before the fires, she had been looking at this and other permit-speeding proeven renovating a garage can means months or more of permitting hell — posals, particularly for single-family homes. She acknowledges there must be and that’s before construction begins. “robust monitoring,” but believes this could deliver dramatic change in L.A. So how do Los Angeles, Pasadena, unincorporated Altadena and other “Self-certification, or a streamlined process where you areas, where building and permitting rules vary, do it? get your permits for projects within 30 days, is a radical Start by breaking the process into smaller steps, reorientation of our system,” she says on the Sunday eveinstructs Steve Soboroff, the veteran Los Angeles developning after the fires started. er and businessman whose resume includes constructing Other ideas for quick rebuilding are being proffered; 6,000 housing units at Playa Vista and helping get Staples Brian Lane, a principal at the Santa Monica firm Koning Center (now Crypto.com Arena) green-lit in the mid-’90s.

Eizenberg Architecture, suggests immediately re-approvAs an example, Soboroff — who has since been named Chief ing “any permit pulled in the last 15 years” in impacted Recovery Officer by Bass — points to the “Alphabet Streets” areas, including a home expansion, an ADU or a pool. But in Pacific Palisades; he says that, from the outset, you at the base, there’s a need for speed. Smith notes that a need the leadership and power of the federal government. developer who secures financing for a $10 million apartAlthough ceding control would undoubtedly bring legal ment complex could be spending $3,000 a day on interest, challenges from home and property owners, he believes insurance and other costs. Moses Kagan, a developer and this is the only feasible way to clear blocks covered in ash IT’S SO MUCH co-founder of Adaptive Realty, which manages more than and debris, and remediate soil poisoned by fire toxins.

EASIER TO 140 apartment buildings across the region (its own proper“You get a coordinated effort for demolition, for trash HAVE 10 ties, and for other owners), echoes the take, and points out removal, for soil removal, soil replacement, for utility BULLDOZERS the importance of simply knowing what’s required. replacement,” he says, acknowledging it could take three “It’s a disaster to buy land and then have to fight with years, but that, “it’s so much easier to have 10 bulldozers do DO IT ALL, the city for years about what you can build,” Kagan says. it all, than 250 bulldozers fighting with each other to do it THAN 250 To prevent that post-fire, Kagan recommends establishone at a time.” The end result, he adds, is thousands of lots BULLDOZERS ing a sort of governmental or approvals strike teams, a colready for building. “It’s got your curbs. It’s been graded and FIGHTING lection of city staffers who know the precise neighborhood all the utilities are underground, and all you do is take your WITH EACH regulations and all work together. “You keep the same peoplans and start your construction.” ple doing it, so they build relationships with each other In L.A., getting those plans approved has historically OTHER.” and relationships with the architects and builders in the been like slogging through a minefield, with challenges — STEVE SOBOROFF zone, and then everyone gets some specialization,” he says. ranging from neighborhood-specific building restrictions Soboroff, who also served on the Police Commission and to city plan checkers demanding “corrections” on archihelped bring the Space Shuttle Endeavour to the California Science Center, rectectural drawings. In ocean-adjacent areas, California Coastal Commission ognizes that the needed level of fast permitting likely exceeds the city’s capacrules pose even higher hurdles. ity. His solution? Outsourcing, by contracting with dozens of firms that will On Jan. 12, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to speed examine the thousands of homeowner applications. “The city gives the firms rebuilding by, among other things, suspending California Environmental the rules, but the city gives the firms the stamp that says ‘approved,’” he says.

Quality Act (CEQA) reviews and California Coastal Act permitting for damThis is only part of the rebuilding challenge. The crush of so many projaged and destroyed properties. The following day, a similar Bass order took ects happening simultaneously could strain supply chains and drive up the steps including creating a debris removal task force and calling for the estabcosts of building materials. Even if contractors from other areas rush to L.A., lishment of a seven-day-a-week permitting center, with representatives from hoping to make bank, a Trump Administration crackdown on immigrants 13 city departments and bureaus, that work to quickly approve applications. could thin the ranks of those who do so much construction work in the region.

Those steps could help clear logistical logjams, but for Mott Smith, a develAnd all this in a place that was already suffering from a housing shortage. oper and chairman of the board of the Council of Infill Builders, a first step The tasks are monumental, but L.A. has rebounded before from wildfires involves addressing a longstanding philosophical snafu in city departments. and riots, as well as COVID-19. Soboroff, who has worked with mayors going “The single most important thing we could do would be to very explicback to Tom Bradley, believes that in Bass, L.A. has a connected ace in the hole. itly, from the top down and bottom up, consciously change our city culture “She uniquely has the relationships in the state, in the county, on a fedfrom a culture of ‘no’ to a culture of ‘yes,’” he says. “All of the policy changes eral level, in Congress, in the Senate,” Soboroff says. So when she references won’t make a difference if people at the counter still view their job as prea new strategy to attack a problem, he adds, “Her strength is in being able venting mistakes instead of facilitating successes.” to make things happen that way.”

Smith advises instituting “self-certification,” a process utilized in cities L A M AG . C O M 67

Were the artists’ lofts at the Brewery the first in L.A.?

“Broken Shoes,” an art performance by Downtown art pioneer Cheri Gaulke at a DTLA theater behind the Atonic Cafe in 1980

L I K E , W H AT I S A N A R T I S T ? What is a loft? In Beat-era Venice, poets and painters slept in an abandoned bingo parlor-turned-coffee house.

Soon after the moon landing, a gym in Inglewood and a piano factory in Pasadena were commandeered in the name of art. Creativity revived neighborhoods and artists started trickling towards Downtown. “In 1975, studio space was a nickel a foot,” says pioneering developer Stephen Seemayer. “We had buildings with artists in them, but they were essentially illegal. It was the Wild West.” Vast playgrounds for experimental music, theater and visual 8 0 L A M AG . C O M

Good Enough To Eat

PERUSE CELEBRITY PORTRAITS MADE OF FOOD ● CHER IS MADE

AT O M I C P OW E R E D

A:

CHRIS’ PICK

arts sprang up from Broadway to the L.A. River before the Brewery’s 1981 debut.

“I always believed that artists would be critical to the revitalization of Downtown,” says former councilman Joel Wachs, who sponsored the live/ work law that same year. “They were often hassled by Building and Safety, Fire and Planning Department officials, but expressed a desire to work together to legalize.” Rents skyrocketed once the lofts became legal and the population changed from fulltime creatives who could recycle bottles to make the rent to fashion designers, photographers and film folk. “They work in the arts,” developer Drew Lesso says. “But they’re not fine artists.” A few pre-code buildings remain, including the former LACE on Industrial Street and Hunter Street Studios. “This was the Chelsea Hotel and CBGB’s West,” musician Jesse Easter says of the American Hotel above Al’s Bar, where he’s lived for more than 40 years.

“I’m the last dog standing.”

of coffee grounds, cinnamon and Sweet’N Low from the Coffee Bean in West Hollywood and Lucille Ball is calamari and tomatoes from Connie & Ted’s. The new photographic exhibition ICANDY by L.A.’s favorite pink Corvette-driving blond bombshell Angelyne shows off 28 celebrity portraits made from her dinner leftovers. “After I eat, I get bored and start playing with my food,” she says. “And then all of a sudden, things just appear.

It’s like a real spirit is coming out of the food.” The ephemeral art, like the sand of a mandala, disappears soon after it’s made.

Before the busboys cart it away, she snaps a photo. The Wolf Man appeared to Angelyne during dinner at El Torito. “I had a cheese enchilada and opened it up and saw his face,” the billboard queen says. “He looks just good enough to eat!”

Melrose Botanical Garden, 7406 Melrose Ave., through Feb. 4 — CHRIS NICHOLS

T H E B R E W E RY: S H E I L A R U T H ; FO O D A R T: CO U R T E SY A N G E LY N E

Q

EMAIL YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ABOUT L.A. TO ASKCHRIS@LAMAG.COM

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11/12/25 11:04 AM

CONGRATULATIONS, DODGERS! From Santa Monica’s palm-lined streets to the bright lights of Dodger Stadium, a legacy of teamwork, heart and hometown pride shines stronger than ever.

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers on back-to-back World Series championships, a remarkable achievement that continues to inspire fans across Southern California and beyond.

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THE L.A. WOMAN F E AT U R I N G

Paris Hilton ACTIVIST

HOW THE PREMIER INFLUENCER USED HER PLATFORM TO AID DISPLACED RESIDENTS AND ANIMALS

ALL THAT JAZZ Issa Rae’s new supper club honors South L.A.’s musical history MOVING IN Uzo Aduba joins Shondaland for White House murder mystery The Residence

12

MORE FEMALE LEADERS WHO FOUGHT FOR THE CITY AFTER THE WILDFIRES

SPRING FA S H I O N 2025 MARCH 2025 L A M AG .CO M

P R E S E N T S

L.A. Styled by MARC ERAM | Edited by JASMIN ROSEMBERG | Photographed by IRVIN RIVERA

BY FUNDR AISING, DISTRIBUTING ESSENTIALS, HEADING INTO DISASTER ZONES AND DONATING THEIR TIME, IN THE WAKE OF THE WILDFIRES, THESE 13 LEADERS WENT TO BAT FOR THE CIT Y THEY LOVE

6 0 L A M AG . C O M

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PARIS HILTON WEARS A DRESS FROM THE NEW ARRIVALS BY ILKYAZ OZEL, ALEXANDRE BIRMAN SHOES AND WOLFORD TIGHTS WHILE LOUNGING WITH HER DOG, CRYPTO.

Woman

ACTIVIST

Paris Hilton

AS HER MALIBU HOME WENT UP IN FLAMES, THE 11:11 MEDIA IMPACT FOUNDER FIGHTING CHILD ABUSE USED HER PLATFORM TO AID WILDFIRE VICTIMS AND ANIMALS, RAISING MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN MERE DAYS

By JA S M I N R O S E M B E R G Photographed by I RV I N R I V E R A

HILTON DONS A DODIEE

I

N 2 01 9 , Paris Hilton — entrepreneur, television personality, singer, DJ and the original influencer — began filming a documentary with director Alexandra Dean (Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story) that would change the course of her entire life.

“The original premise was supposed to be [how] I felt like I’d been underestimated for so long,” says Hilton from the couch next to me in a suite at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, prior to our photo shoot. “As many things as I’ve accomplished, people just wanted to focus on, like, ‘Oh, she’s a party girl.’ There’s so much more to me, to what I’ve done in my life, and I wanted to show that.”

Then something happened along the way, while Dean was documenting Hilton’s “glamorous” globetrotting for her many brands and business pursuits: she earned Hilton’s trust.

“Six months into filming, we were in Korea for my skincare launch,” Hilton recalls. “I had always had severe nightmares, and I just opened up to her a little bit. But I said, ‘This is not going to be in the documentary, so I don’t want to talk about this on camera.’”

Dean, who’d originally seen parallels between Hilton — a

6 2 L A M AG . C O M

DRESS ATOP THE WALDORF ASTORIA BEVERLY HILLS.

technology wiz who singlehandedly runs a billion-dollar empire — and her prior subject, actress and inventor Lamarr, dove into what Hilton shared about her experiences at a youth treatment boarding school. “The next day, she came to me with all of this research and showed me that [the schools] had now boomed into a $28-billiona-year industry, and hundreds of thousands of kids were getting sent to these places every year. And that so many of these children were being physically, emotionally, sexually abused,” Hilton says.

“I thought it was just like, ‘Oh, only this school that I went to was a bad place.’ And that’s when I knew that I couldn’t not say anything anymore — I had to use my voice to help others.”

She looks at me earnestly, and I see a rawness and realness beneath the chicly coiffed hair and flawless makeup; there are tears in both of our eyes. “And now, looking back, I really believe that maybe God made me go through that and gave me a special gift, so that I could be the hero that I always needed when I was little.”

B O R N I N N E W Y O R K C I T Y on Feb. 17, 1981 to former child actress Kathy Hilton and Richard Hilton — co-founder of Hilton & Hyland real estate agency and grandson of Hilton

ST Y L I ST A S ST: M I SA E L VA R G A S ; M A K E U P A R T I ST: M E L I S SA H U R K M A N ; H A I R ST Y L I ST: E D UA R D O P O N C E ; D I G I TA L T E C H : P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G ; F I R ST A S S I STA N T: M AT T H E W G E R E T Y; P H OTO A S ST: B I A N C A C AT B AG A N ; CO U R T E SY O F 1 1 : 1 1

Woman

Hotels magnate Conrad Hilton — Hilton moved to L.A., where all of her grandparents lived, at age 2 1/2.

“I loved it,” says the oldest of four of her upbringing in Beverly Hills and Bel Air. “The weather is beautiful.

I loved my school, going to Buckley. Nicole [Richie] and I would have so much fun going to the Century City mall. I was always a tomboy: Loved sports. Loved to go to Malibu, and swimming, surfing and fishing.”

Shooting this cover at the Hilton Hotels brand’s newer Waldorf Astoria and adjacent 70-year-old Beverly Hilton proved nostalgic for Hilton, who started coming there as a child for charity events like mother-daughter fashion shows. She notes: “Being philanthropic was really instilled in us — my sister [Nicky] and I, and my brothers [Barron and Conrad] — from my family.”

When she was 15, the Hiltons returned to New York.

“My mom and dad just wanted to move,” says Hilton, who lived at the original Waldorf Astoria. And so began an era in which she was labeled a “troubled teen.”

I tell Hilton that, like her — to escape the harsh expectations of a parent who wanted me to be perfect and “Stepford”-esque, as the debutante describes in the documentary — I looked to New York City nightlife. I also began sneaking out and frequenting Manhattan nightclubs at age 15 — because when I stepped inside, I felt liberated and unfettered and unburdened of rules; I felt free.

“I did feel free there,” she agrees. “My parents were extremely strict. I wasn’t allowed to go on dates. I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup. I wasn’t allowed to do anything all my friends were doing, so I think that was a way of rebelling and being who I wanted to be.”

It was also just plain fun — “especially back then,” she says. “I have always loved music. I love to dress up. I was always a shy person too, but when I would go to the club … it would be all the flashing lights and the loud music, and I love to dance. I’ve always been a night owl as well, so I just loved everything about it.”

Her penchant for partying — coupled with her poor performance at school — led her parents to send her away to boarding schools aimed at reforming “troubled teens” (a term I tell her I don’t even like — and she doesn’t, either; show me the teenager who’s untroubled). Was she a troubled teen, I ask, or was she merely in schools ill-equipped to handle the Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) she’s since been diagnosed with?

“Especially back then, no one was talking about ADHD,” she says. “And it’s not like we’re ‘troubled teens.’ We just can’t pay attention to things that are boring. I think the whole reason I would even be sent into the troubled teen industry is because of the ADHD — not being able to focus, failing a lot of tests and not being able to remember things. As hard as I would try, [school] was just really hard for me — except in things I loved, like art class and drama, and science and history, but math was always very hard.”

The worst of the string of schools the Hiltons sent

CHECKING IN Hilton helped provide long-term Hilton Hotels stays for displaced families and visited them to offer support.

I knew that I couldn’t not say anything anymore — I had to use my voice to help others.

their daughter to from ages 16 to 18 was Provo Canyon School in Utah. “My parents were told it was an emotional growth boarding school — there was such fake marketing,” she says. “[They] thought I was going to this beautiful boarding school where I would be riding horses. They saw brochures of kids smiling.”

Hilton kept the truth about what happened to her there, for 11 months from 1997 to 1998, a secret from everyone — until she started filming the documentary.

“I always planned that I would never tell anyone,” she says, “because it was so traumatic and demoralizing, and I was so ashamed. They really instill so much shame that the children don’t even want to talk about it, which works out perfectly. I found from talking to thousands of survivors that everyone takes many years to process what they went through, till they finally can speak about it.” Which she then bravely did.

Dean’s Sept. 2020 YouTube Originals documentary This Is Paris explores the emotional, sexual and physical abuse Hilton suffered there — from being awoken in the night by men who took her to the school (“I thought I was being kidnapped,” she says in the doc), to forced drug “therapy,” embarrassment, starvation, assault and solitary confinement (made to sit in the nude, in a small chamber with nothing but a drain and a toilet paper roll). She later details in op-eds how, upon entry, she was asked to strip down and given a “gynecological exam” — as male staffers looked on — and how she was frequently pulled out of bed during the night by staff with a flashlight, who forced her to spread her legs and submit to additional unwarranted cervical “exams.” Staff also watched her shower. And she wasn’t alone.

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“Right when the documentary came out, I was getting reached out to by thousands of survivors,” says Hilton. “[I was] in tears hearing everyone’s stories, and parents saying, ‘I’m finally speaking with my child, because for so long, I didn’t believe them.’”

Hilton had the idea to bring the survivors together in front of Provo Canyon School in Utah. “Hundreds of them came from all around the world,” says Hilton, who wore a shirt that read “survivor” on the back and “breaking code silence” on the front at the Oct. 9, 2020 protest. As they were about to take off, her team received a call from Utah senator Michael McKell.

“We flew back and met with them, and I testified.”

On Feb. 8, 2021, Hilton spoke at a Senate committee hearing at the Utah Capitol. “The legislators had no idea what was happening,” she says. “That’s when we started writing our first bill. I was like, ‘Wow. I didn’t know I could do something like change laws.’

So when I saw that I could make real change, [it felt] really powerful. I want to use my platform to make a difference in these children’s lives and protect them.”

In 2021, Hilton launched her 11:11 Media and hired Rebecca Mellinger Grone to head 11:11 Media Impact, its charitable division, which outlined three objectives based on Hilton’s life experiences: reforming the troubled teen industry (TTI) to protect vulnerable youth from child abuse, championing neurodiversity and ADHD sufferers, and granting life-changing wishes.

After the Utah state legislature approved her bill (to increase transparency and end abusive practices in congregate care programs), Hilton targeted other states like California and Capitol Hill. “It was a lot to learn,” she says. “We started going back and forth to D.C., meeting with different legislators and the caucuses, telling the story, bringing survivors.” After visiting the Capitol several times from 2021 to 2024 (to advocate at the White House, testify before the House Ways and Means Committee and meet with members of Congress in the House and Senate), on Dec. 18, 2024, the U.S. Congress passed the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act — affording more transparency, accountability and protections in youth residential programs, plus a reform of the facilities. On Dec. 24, 2024, President Biden signed it into law.

“We changed 10 state laws so far, and federal legislation, which is huge,” Hilton says. “It’ll impact 13 million children, so that makes me very proud.”

What’s more effective, I ask, than sending teens to these schools? “I think it’s important for families to talk to their kids and let them know they’re there,” she says. “Or maybe ground them, take away their phone.

But sending a kid away is not the right choice at all.”

PUPPY LOVE Hilton visited Pasadena Humane Society and fostered Zuzu, a dog whose family had to flee the Altadena fire.

I invented this perfect, Barbie doll, happy, princess-type of life.

response. Then, getting The Simple Life, [I had to] continue doing that character over and over. Because the producers said to us at the beginning, ‘Paris, you be the blond airhead. Nicole [Richie], you be the troublemaker.’ We didn’t realize we’d have to continue doing that, season after season, for five years straight.” The reality series, which inserted the highmaintenance girls into menial jobs, debuted in 2003 on Fox and ran through 2007 on E! “So it just became part of who I was, because I had to play it so much.”

Her Provo Canyon experiences also led her to gravitate toward abusive men — and in the doc, she reveals she’s been in relationships with at least five. Even the sex tape released in 2004 without her consent by former boyfriend Rick Salomon was a violation and abuse; and Hilton has since spoken about instances of being groomed by a teacher, getting drugged and raped at 15 by an older man she’d met at the Century City mall and having to lock herself in a bathroom at Cannes to escape Harvey Weinstein.

“When that happens to you,” she says of her past, “it makes you not really know what love is. It just really attracts the wrong people, because they can tell they can manipulate you.”

I tell her — even though I know I don’t have to — that I was drugged and raped by a nightclub promoter in my 20s, when I’d first moved to L.A. (“It’s so scary this town, these guys are so bad sometimes,” she responds.) And now, there are tears in both of our eyes, again. Because this is more than an interview at this point; it’s two 44-year-old women sharing war stories

T O C O P E W I T H what she’d experienced at Provo Canyon, Hilton started playing a character she’s described as part-Lucy and part-Marilyn. “I invented this perfect, Barbie doll, happy, princess-type of life,” she says. “In the beginning, it was kind of a trauma 6 4 L A M AG . C O M

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about how we’d been victimized by abusive men during an era of schadenfreude, when “consent” wasn’t a thing and women — particularly women who put themselves in party atmospheres — were made to feel culpable.

“Even that one experience was so hard for me to get over, and has informed so much that I’ve done after,” I tell her, expressing my awe at what she’s endured. Then I mention how I can identify with where she was in that moment, in regard to men. (Though my trauma stemmed from an abusive sociopathic father, not an institution.) Trauma victims try to recreate a similar situation with a similar type of person, in hopes of giving it a different ending — and I froze in the film when Nicky says to her sister, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over.”

I ask her what I tell her is my biggest question: “What work did you do after that documentary — was there therapy? Soul-searching? How did you break the cycle? I still gravitate toward bad men, and I’m aware of it. Like, was the realization enough for you?

Or how did you get to this really healthy place?”

“I didn’t do therapy because after being traumatized at those places by the therapists, that made me not trust [them],” she says, and I tell her I understand.

That the documentary reminded me of therapy — how someone from the outside can see the big picture of your life and put together patterns better than you can, because you’re so close to it. And how viewers can see her making these connections, like why she can’t sleep at night, as she’s filming it.

“I literally have never talked to anyone about anything, besides now,” she says. “But before the documentary came out, I went to the Hamptons [in 2019] and that’s when I [re]met Carter [Reum] — at one of my mom’s best friend’s houses. And before that, I was single — was not looking for anyone, just went to the Hamptons for Thanksgiving, which I had not done in 15 years because I had been working all the time and traveling a lot during the holidays. That night at dinner, we kissed, and then I never spent a night apart from him — we were just attached together.”

Afterward, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “For 20 years, I was traveling on a plane 250 days out of the year,” she says. “So this was like the first time I was forced to stay in one place. And it gave us so much time to get so close, because usually there are so many distractions. Now, the whole world [had] shut down.

There’s nowhere to go. It’s just us living at my house together. And then the movie came out that [Sept. 14, 2020]. So it’s crazy how the documentary made me … not find him, but be ready for someone like him.”

Hilton had known Reum, now 44 — an entrepreneur and venture capitalist from Illinois — for “a million years” before reuniting. “He’s such a nice guy,” she says. “He’s just a goofy, nerdy guy. I love him so much. He’s my everything. But I think I just was looking for the wrong type of people before, in the wrong places. When you think about it, you’re looking for

HAVING A GIFT Hilton surprised displaced residents staying at Hilton Hotels with presents.

It’s crazy how the documentary made me … not find [Carter], but be ready for someone like him.

guys to date at a nightclub? Those are not the guys to marry. So I’m happy that I found my nerdy, sweet guy.”

The couple got engaged on Feb. 13, 2021 and married on Nov. 11, 2021. Then Hilton did something even braver than unearthing her secrets in the film: she chose to dig deeper into her trauma, by writing a memoir. “I felt like my life was so different,” she says. “At the end of that documentary, I was crying and sad. I had not found love yet. After that, I was about to have my baby [son Phoenix, now 2, was born via surrogate on Jan. 16, 2023, and daughter London, now 1, followed via surrogate on Nov. 11]. I didn’t go as deep in the documentary, because I wasn’t ready for it. So in the book, I wanted people to really understand what’s happening in these places. That was therapeutic in itself, just writing everything down and getting it all out there.”

An instant New York Times bestseller, Paris: The Memoir (March 2023, Dey Street Books) delves even deeper into her struggles. Hilton is currently adapting it into a scripted TV series with A24 and producers Dakota and Elle Fanning. An actress [possibly a Fanning] will be playing her, and topics broached in the memoir, like ADHD, will be explored in more detail.

“The writer as well has ADHD,” Hilton says. “I think it’s great, because they get how our brain works. So it’s going to be written with that in mind: Just my whole life story. So it’ll be everything.”

H I LT O N H A S R E S I D E D in many areas of L.A. “I lived at my grandfather’s estate in Beverly Hills for a year at 19,” she says, “and then Hollywood Hills, Trousdale Place, Mulholland and now I’m in Beverly Park.”

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NOT PLAYING AROUND Hilton picked out toys to bring cheer to displaced children and families.

I knew I could do something. I know I have a platform where I could raise so much awareness.

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She calls the Tuscan-style Beverly Park estate in the Beverly Hills gated community — that she and Reum moved into in 2023 — her main home. In 2021, they’d purchased an oceanside three-bedroom beach house in Malibu.

“We also have my other house in Mulholland Estates, which I kept and turned into a content house and built a pink sliving [her combined term for slaying and living] kitchen,” she says. “Then we have another house in Beverly Hills, Montana and New York.”

Hilton was in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jan. 7 when the fires broke out. “That was scary, because it was by the Malibu area,” she says. “Then the next morning, my husband and I were watching the news. The reporter was standing in front of a house, and he’s like, ‘That’s our house.’ I was like, ‘No, it’s not.’ And he’s like, ‘Yes, the blue door.’ I saw our house burning in the background, on the TV. And I was in shock.”

The Malibu home had been their “sanctuary.”

“During COVID, we spent most of it there,” she says.

“That’s where we had my art room, and Phoenix and I would make paintings and [I wrote] my music. I left so many of my journals there with things I’ve written and songs.” She says the biggest losses are the memories she can’t replace: “Like family keepsakes that I’ve had for so long, and being on the beach [with] the puppies and the kids … all of that is gone now.”

Hilton took to Instagram on Wednesday, Jan. 8 and shared the footage of her home ablaze. However, rather than taking a “poor me” approach, right from the start, she expressed her resolve to help. “My heart aches for those still in harm’s way or mourning greater losses,” she wrote. “My 11:11 Media Impact Team is already reaching out to nonprofit organizations today

to figure out how we can best support the communities impacted by these fires.”

“I could think about all the moms with their babies [who] have nowhere to go or they’re in shelters, and that was making me so sad,” she says. “I’ve grown up in L.A. and this is our city, and I knew I could do something. I know I have a platform where I could raise so much awareness. That’s when I called Rebecca. I said, ‘I want to do everything I can to help.’”

Hilton returned to Malibu and on Thursday, Jan. 9, posted footage. “Everything looked destroyed,” she recalls. “You could smell it in the air, so much smoke, and everybody looked heartbroken.” But again, she looked to the silver lining. “I know I’m incredibly lucky. My loved ones, my babies, and my pets are safe,” she posted. “To everyone who has sent love, prayers, and kindness—you’ve reminded me that even in the ashes, there is still beauty in this world. ... And to everyone going through this pain, please know you’re not alone. We’re in this together. We will rebuild, we will heal, and we will rise stronger than before.”

On Friday, Jan. 10, she announced the emergency relief fund she’d launched through 11:11 Media Impact to support displaced families with young children, to which she personally contributed $100,000 and matched the next $100,000. “I can’t believe we raised over a million dollars within a few days,” says Hilton of the ongoing fund. She partnered with CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) to provide cash voucher assistance; as well as GoFundMe, making a $150K donation to its Wildfire Relief Fund that provided cash help to 150 Altadena families.

Hilton spent that weekend volunteering. At Baby2Baby, she packed emergency kits, and then she visited the Pasadena Humane Society. “I saw that so many animals were coming in, and there were burns on their faces and their paws, and I was in hysterics, crying,” says Hilton, a longtime animal lover who has four dogs (two Pomeranians and two Chihuahuas).

At Pasadena Humane, she bonded with a cat — that later reconnected with its owner after she posted a video — and she decided to foster a small brown dog named Zuzu. “We just fell in love with her,” she says.

“The family had surrendered her there because they said they couldn’t take care of her anymore.”

Hilton had planned on adopting her. “But then the little boy had seen her on my TikTok or online, and they contacted me,” she says. “He just missed her so much.” Hilton posted a video of the emotional reunion, when the boy and his mother came to retrieve her. “Just seeing him walk in and his face, my heart was melting,” she says. “I’m happy that they reunited.”

Ever since she started posting, Pasadena Humane received a surge in donations and offers to foster. “I’m going to continue doing that,” she says. “Because you can help save an animal and also raise awareness.”

Hilton coordinated the Hilton Hotels’ donation of 20,000 rooms to displaced (CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 1 4 3 )

FORMER CHIEF OF THE LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT

KRISTIN CROWLEY

Kristin Crowley

WAS L.A.’S FIRST FEMALE AND LGBTQ+ FIRE CHIEF.

L.A.’S FIRST FEMALE FIRE LEADER FOUGHT TO CONTAIN AN UNPRECEDENTED EMERGENCY THAT THREATENED THE CITY FOR WEEKS

By M I C H E L E M C P H E E

T

hree years ago, Chief Kristin Crowley made history when she was appointed the first female leader of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). For the people who stood beside her “on the line” — firefighter parlance for working together in the unrelenting war the department wages on the streets of L.A. against not only fires but medical emergencies, drug overdoses and arsonists — the pick was anything but a “diversity hire.”

Crowley made her bones in Fire Station 11 — which is so action-packed, Firehouse magazine dubbed the 7th Street station, located in the heart of the hardscrabble neighborhood of MacArthur Park, the busiest in the nation. When Crowley was a rookie more than two decades ago, the neighborhood pulsed with gang violence. The truck company of Fire Station 11 was in around-the-clock motion responding to the ugly aftermath of shootings and stabbings along with kitchen fires and heart attacks.

Crowley, her fellow firefighter remembers, was a hard-charging “truckie” in a firehouse that, back then, was all men.

“She wasn’t a girl firefighter,” one of her former Fire Station 11 alum told Los Angeles on the condition of anonymity. “She was a badass firefighter. Always ready when the alarm sounded.”

When the alarm sounded on Jan. 7, no one — not even someone with Crowley’s solid experience in virtually every LAFD role — could have been ready. The Santa Ana winds were ferocious. Dozens of rigs were awaiting repairs, which meant some firefighters who showed up to the battle (after the LAFD made a highly unusual call for off-duty members to report for duty) couldn’t get a ride up to the neighborhoods being devoured by fast-moving flames.

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To make matters worse, firefighters confronting the monstrous Palisades Fire were out of ammunition: a reservoir that supplied water to fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades was closed for repairs, so hydrants were tapped dry.

The Chief was seemingly everywhere in the desperate hours her members spent working to contain a ceaseless run of fires that raged across the city for weeks. She wasn’t just up against the deadly wildfires, but Crowley was also pulled from the chaos for a heated meeting at City Hall after she spoke out regarding a $17 million budget cut to the LAFD. Mayor Karen Bass wasn’t happy about her remarks, but firefighters were. “This was a once in a lifetime fire, completely unprecedented in so many ways,” said LAFD Captain Frank Lima, an L.A. representative for the International Association of Fire Fighters. “We stand by the Chief.”

Crowley responded to all the chaos swirling around her with the same grace she displayed at her swearing-in ceremony — where she was flanked by her wife, retired firefighter Hollyn

Bullock, and their three daughters. Beaming, she shared with those assembled that she was attracted to her work in the LAFD because of what she called “the goodness of what everybody brings to work each and every day.”

It was a sentiment she repeated every chance she got as the LAFD’s 3,400 members remained unwavering in their fight against an uncontrollable force of nature for the four million residents in the City of Angels.

On Jan. 21, Mayor Bass, the first female mayor of L.A., fired Crowley — claiming she didn’t alert her to how dangerous the red flag warning could prove. Crowley has not spoken since, other than to release a statement saying her actions were based on “taking care of our firefighters so that they could take care of our communities.” Crowley has exercised her right to stay on the LAFD at a lower rank, which has not yet been determined, a City Hall source tells Los Angeles — as the L.A. City Council currently deliberates whether to overrule the Mayor’s firing decision.

This was a once in a lifetime fire, completely unprecedented in so many ways. We stand by the Chief. — LAFD Captain Frank Lima L A M AG . C O M 6 7

ACTRESS AND PRODUCER

Jamie Lee Curtis AFTER LOSING HER PALISADES COMMUNITY, THE OSCAR WINNER DONATED $1 MILLION TO BOLSTER RELIEF EFFORTS

By M I C H E L E M C P H E E

W

H E R E I L I V E is on fire

right now,” Jamie Lee Curtis said, her voice shaking, as she sat down on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in New York City on the night of Jan.7 for a prescheduled taping.

She had left L.A. that morning, and on the flight, messages began flying in from her “many, many, many friends” whose houses in her tightknit Westside neighborhood had been incinerated in a blaze fueled by hurricane-force Santa Ana winds — leaving homes and businesses reduced to ash. Her husband, filmmaker and actor Christopher Guest, and their rescue dog, Runi, were among the throngs forced to flee toward the Pacific Coast Highway under mandatory evacuation orders that afternoon.

“Literally, the entire city of Pacific Palisades is burning,” Curtis said on television through tears. “It’s fucking gnarly, you guys. It’s just a catastrophe.” Then, the producer, actor, American Red Cross ambassador and lifelong “Angelena,” as she’s quick to call herself, swallowed hard and urged viewers to “do anything you can in your community to help people.”

Curtis immediately took action and promised $1 million through her family’s foundation, My Hand In Yours, aimed at fire relief efforts — funding that has already bolstered the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, which is the nonprofit arm of the LAFD; the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank; the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund; and the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region.

Her home was not among the 6,831 structures devoured by flames, or the more than 12,317 seriously damaged in the deadly Palisades Fire that left a dozen people dead. But her community was decimated: The church where she got sober. Her daughters’ schools. Grocery stores and small business. All gone. Curtis and many others in the ravaged burn zones of the Palisades and neighboring Malibu are determined to breathe new life into what was lost.

“Greater minds than mine are going to need to come together to rebuild,” Curtis tells Los Angeles. “We have passion, and we have creativity. We need to put our money where our mouths are and help those who need it most.”

In a strange twist of irony, Curtis has spent years understanding the aftermath of 6 8 L A M AG . C O M

JAMIE LEE CURTIS IS AN AMERICAN RED CROSS AMBASSADOR AND LIFELONG ANGELENO.

a disastrous wildfire. After reading the riveting 2021 book, Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire by Lizzie Johnson, she teamed up with producer Jason Blum to option it. This year, their film The Lost Bus, starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera, will be released — centered on the harrowing true story of a bus driver and a teacher who navigated a school bus full of children through the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County that killed 85 people.

When they began filming, of course Curtis had no idea that she would soon be witnessing similar

acts of bravery from her very own neighbors, who started a neighborhood watch that acted like a small fire brigade looking for smoldering embers, and held fundraisers — acts of unfettered kindness that will be critical as they start to rebuild.

One month after the fires, the 2023 Oscar winner posted a message for her six million Instagram followers: “Be very gentle with people as you make your way through the world because you have no idea what they have been through and what they are carrying in their hearts and I mean that about everything everywhere all at once.”

We need to put our money where our mouths are and help those who need it most.

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RESTAURATEUR

Marissa Hermer

WHEN SHE EVACUATED THE PALISADES, THE CHEZ MIA AND OLIVETTA OWNER MADE USE OF HER KITCHENS TO FEED THE MASSES

By JA S M I N R O S E M B E R G

A

O P P O S I T E PAG E : A N D R E W E CC L E S ; T H I S PAG E : CO U R T E SY M A R I S SA H E R M E R

fter working in New York’s PR world with Ian Schrager and living for years in London — where she ran restaurants with her husband, British hospitality vet Matt Hermer, and starred on Bravo’s Ladies of London reality show — eight years ago, Orange County native Marissa Hermer moved to the Palisades.

“It reminded me of a London borough,” says Hermer, who teamed with Rick Caruso to open Palisades Village brasserie The Draycott in 2018, followed by WeHo’s swanky Europeaninspired Olivetta and most recently, Provençal garden oasis Chez Mia on Melrose Avenue. The Boujis Group partners and former spouses closed the Draycott in Dec. 2024, but Hermer, a mother of three, still resided in the Palisades — until Jan. 7.

“I was on a hike up at the top of Mandeville,” recalls

Someone bringing you dinner is not only heartwarming, but it just takes something off your plate.”

Hermer, who spotted smoke. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s literally behind my kids’ school.’” As she escaped with her family and dogs to Laguna, she was wondering, “What’s for dinner?”

— in the way she imagined many impacted families were. “I realized that our kitchens in West Hollywood at Chez Mia and Olivetta could still cook, and I knew a lot of people wanted to help,” she says, “so we were able to quickly put together a program with volunteer drivers [to feed] individual families, hospitals, fire departments.”

During the pandemic, she’d run a similar “You Give. We Cook. They Eat.” program, so she had contacts at the fire department and hospitals. “And then I knew a lot of displaced families,” she says. “At our school, 250 families lost their homes.

And whether you can afford dinner or not, the ease of someone bringing you dinner is not only heartwarming, but it just takes something off your plate.”

Hermer created a system where people could donate by texting DINNER. By commenting on an Instagram post, displaced families could request a meal, people could nominate a displaced family and drivers willing to deliver food could volunteer. From Tuesday to Thursday, families could choose from items like chopped salad, Bolognese and eggplant parm.

“I know what people need to eat,” Hermer says. “I know that a Bolognese pasta will make you feel good.”

They’ve raised $100,000 and have been sending out 500 meals a day — and will keep going, “until the money runs out.”

Hermer will next open Bar Issi at the Thompson Palm Springs in late March, though she sees the L.A. dining industry in peril. “No one’s going out in groups anymore, and it’s understandable. But our community is our restaurants and [they’re] suffering bigtime.” She urges: “Go to restaurants.” Then she says it again.

MARISSA HERMER’S WEST HOLLYWOOD RESTAURANTS CHEZ MIA (PICTURED) AND OLIVETTA PREPARED FOOD FOR FIRE VICTIMS AND FIRST RESPONDERS.

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ACTRESS, WRITER AND DIRECTOR

Jennifer Love Hewitt

AFTER FLEEING THE PALISADES, THE 9-1-1 STAR CREATED ‘LOVE ANGELES’ CLOTHING ITEMS BENEFITING CHILDREN IN NEED

O

N T U E S DAY, JA N. 7, Pacific Palisades resi-

dent Jennifer Love Hewitt awoke at 3 a.m.

“I’d had a dream that a firefighter was knocking on our door,” the actress and mother of three recalls. It really rattled Hewitt, who’s played a 911 dispatcher on Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s procedural drama 9-1-1 since 2018.

To calm her anxiety later that morning, she pulled out a list of what she’d take in an emergency. “And as I was looking at that on my phone,” she says, “I got a text message from my husband, who said, ‘I’m on my way to the kids’ school. A fire has broken out in the back and they’re being evacuated.’”

Hewitt and her husband, actor Brian Hallisay, packed quickly. “We did not take very many things — some photographs, and our dogs,” she says. “And when I looked back the last time leaving our neighborhood, it was in black smoke, like that was it. I just felt very grateful we got out.”

Hewitt — who moved to L.A. on her 10th birthday and

7 0 L A M AG . C O M

Channeling [pain] into something that’s for a greater good moves your heart forward.

grew up in the Valley — wanted to live in a different part of the city after her mom passed. She and Hallisay put in an offer on the Palisades home after finding out that she was pregnant with their daughter. “And that house, unfortunately, is no longer standing as of the last month,” Hewitt says, “but it was where we started our family.”

She’s since returned to the area. “A friend of mine said, ‘It’s like the Palisades died and we’re all in grief,’” says Hewitt, who’s been staying in hotels and at friends’ homes. But amid the loss, she’s been moved by the “amazing spirit of the city” — and she sought to help, too. “I really wanted my kids to see that, when it feels like we’re stuck in our own story, how taking pain and channeling it into something that’s for a greater good moves your heart forward.”

She teamed up with Chevy Berndt’s loungewear brand BFFs & Babes and created printed sweatshirts (starting at $50) and trucker hats (starting at $25) boasting the words “Love Angeles” — referencing both her love for the city and her

CO U R T E SY J E N N I F E R LOV E H E W I T T

By JA S M I N R O S E M B E R G

RESTAURATEUR

Alahna Jade

JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT’S “LOVE ANGELES” COLLECTION HAS RAISED MORE THAN $50,000 FOR BABY2BABY.

HOLLYWOOD’S WELCOMING, BLACK-OWNED EATERY LINDEN STOOD UP FOR ITS COMMUNITY BY DONATING $20,000 AND 20 PERCENT OF JANUARY PROCEEDS

By L I N A L E CA R O

L

ately, there’s been an exciting emergence of Black-owned hospitality ventures in L.A. — with Linden leading the pack.

Alahna Jade and her fiancé, Sterling “Steelo” Brim — best known for his longtime role as host of MTV comedy clip staple Ridiculousness — joined forces with New York restaurateurs Vincent Bryant and Scott Williams (behind the Lower East Side’s Las’ Lap) to create this inviting and effortlessly cool new food destination in the heart of Hollywood that evokes the culture and backgrounds of its owners.

“Being Black and being in Hollywood, there’s a lot of spaces that are welcoming of us but don’t necessarily put us at the forefront,” Jade says. “I think being able to create a space for people who look like us in that location … there’s a different sort of love that you get. It was important for us to create this space because the Black dollar is big, and it goes a long way, and being able to regenerate that back into our community is really important to us.”

Also meaningful to Jade and her partners is helping fellow Angelenos when they can. Linden donated $20,000 to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund in Los Angeles as well as 20 percent of their January proceeds to the cause — which surely made an impact, because the place is visibly packed every night. And for good reason.

Inspired by New York’s multicultural Linden Boulevard, Costa Rican and African-American chef Jonathan Harris’ dishes nod to soul food and the Caribbean yet taste universal and innovative. His creations — from crispy duck fat fries and fried chicken to the perfect burger smothered in garlic lemon aioli — are rich in flavor, and portions are filling.

Jade’s input into the space has been significant. She says her partners sought her opinion on everything, from the (Black) art on the walls to the choices of decor and the vibe in the main room and adjacent speakeasy called Dot. The Montana native, who began working in food when she was younger and later shifted to marketing and PR, knows how to garner attention and create excitement for the restaurant — which delivers on the buzz.

“It’s been a team effort, but I definitely took lead on decor and things they felt needed a woman’s touch,” she says. “I’m really grateful to my fiancé, because I think that was something that he was really passionate about — not being another allmale-led business. He really gave me that platform and believed in me.”

And she knows how rare that is: “There’s not a lot of women in hospitality and I don’t think women get a lot of opportunities,” Jade says. “So I am really blessed.”

ALAHNA JADE OPENED LINDEN WITH HER FIANCÉ, STERLING “STEELO” BRIM, AND NEW YORK RESTAURATEURS VINCENT BRYANT AND SCOTT WILLIAM.

middle name. All proceeds benefit Baby2Baby, and after raising over $50,000, they recently added new items like keychains.

ABC’s 9-1-1 returns March 6, and Hewitt similarly channeled pain into proactivity with her Dec. 2024 film directorial debut The Holiday Junkie and book Inheriting Magic, about losing her mom. “Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is the thing that allows you to move forward,” she says. “It doesn’t mean you aren’t aware every single second of all that’s changed and been taken away; it just means you know there’s a forward momentum to finding light again.”

EMILIO SANCHEZ

CO U R T E SY J E N N I F E R LOV E H E W I T T

Woman

The Black dollar is big, and it goes a long way, and being able to regenerate that back into our community is really important to us.

L A M AG . C O M 7 1

Woman

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF CORE

and socioeconomically diverse population.

Many individuals whose homes were engulfed in the flames fear they will not have the funds to rebuild.

“There are a lot of communities with residents whose homes have been passed down through generations and the destruction, coupled with the housing crisis that L.A. has been experiencing — plus the spike in rents, with places charging $7,000 a month — we’re out here giving these individuals our support,” says Lee. “A lot of people are afraid they’re going to get pushed out of staying in the neighborhood.”

Working in tandem with local entities such as churches, nonprofit organizations and community leaders, CORE has assisted nearly 15,000 people across Los Angeles impacted by the deadly Eaton and Palisades Fires. Provided services include cash assistance, support with navigating access to insurance benefits and distributing supplies in the way of cases of water, N95 masks, hygiene kits and toiletries. Thus far, CORE has distributed roughly $500,000 in cash assistance and plans on continuing to reach out to L.A.’s most vulnerable families with at least $10 million in support. Amounts per family vary, with households receiving upwards of $1,000. Per Lee, depending on funding and eligibility, this amount could be increased.

In early February, CORE teamed up with Congresswoman Judy Chu, the Altadena Town Council and the Altadena Seventh-Day Adventist Church to host a drive-thru relief event for members of the Altadena community.

“We always work through existing systems in any disaster. We want to plug into the authorities as well as the community groups, organizations and trusted groups,” says Lee. “In this case, Judy Chu has been such a phenomenal communicator. She has a lot of trust within the community because she’s very direct.

She suffers no fools. So we are doing a lot of outreach through her, and then things can grow organically. Having that representation is super important.”

Rebuilding efforts across greater Los Angeles —namely in Altadena, Pasadena, the Palisades and parts of Malibu — will take years, if not longer. Lee assures that CORE is in it for the long haul.

“We have been working on several fronts, because we are committed to this recovery process until the very — I’m not going to say the end — but until the new beginnings. CORE is going to stay on and provide our services until the new beginnings.”

A

By M A L I N A S AVA L

N N L E E H A S made it her mission to do whatever

she can to save the world. The co-founder and CEO of CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), launched by Sean Penn and Lee in 2019 and initially established as J/P HRO, has transformed the Los Angeles-based philanthropic organization into an international NGO powerhouse. Lee, who holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from NYU and a Master’s in Economics and Conflict Management from Johns Hopkins University, is currently at the helm of a staff comprising nearly 400 globally-based humanitarians. Collectively, Lee and CORE have leapt to the aid of individuals trapped in the crosshairs of global crises ranging from the Ukraine War, COVID19, the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, the Pakistan floods and now, the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires.

While CORE is offering its support and services to anyone impacted, the org is “having a much more focused approach in the Altadena area and neighborhoods,” notes Lee. Altadena, an historically Black unincorporated area of L.A. County, boasts an ethnically

A lot of people are afraid they’re going to get pushed out of staying in the neighborhood.

ANN LEE AND SEAN IN 2019.

7 2 L A M AG . C O M

CO R E

PENN LAUNCHED CORE

EVA LONGORIA DONATED TO THE CALIJ E N N Y G AG E + TO M B E T T E R TO N

Ann Lee

CORE ASSISTED NEARLY 15,000 ANGELENOS IMPACTED BY THE FIRES — WITH A FOCUS ON HELPING ALTADENA RESIDENTS REMAIN IN THE AREA

L.A. galvanized around this — there was no Republican and no Democrat.

FORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S WILDFIRE RECOVERY FUND AND CONTRIBUTED $1 MILLION TO JULIÁN CASTRO’S LATINO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S WILDFIRE RELIEF FUND.

ACTRESS, PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR

Eva Longoria

THE ACTIVIST WAS ON THE GROUND AT THE EATON FIRE, HELPING WITH CLEANUP, HANDING OUT FOOD AND SIMPLY HOLDING PEOPLE’S HANDS

By L I N A L E CA R O

A

nytime there’s a natural disaster, there’s so much heartbreak,” actress Eva Longoria says, reflecting on her experiences on the ground helping victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, where she aided in cleanup and handing out food and other necessities. “All of the stories were so humbling and a lot of the people in Altadena are from Black and brown communities, so they not only lost their homes, but a lot also lost their work [as] nannies, gardeners, construction workers and housekeepers.”

Longoria — who splits her time between Los Angeles, Mexico and Spain — says she focused on holding space for people’s stories while holding their hands, adding that the stress of deportation raids, which increased when the Trump administration came into office, made things worse. “A lot of the people I was speaking to were undocumented and living in fear,” she says.

Still, there were inspirational moments amid the despair.

“L.A. galvanized around this — there was no Republican and no Democrat,” she says. “It was people out there helping each other … that was the most beautiful thing.”

The Corpus Christi, Texas native — who recently backed Kamala Harris for president and spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention — has been a champion for progressive ideals and social justice since she became a star on Desperate Housewives 20 years ago.

As her profile grew, so did her activism. She’s used her platform to fight for immigration reform and workers’ rights via the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) as well as United Farm Workers and the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Her own namesake foundation helps Latina women and their families with education and entrepreneurship, and another group she formed, Eva’s Heroes, is dedicated to helping special needs adults with a variety of online and in-person programs.

In addition to her presence on the front lines of the L.A. fires, she donated to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund. She also contributed $1 million to Julián Castro’s Latino Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund — to “make sure that the people from my community were getting resources that they needed,” she says of something she’s always prioritized.

“I am a very proud Latina,” Longoria adds — and it seems to inspire everything she does, from serving as director of 2023’s Flamin’ Hot to her most recent acting role as Selena Gomez’s movie double in Only Murders in the Building. Her CNN original series Searching for Spain — a spinoff of her hit Searching for Mexico — is coming in 2025, and an FX and Disney+ Latin America docuseries following the Mexican soccer team Club Necaxa is also forthcoming. Her comedy film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip debuts on Disney+ March 28, and she celebrates 20 years as a global ambassador for L’Oréal Paris.

But philanthropy remains her most important role. “I do it as a person who cares deeply about humanity,” she says, “and as a daughter who grew up in a household where my parents taught me what volunteerism means and the value of it.”

L A M AG . C O M 7 3

TRACI PARK WAS ON SITE HELPING HER CONSTITUENTS WHO LOST THEIR HOMES.

CITY COUNCILMEMBER

Traci Park

THE L.A. NATIVE HEADED INTO THE FIRE ZONE AND FOUGHT FOR RESIDENTS TO HAVE FOOD, SHELTER AND SUPPORT

By M I C H E L E M C P H E E

7 4 L A M AG . C O M

A

T 1 0 : 5 1 A . M . on the morning of Jan. 7, Councilmember Traci Park was at City Hall for the very first City Council meeting of 2025 when she felt her cell phone buzz and glanced down to clock Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley’s name. Her stomach knotted. “I knew in my heart and in my gut that something was really wrong,” she says.

Earlier in the day, she’d left her Venice home and had an eerie feeling that “something sinister” was about to happen when she met the whipping Santa Ana winds. The first female LAFD chief was about to confirm Park’s suspicions: A brush fire had erupted in

Pacific Palisades, and it was spreading fast.

Park dashed out of City Hall — leaving City Council President Marqueece HarrisDawson, who was now acting mayor, since Karen Bass had left Los Angeles on a diplomatic mission to Ghana three days earlier — to finish the meeting. She headed west on the 10 toward the Pacific Coast Highway and Will Rogers State Beach, where Crowley and other state and city officials were staging an emergency command center to deploy resources that would mount the brave and Sisyphean battle against seemingly endless wildfires for weeks.

When she got there, the scene was already apocalyptic. Sparking embers were flying into her eyes. The daylight was muted by an enveloping thick black smoke that glowed orange.

“It felt like the dead of night because of the smoke,” Park remembers. “It was hideous.

There was a river of what looked like lava ripping down the hillside at a rate of speed that was terrifying.”

In this chaos, panicked Palisades residents fled the fast-moving flames, many on foot, toward the Pacific Ocean — abandoning their cars and homes in a desperate race to safety.

Five of Park’s staffers were still in the burn zone, pounding on doors and pleading with residents to “Get out!” Cell phone service was nonexistent. As night fell, Park began to panic about her people — three of whom where only two days into the job — until she spotted them huddled together, covered in black soot, walking down the PCH. She broke into a run and embraced them, just as the fire jumped the PCH and began eating its way down the Malibu coastline. A neighborhood every bit as big as Manhattan was devoured, leaving nothing but a creepy skyline of charred chimneys and steel staircases behind. The command center was moved to Malibu’s Zuma Beach.

Tens of thousands of Park’s constituents from the Palisades were now homeless.

Refugees. Park worked the phones to corral her contacts: Hotel owners. Restaurateurs.

Anyone and everyone who could offer a room, or a meal, or a dollar. She worked with L.A.’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to set up workshops to help fire-affected residents with the complicated claims process. She took calls from friends who lost everything.

She demanded help from President Trump when he showed up four days into his term, and he acquiesced.

She cried — and pulled herself together — and sometimes cried again. But her focus is clear: Fighting for those who lost everything. And praying for the 12 lives lost in the Palisades and 17 souls who perished in Altadena. This, after all, is her native city.

T H I S PAG E : P E T E R B R OW N ; O P P O S I T E PAG E : C A R LO S E R I C LO P E Z

It felt like the dead of night because of the smoke.

B Kelly Sawyer Patricof BABY2BABY CO-CEOS

and Norah Weinstein

THE NONPROFIT COMMITTED TO BABIES AND KIDS IN NEED RALLIED WHEN THE FIRES HIT AND DISTRIBUTED EIGHT MILLION ESSENTIAL ITEMS

By JA S M I N R O S E M B E R G

aby2Baby, the nonprofit Kelly Sawyer Patricof (a former model) and Norah Weinstein (a corporate lawyer) took the helm of in 2011, is used to dealing with disasters — “whether it was the fires in Maui, or the hurricanes in North Carolina, or Florida,” says Patricof. “It being in our hometown was different.

When our staff was affected, we were personally affected, it was a step even deeper into our usual disaster relief work.”

It was a step even deeper into our usual disaster relief work.

— Kelly Sawyer Patricof

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

T H I S PAG E : P E T E R B R OW N ; O P P O S I T E PAG E : C A R LO S E R I C LO P E Z

Woman

KELLY SAWYER PATRICOF (LEFT) AND NORAH WEINSTEIN’S BABY2BABY ADDED THREE NEW L.A. WAREHOUSES TO THE EXISTING FOUR, FOR INCOMING DONATIONS. .

That it happened in their own backyard also made this crisis easier to navigate. “Because we know L.A. so well, we reached out to our 470 existing partners,” Weinstein says. “In hour one, while the fires were just starting to burn, we had contacted all of these organizations — shelters, school districts, resource centers, hospitals — to say, ‘We’re ready, we’re here, start sending us your needs.’”

Baby2Baby strictly deals with providing essentials to babies and children. This includes diapers (the number-one most-needed item, which they manufacture themselves for 80% less than retail and convinced Governor Gavin Newsom to remove the sales tax on in 2020), as well as hygiene products, formula, cribs, blankets and clean water.

They quickly collected these items — from inventory, purchases or companies. “Everything was already set up because we’re here on the ground,” Weinstein says. “So unlike the fires in Maui, our trucks left immediately and started making those deliveries, and that has continued for the four weeks that have followed.”

“We were able to distribute eight million items since the fires began,” says Patricof, noting the efforts will continue for years. (“We’re still serving Maui.”) “We have four warehouses here — we added three new warehouses to help with incoming donations.”

They also saw their volunteer sessions — where they assemble disaster-relief duffles — explode, to the point there was a waiting list. Their many celebrity suporters stepped up as well. Says Patricof: “Vanessa Bryant came, and Jessica Alba and Demi Lovato.

Nicole Richie and Hilary Duff were here. And then we did pop-up distributions around the city, at Dodger Stadium, Pasadena.”

But there is even more demand. When COVID hit, Baby2Baby went from serving 200,000 kids to one million, in 300 cities across the U.S. In 2025, they had a waitlist with 10 million children and requests for one and a half billion diapers.

“Then to wake up to some of the most devastating wildfires in history in our own hometown made our goals pretty clear,” Weinstein says. “So while we continue to want to grow and serve more children, our hearts and minds are right now on these fires and the recovery and rebuilding of the city.”

L A M AG . C O M 7 5

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE CAA FOUNDATION

Natalie Tran

THE AGENCY’S SOCAL FIRE FUND RAISED MORE THAN $5 MILLION AND HELPED OVER 550 FAMILIES WITHIN TWO WEEKS

By JA S M I N R O S E M B E R G

I

F E E L R E A L LY H O N O R E D to be

able to do this work, especially in this moment, because I’m from here,” says East L.A. native Natalie Tran. “My parents were refugees from Vietnam, and they met here and bought a tiny house in Highland Park.”

After college, Tran scored a job as an assistant at the CAA Foundation — created in 1995 by Michelle Kydd within Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the first Hollywood talent agency to have a philanthropic arm. “I got really lucky. Nobody in my family works in the business,” says Tran, who’s still there 17 and a half years later.

In 2019, she took the helm of the group — where she connects the agency’s high-profile clients (actors, writers, directors, athletes, execs and corporations) with causes to promote social change. She co-founded the “I am a Voter” awareness campaign in 2018 to increase voter participation, and in 2020, formed the Civic Alliance, a partnership with Democracy Works to foster corporate civic engagement.

About 48 hours after the fires broke out, the CAA Foundation launched the SoCal Fire Fund. “I was glued to my TV [but] simultaneously, was trying to figure out, ‘What role can CAA uniquely play in this response’? We are headquartered in L.A. How do we help our city rebuild after such a devastating event?”

She knew immediate needs are usually met.

“We also knew, through our years of working in crisis response in New Orleans, Nashville, Houston, the road to recovery is often a very long one,” Tran says. Their targeted approach involves case management — teaching victims to navigate FEMA and insurance policies, and connecting them with resources; providing immediate cash assistance; and making sure students and teachers are supported.

The CAA Foundation teamed with CORE, the LAUSD Education Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation to launch the fund — which, within two weeks, raised over $5 million, helped over 550 families and aided school districts. They established a presence at shelters and community hubs. And, to benefit the fund, an auction with Charitybuzz (on socalfirefund.charitybuzz.com) offers one-of-a-kind experiences with CAA clients, like Colin Farrell, Julia Roberts and The Chainsmokers.

She notes, “We’re hoping we’ve created this infrastructure that, over time, will continue to stand by these individuals and families long-term.”

7 6 L A M AG . C O M

NATALIE TRAN HAS WORKED IN CAA’S PHILANTHROPIC DIVISION FOR OVER 17 YEARS.

We’re hoping we’ve created this infrastructure that, over time, will continue to stand by these individuals and families long-term.

Woman

OPPOSITE PAGE: COURTESY NATALIE TRAN; THIS PAGE: RICHARD HARBAUGH/A.M.P.A.S.

[At the Oscars], we will honor the city’s creativity and strength which have been so central to our industry.

JANET YANG IS THE FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY — WHICH DONATED $1 MILLION

FILM PRODUCER AND PRESIDENT OF AMPAS

Janet Yang THE MOVIE BUFF MAKING THE INDUSTRY MORE GLOBAL IS NOW EQUALLY FOCUSED ON HONORING L.A.’S RESILIENCE

By JA S M I N R O S E M B E R G

I

TO THE MPTF.

H A D A N unusual path,” says Janet

Yang, who in 2022, became the first Asian American president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — and fourth female in the role.

After college, the native New Yorker lived in her parent’s birthplace of China. “Suddenly in 1979, U.S.-China relations were normalized,” she says. “While there, I saw movies and TV shows made by, for and about people who looked like me — for the first time in my life!”

Yang distributed Chinese films in North America, then the studios hired her to sell

American films to China. “I had an office on the Universal lot, and one day, Kathy Kennedy calls to tell me that Steven (Spielberg) wants to make a movie in China,” she recalls. “I ended up working on the [1987] epic Empire of the Sun, and that was when I finally discovered what I wanted to be when I grew up.”

Her partnerships with heavyweights such as Oliver Stone and Lisa Henson led to some monumental projects, like 1993’s The Joy Luck Club, 2000’s The Weight of Water from Kathryn Bigelow and 2007’s Dark Matter with Meryl Streep. “I have a special fondness for [1996’s] The People vs. Larry Flynt,” she adds.

Increasing Asian representation has been a priority for Yang. In 2018, she co-founded Gold House, a collective that unites the Asian Pacific community. “I take great satisfaction in sponsoring with Julia Gouw and CAPE [Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment] a short film challenge for Asian women,” Yang adds, “and I really enjoy the Entertainment Game Changer Conference I chair at Asia Society.”

She’s likewise worked to increase representation in the Academy, comprised of more than 10,500 film industry artists from around the world. “CEO Bill Kramer and I agreed right off the bat that we needed to expand our membership globally to maintain relevance and foster growth,” says Yang, who recently launched the Academy100 revenue diversification campaign and member outreach programs.

A desire to support the film community also motivated her actions after the wildfires. The Academy donated $1 million and encouraged members to donate to the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF). On Jan. 13, Yang and Kramer announced how they’d altered the Oscar timetable: they’d extended the nominations voting period, rescheduled the announcement, canceled the nominees luncheon and postponed the Scientific and Technical Awards. “We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community,” they wrote.

The 97th Academy Awards on March 2 will acknowledge those who fought against the wildfires and highlight collaboration — the teamwork behind moviemaking. “Fab 5” moments, in which film artists recognize nominees, will return, and the Best Original Song presentation will focus on the songwriters.

Musical moments will connect film’s history to its future — and the show will celebrate the city of dreams that’s nurtured film creatives for over a century.

“Los Angeles is resilient,” says Yang, “and we will honor the city’s creativity and strength which have been so central to our industry.”

L A M AG . C O M 7 7

Who was the first female movie executive?

A:

A 1950S RIVERSIDE MOTEL IS NOW A MUSIC, DINING AND RETAIL DESTINATION ● O L D H I G H WAY

OFF CAMERA

Movie pioneer Mary Pickford co-founded United Artists studio in 1919. Inset: Lois Weber took over a Universal Pictures brand 113 years ago.

FO R T Y- F I V E Y E A R S A G O, Sherry Lansing made headlines around the world when the former math-teacher-turned-model-turned-actress-turnedexecutive broke the glass ceiling of the movie industry by being named head of 20th Century Fox. Lansing’s appointment was a milestone, but not the first time ladies were in charge. “Bottom line,” historian Mindy Johnson, author of Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation, says, “there were more women in power — in front of and behind the camera — in the silent era, than there are today.”

In 1912, actor/writer/director Lois Weber took over Universal’s Rex Motion Picture brand. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks were dating when they 1 4 4 L A M AG . C O M

CHRIS’ PICK

Bet the Farm

teamed up with Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith to launch their United Artists studio in 1919.

Another actress, Mabel Normand, became a director and ran the Mabel Normand Feature Film Company.

“The whole industry was small studios,” Johnson says. “And many were owned and run by women.”

Marion Fairfax, who adapted the dinosaur action epic The Lost World in 1925, was one of the women who formed her own production company, and producer Margaret Winkler distributed Walt Disney’s first films.

In 1945, Virginia Van Upp was chosen to supervise all production at Columbia, the last time a woman would hold that position for many years. Said Lansing in 1980, “I hope as the new decade goes on, the appointment of a woman to a major post will not be so noteworthy: That it will become natural for women to have high positions in every industry.”

395 through Riverside was once dotted with roadside motels like the Sage & Sand, the Thunderbird and the Farm House. That last one was a red rustic ranch (complete with fiberglass horse and wagon) where each guest room was an intricately detailed miniature barn. The icon sat empty and forlorn for 20 years — until now. The 1953 landmark makes its big comeback this month, reopening as the Farm House Collective (farmhousecollective. com). The outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment experience in and around the restored neon sign and motel rooms includes a new craft beer garden; gelato stand; Filipino, sushi and Oaxacan restaurants (along with plant and record vendors); and live music in the courtyard. Buildings like this don’t often get a second chance.

Says preservation consultant Jennifer Mermilliod, “Having this as an example can give others good ideas.”

— CHRIS NICHOLS

VOLUME 69, NUMBER 3. LOS ANGELES (ISSN 1522-9149) is published monthly by Engine Vision Media. Principal office: 644 S. Figueroa St., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA, and additional mailing offices. The one-year domestic subscription price is $19.95. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LOS ANGELES, PO Box 5037, Boone, IA 50950. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other materials, which must be accompanied by return postage. SUBSCRIBERS: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. Copyright © 2024 Engine Vision Media. All rights reserved. Best of L.A.® is a registered trademark of Los Angeles Magazine, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. SUBSCRIBER SERVICE: 626-659-8004. GST #R133004424. Printed in the USA.

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Crime

Snow Bros

RYAN WEDDING WAS ONCE A PROMISING OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDER FOR TEAM CANADA BUT THESE DAYS, THERE’S A $10 MILLION BOUNTY ON HIS HEAD — AND AN INDICTMENT CALLING HIM A MURDEROUS DRUG LORD

BY MICHELE MCPHEE

• I L L U S T R AT E D B Y C H R I S T O P H E R H U G H E S

R YA N W E D D I N G should be a hard man to hide. The one-time Olympian stands at a muscular six-foot-three and carries himself with the secure swagger that comes with being a white man of privilege. He was raised in the Canadian ski resort town of Thunder Bay, the son of wealthy and multilingual Canadian parents, both star skiers, who poured their hearts and savings into their young athletic offspring’s snowboarding dreams. Their expensive and rapt attention paid off.

In 2002, the accomplished shredder represented Team Canada in the men’s Parallel Giant Slalom race in Park City, Utah. Unfortunately, there was no metal behind that mettle. He placed in the heat at a solidly unremarkable 24th place.

These days the 43-year-old rich kid’s

profile is much higher than even those seeking Olympic gold, and his once clean-cut looks are far more bad-boy menacing. Last month, Wedding’s photo — arms inked with tribal sleeve tattoos, unruly ginger hair tucked under an L.A. baseball cap the same royal blue color as his penetrating eyes — was added to the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted List. The crimes he stands accused of are eerily similar to the case presented against Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, the notorious drug lord who commanded over the bloodthirsty Sinaloa cartel for decades until he was captured in 2016 and sentenced to life in prison in the world’s most secure prison three years later.

The Sinaloa cartel, which has gone through a slew of management shifts after Guzmán’s conviction that led to warring within the region marked by

04.25

unimaginable violence as several factions jockey for top positions, the DEA says, just so happens to be the same Mexican criminal outfit that federal prosecutors believe is harboring Ryan Wedding despite a $10 million U.S. Department of State bounty that is being offered for any information leading to his capture.

The international manhunt for Ryan Wedding has Drug Enforcement Agency insiders buzzing, according to several sources who spoke to Los Angeles on the condition of anonymity, that El Chapo’s notoriously deadly empire, and the routes the Sinaloa cartel built from Colombia into Mexico with stash houses in L.A., have been taken over by Wedding, a white boy Canadian yuppie from a family of intellects. Despite his pedigreed background, Wedding enjoys a terrifying assortment of monikers and aliases whispered by his criminal compatriots as he enjoys his life on the run.

Among them: “El Jefe,” the Boss, and “El Toro,” the Bull, along with “Public Enemy,” “Buddy,” “Grande,” “Mexi” and “the Giant,” all nicknames now listed on a federal indictment unsealed last fall in California’s Central District where prosecutors build cases against accused transnational drug lords like Wedding in an imposing Little Tokyo highrise that houses L.A.’s federal court.

Wedding’s operation, federal law enforcement officials in the United States say, mirrored the Sinaloa cartel’s stronghold on critical transportation routes. Like El Chapo, the former Olympian “headed a complex transnational organized crime organization which coordinated the procurement and transportation of cocaine from South America to Canada,” according to the Department of Justice. In Los Angeles, Wedding used stash houses to hide bulk quantities of cocaine “weighing hundreds of kilograms,” investigators say, before the drugs were trafficked from Southern California to Canada. All of it stealing a page from the playbook of El Chapo and his criminal compatriots.

L.A. is also the city where El Chapo’s wife, former beauty queen Emma Coronel Aispuro, who married the decades-older Guzmán on her 18th birthday, remains on federal parole after finishing a threeyear sentence on charges she helped her husband maintain control of his trafficking empire. These days it appears that she is eschewing her cartel routes for L A M AG . C O M 5 9

04.25

couture with the launch of a shapewear line that will rival Skims, the underwear brand run by Kim Kardashian, as she continues to check in with her California federal parole officer.

Whether Wedding has officially taken a top spot in the Sinaloa cartel is unclear. But it’s worth noting that the $10 million reward being offered by the U.S. Department of State for the brawny athlete is double the bounty American officials put up for El Chapo’s capture during his unimaginably violent heyday.

How It Started, Where It’s Going How Wedding became what the feds call “an Olympic-athlete-turned-drug lord,” comprises a blood-soaked trail that spans decades and stretches across several continents and connects him to some of the most dangerous criminals in the world: dirty ex-Russian KGB agents, Iranian encryption experts, Hezbollahconnected narco terrorists and an ex-wife whose name came up in a money laundering scheme involving hawala, the Iranian money transfer system that has come under scrutiny because of its lack of a paper trail. According to prosecutors, Wedding’s operation brought in about a $1 billion a year and was run with an unlikely and motley coterie of crooks. Among them: Nahim Jorge

Bonilla, a Latin music executive whose preferred nickname was “The One” and whom investigators believe was negotiating drug deals as owner of the Miami Beach hot spot Mandrake. There was an Indian trucking magnate; a Toronto hitman; Russian mobsters; and Wedding’s childhood buddy Andrew Clark, his second-in-command, better known by his alias “The Dictator.”

But Wedding, “El Jefe,” was undeniably the boss. Prosecutors say he moved 60 tons of cocaine a year from the humid climes of South and Central America to the iciest reaches of Canada, and was the “principal administrator, organizer and leader of the criminal enterprise.”

Los Angeles was Wedding’s hub, the proverbial ground zero for his operation’s sophisticated “transportation network” that stockpiled drugs in warehouses across the city before they were smuggled into Canada by long-haul truckers.

Wedding’s last year on the Canadian Olympic team came in 2002. It was around this time that, per Matthew Allen, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s L.A. field division, Wedding pivoted from “navigating slopes” to “contouring a life of incessant crimes.” The crimes Wedding committed, he says, were “unremitting, callous and greed-driven.”

$ 10 M M A N From top: Operation Giant Slalom targeted former Olympian Ryan Wedding and his sophisticated trafficking network centered in and around Los Angeles. Wedding is now the world’s most-wanted fugitive; International raids in the U.S. and Canada targeting Wedding’s network led to the seizure of roughly a ton of cocaine, crypto currency to the tune of $3.2 million, guns, ammo and $225 million in cash.

6 0 L A M AG . C O M

In another nod to El Chapo’s violent reign, Wedding also used violence to eliminate the competition with the use of contract killers he and his consiglierie Clark kept on speed dial, according to the DOJ. Their alleged victims include Mohammed Zafar, 39, a resident of Brampton, located about an hour outside Toronto, who was ordered murdered over a drug debt on May 18, 2024. In December 2023, Wedding and Clark, according to a federal indictment, ordered the execution-style murders of Jagtar and Harbhajan Sidhu, a married Indian couple in their 50s visiting their daughter in Caledon, Ontario. The couple had rented a house once belonging to an Indian drug courier who left L.A. with a large shipment of drugs that never made it to their destination. In what officials called “a case of mistaken identity,” the assassin erroneously assumed he had found his target and opened fire. During said execution, the hired hitman also shot the couple’s daughter, Jaspreet Kaur Sidhu, 13 times. She miraculously survived, recalling her harrowing experience with CBC news: “I heard my mother’s last screams. After that, there was complete silence. Only the noises of gunshots.”

Investigators have been on Wedding’s tail since 2015, when the disgraced Olympian’s name was listed in court documents filed in Montreal as part of a drug case spearheaded by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Wedding was charged with two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, two counts of conspiracy to traffic cocaine and one count of trafficking cocaine. Wedding fled Canada and, in turn, the U.S. Department of Justice authorities dubbed the case to bring the narcotics trafficker to justice “Operation Giant Slalom,” a nod to the Olympic race in which Wedding competed in Salt Lake City.

In October, the feds struck hard at Wedding’s network, rounding up his most powerful lieutenants in a series of raids in the United States, Colombia and Mexico. Heavily armed FBI Agents swarmed Bonilla’s $5 million Miami mansion, once owned by DJ Khaled, demanding the music mogul-cum-restaurateur surrender over an implicating loudspeaker. In the Pacific-bordering state of Jalisco, Clark was tackled in a dramatic maneuver coordinated by Mexico’s Navy Seals and was extradited

CO U R T E SY D E A

Crime

back to the U.S. last month along with dozens of other high-profile accused drug lords. In total, authorities seized roughly a ton of cocaine, firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition; more than $255,000 in cold hard cash; and over $3.2 million in cryptocurrency.

But Wedding has mastered the art of evading law enforcement. The ruthless ringleader remains at large living in the lap of luxury at the expense of those whose lives he destroyed.

O LY M P I C S : C P P H OTO/COA /A N D R E FO R G E T; P O ST E R : F B I , R C M P

California Dreamin’ Wedding’s dizzying life of crime began in California in the summer of 2008. That June, a review of court records show, he flew to LAX with an Iranian money launderer named Hassan Sharari and Michael Krapchan, a reputed Russian mobster with plans to buy 24 kilos of cocaine from former KGB agent Yuri Trofinov. But nothing on that trip for the ex-Olympian would go as planned.

In a recorded phone call, Trofinov assured Krapchan, the owner of a Vancouver radio station and Vice President of the Vancouver Russian Jews Association, that the cocaine was “100% Colombian” and available for pickup in Los Angeles.

Krapchan was afraid of Trofinov, and for good reason: Trofinov was a former member of the KGB, the nowdefunct phalanx of secret police whose tactics were so terrifying most Russians refused to utter the acronym aloud.

Rather, its agents were referred to by the euphemism, “high-class professionals.”

Krapchan’s attorney would later describe Trofinov in a court filing as “a big player” in the drug trade, “a Godfather” in a ring of former KGB agents and Russian policemen involved in global-wide drug dealing and money laundering activities.

Krapchan owed Trofinov money connected to a real estate deal gone wrong.

If the debt wasn’t paid, the “high-class professional” warned that he would “take care of [Krapchan] the Russian way.”

The cocaine deal would provide Krapchan a way out. Trofinov would sell him 24 kilos of that “Colombian” coke, which, in turn, Krapchan could upsell and wipe out his remaining debt. Krapchan accepted the deal, noting that he would be traveling to L.A. with “a Canadian athlete” (Wedding) and “an Iranian” (Sharari).

When Wedding and Sharari touched down at LAX, Trofinov was waiting at

SLOPES TO DOPE

From top: Ryan Wedding at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics for Team Canada in 2002; Royal Canadian Mounties and U.S. officials are hunting Wedding, who has a $10 million bounty on his head.

matter of days, the Iranian flipped, testhe airport. He immediately demanded tifying against Wedding who was found to see the money. But Wedding said they guilty at trial. didn’t have it. “Obviously, I didn’t put it When it came time for his sentencin my fucking suitcase,” he told Trofinov. ing in May 2010, Wedding turned on the The terms had changed, he explained. He charm for the judge who would deterwould buy one kilo, he said, “have a look mine his fate, apologizing for “the stupid at it, and grab the rest of them later.” and irresponsible decisions,” that led to Trofinov erupted into a fiery rage. No him “coming down to San Diego to buy one knew it then, but the ex-KGB officer drugs.” Worse, he added, “I allowed myself was wired up, working undercover for to be lured by the idea of easy money, and the FBI. The feds were positioned nearby the sad thing is I really with a plan to swoop in didn’t need money that and grab the trio right bad. As an athlete, I was there. Only Wedding’s always taught that there “paper” to pay for the are no second chances, drugs had been sent to As an athlete and, well, I’m here askL.A. using the ancient I was always ing for exactly that.”

Iranian money transtaught there The judge was ferring system known moved, so much so she as hawala, which kept were no second told Wedding he had transactions such as this chances, and, swayed her into imposone from the prying eyes well, I’m here ing a lighter sentence of banking authorities than the one she had and regulatory agenasking for in mind. Wedding was cies so that there was no exactly that.” sentenced to 48 months arrestable transaction.

— Ryan Wedding in federal prison. With They needed a day or two time served after his to access the cash. arrest, he was released months later in The men went their separate ways.

2011. He used his time wisely, a DEA Wedding checked into a room at the official told Los Angeles on the condiComfort Inn in Woodland Hills and tion of anonymity. “He was in jail with chilled until the buy scheduled for three Mexican Mafia right at the time they had days later in San Diego at a dumpy hotel made a deal with El Chapo years earlier room — where the FBI was waiting. The to protect his drug routes. His time in a would-be drug buyers were bundled into federal lockup was a dream for an aspirhandcuffs as agents searched Wedding’s ing narco terrorist. It was like getting a hotel room in the valley where they graduate degree in cartel ops.” recovered 100 grand in a dresser. In a L A M AG . C O M 6 1

KEEP ON BELIEVING IT’S POSSIBLE Breakthroughs happen when we dare to believe. It’s when the unimaginable becomes the attainable. Treatments are discovered, and lives are transformed.

We believed it when we identified the AIDS virus. We believed it when we performed the first-ever human bladder transplant. And we believe it today, because as we rise, the possibility rises for everyone who needs a win.

Keep on rising

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TOP DOCS

2025

MS WARRIORS

Selma Blair boosts awareness of MS as Dr. Regina Berkovich works to limit its effects on patients BY

6 4 L A M AG . C O M

MICHELE MCPHEE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

IRVIN RIVERA

Dr. B. made me realize how much things could change for the better.

— SELMA BLAIR

S CO U T ’ S H O N O R

Selma Blair poses in a Greta Constantine gown and Effy jewelry with her service dog, Scout.

M U LT I P L E S C L E R O S I S

6 6 L A M AG . C O M

Above: Selma Blair in a Greta Constantine gown and Effy jewelry with Dr. Regina Berkovich.

Left: 2023 Race to Erase MS honoree Blair with Nancy Davis and Robin Roberts.

The immunosuppressive drug helps prevent relapses. “Seeing people get better kept me going,” Berkovich says. “There was hope.”

Hope was exactly what actress Selma Blair was looking for after she was diagnosed with MS in summer 2018. Blair says she first experienced symptoms — balance problems, difficulty walking — in childhood, but was well into her 40s when she finally got an explanation for the weakness, pain and brain fog that had plagued her for decades.

According to a National MS Society estimate, the autoimmune disease affects roughly 1 million people in the United States alone. As devastating as the diagnosis was, Blair says, at least there was finally an answer. Now, she just had to grapple with the mental gymnastics of whether to tell anyone — especially when she was slated to start shooting the Netflix sci-fi show Another Life.

By then, Blair had already had a wildly

ST Y L I ST A S S I STA N T: M I C H E L L E WA L L E N G R E N ; B L A I R ’ S M A K E - U P : M A R I N A G R AVA N I @ M A R I N A _ G R AVA N I ; B L A I R ’ S H A I R : PAU L N O R TO N @ PAU L N O R TO N H A I R ; D R B E R KOV I C H ’ S H A I R A N D M A K E U P : SA R A H H I L L O F PAT R I C K SA N TA A N A AG E N C Y

DREAM TEAM

T H I S S P R E A D A N D P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : D I G I T E C H : P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G @ P H I LT E R E D P H OTO ; P H OTO G R A P H Y A S S I STA N TS : M AT T H E W G E R E T Y @ D 1 G I TA L FAC E L I F T, A N D R E W LO P E Z @ P H OTO S BYA LO P E Z ; B L A I R ’ S ST Y L I N G : M O L LY L E V I N @ M O L LY _ L E V I N ;

M

U LT I P L E S C L E R O S I S is a thief. It’s a chronic disease that attacks its victims’ nervous systems, makes them unsteady on their feet, sends shooting pains through the body and chews away at normal life with a slew of ailments, among them vision problems, fatigue and phantom aches — symptoms that are too often dismissed by doctors, with devastating consequences.

As a child in the 1970s, Regina Berkovich watched the disease steal the productive life of her beloved aunt, an accomplished neurologist who, despite her extensive medical training, could do nothing to treat the disorders eating away at her own body. Even as a girl, Berkovich took what was happening to her aunt personally.

“Throughout my childhood, I was watching this highly successful woman basically become an invalid. She couldn’t do what she wanted, go where she wanted,” Berkovich recalls. “Her brain was highly functioning, but her body wouldn’t cooperate.”

Berkovich was born into a family of female doctors — unusual at the time. Her mother and grandmother were pioneers in their respective fields of medicine. Still, she was never pushed to continue the legacy. “I was always told you don’t have to be a physician,” she says. “You can be an artist or [musician].”

But watching her aunt’s deterioration from MS in those long years when there were no viable treatments for the disease became both heartbreaking and motivating. Berkovich decided as a child that she wasn’t just going to be a doctor but a neurologist like her aunt — and learn how to find treatments for MS. “I went to medical school for that specific purpose,” she says.

Soon she was part of an MS research revolution, one that was “happening right before my very eyes.” The disease was finally being addressed in the medical field and by pharmaceutical companies. And Berkovich was on the front lines of those breakthrough studies in 1993, when the first MS modifying therapy, interferon beta-1b, was approved by the FDA.

ST Y L I ST A S S I STA N T: M I C H E L L E WA L L E N G R E N ; B L A I R ’ S M A K E - U P : M A R I N A G R AVA N I @ M A R I N A _ G R AVA N I ; B L A I R ’ S H A I R : PAU L N O R TO N @ PAU L N O R TO N H A I R ; D R B E R KOV I C H ’ S H A I R A N D M A K E U P : SA R A H H I L L O F PAT R I C K SA N TA A N A AG E N C Y

T H I S S P R E A D A N D P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : D I G I T E C H : P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G @ P H I LT E R E D P H OTO ; P H OTO G R A P H Y A S S I STA N TS : M AT T H E W G E R E T Y @ D 1 G I TA L FAC E L I F T, A N D R E W LO P E Z @ P H OTO S BYA LO P E Z ; B L A I R ’ S ST Y L I N G : M O L LY L E V I N @ M O L LY _ L E V I N ;

successful acting career, with breakout roles in pop culture classics like 1999’s Cruel Intentions, 2001’s Legally Blonde and 2002’s The Sweetest Thing. But she was still getting mixed messages from Hollywood insiders about whether she should share her struggle with the disease.

Some cautioned that such a disclosure would negatively impact her ability to land roles. Others said her high-profile platform would give MS more visibility and reduce its stigma. Ultimately, Blair, a Michigan native who grew up under the watchful eye of two hard-charging attorneys who publicly fought for Democratic party politics, chose to share what she was going through.

“People weren’t very comfortable talking about it,” Blair says. “For me, I had to unload the secret.”

That move paid off.

Another Life executives and crew embraced Blair and her MS diagnosis with unfettered kindness. Her longtime costume designer and

Seeing people get better kept me going.

— DR. REGINA BERKOVICH

stylist Allisa Swanson helped find ways to hide a mobility cane under clothes. Writers wrote to her physical abilities; producers protected her at every turn. Hair and makeup were at the ready even on days when Blair’s “balance was a little rough,” she remembers, so that production wasn’t delayed.

“My movements were becoming exaggerated.

I didn’t want people to [see me] a little wonky and think it was alcohol-induced,” she says. “The people who lightened my load in my work — it kept my spirits up. To have the support of my stylist and other women who were sensitive to what I was going through and responsive to my needs was so helpful.”

But Blair has always been unafraid to take a stand; she pushed back against workplace inequity long before the #MeToo movement made it easier to speak out against abusive behavior — which cost her a job on FX series Anger Management. So, when MS knocked her on her ass, there was no question she was ready to leap back up and fight.

Two years ago, while attending an MS conference that included neurologists, Blair was unknowingly in the midst of a relapse. She knew she wasn’t feeling well, but, keeping with a long-agonizing pattern of many doctors — many male doctors — she says, “No one was taking me seriously.”

She shared her frustration with a conferencegoer, who recommended she consult with Dr. Regina Berkovich in West Hollywood. And she has been grateful every day that she followed that advice.

Blair remembers the connection was immediate. “Here was a badass in Chanel pumps,” Blair says. Even better, Berkovich held Blair’s stare.

Finally, someone was listening.

Berkovich ordered an MRI — a critical tool for MS patients, she insists — which proved Blair was not imagining her symptoms. She was in relapse. “She got me calm really quickly,” Blair says. “I didn’t have time to be nervous or upset, because she had me in a good management plan right away.” It was one that freed space in her life for her 13-year-old son, Arthur, as well as her horse, Mr. Nibbles, travel — and acting.

“She was so congratulatory when I walked in,” Blair says of Berkovich. “I’d forgotten to celebrate things because I’d forgotten to feel. Dr. B. had such a personal connection to all of it — the struggles women face with MS, especially — and made me realize how much things could change L A M AG . C O M 6 7

for the better. I hadn’t known I was so excited to go back to work until I met her.”

Getting back to acting while in remission became Blair’s goal, and this year she’s far exceeded her own expectations. Even as the Hollywood industry limps back into production following the pandemic and the writers strike, Blair is attached to three projects. She’ll play the lead in the upcoming supernatural thriller Silent, with Israeli filmmaking siblings Doron and Yoav Paz. She’s cast in a war drama centered on the Israel-Hamas conflict, Stay Forte, with Judd Hirsch; and she’ll work with another set of brothers, Mark and Michael Polish, on the upcoming project There There. All these gigs in the business she loves, Blair believes, are due to the Berkovich protocol she is committed to — which largely centers on honest conversation and the right meds.

On a recent afternoon in Downtown Los Angeles, the stunning platinum blond actor — flanked by her service dog, a snuggly fox red English Lab named Scout that she calls her “angel” and her “love language,” and who travels everywhere with her — says her whirlwind life with Arthur proves that living with MS is “not her whole story,” and that being back at work is inspiring. “It gives me so much joy,” she says, simply.

That joy, her doctor contends, is infectious.

Both women talk about their connection to nature, to the beautiful chaos of their cities — Berkovich in Los Angeles and Blair in both L.A. and New York — and the hikes they take with their boys (Berkovich has two).

Living with MS has improved massively in the decades since Berkovich watched her aunt become wheelchair-bound, and she is gratified to see her patients manage a full life with the right treatments. The doctor tailors care to each of her patients, who have experienced such success in returning to workaday life that Berkovich spends her Saturdays kicking up those Chanel-clad heels in her office to accommodate medication infusion schedules so that no one misses weekday obligations.

“I love the outcomes we are able to achieve,” Berkovich says. “We are talking about many, many patients who, like Selma, are able to keep their occupations, make plans with their families. It all comes down to making sacrifices and changes to your daily routine.”

But the payoff — both doctor and patient acknowledge — is “normal life expectancy and fulfillment,” which wasn’t the outcome MS sufferers could expect not that long ago. The key to further success, the actress and the neurologist both agree, is to increase the number of female doctors who can hold the gaze of a Hollywood star and truly listen.

6 8 L A M AG . C O M

S AY I N G SOMETHING

Chad King of the musical duo A Great Big World is now a board member of Race to Erase MS.

Chad King > A Great Big World’s singer-songwriter

learns to battle an “invisible” disease with lifestyle changes as well as medicine

I

WA S 2 1 when I first learned I had MS. I was in my senior year at New York University. It was May and I was walking down the street with a friend and his parents, and I just remember my legs starting to buckle. Shortly after that, the leg buckling became tingles in my arms and legs, and then it became vertigo and other symptoms. I went to three different neurologists, and all three gave me a diagnosis of MS. At the time, I didn’t know anything about multiple sclerosis, and I felt like there was no way I really had it. For the longest time, I didn’t want to admit it. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I really accepted it.

MS is a disease of the nervous system. Many nerves have a myelin sheath — a protective layer that wraps around them and speeds transmission of impulses. If you have MS, your body attacks this myelin. Over time, it’s like you’re short-circuiting these connections.

In 2009, I got on a medication called Avonex (interferon beta-1a), but it gave me tremorlike side effects that disrupted my sleep. After six months, I got off it and took an alternative path.

I found out how diet and lifestyle shifts can help your immune

P O R T R A I T: J O S E P H L L A N E S ; P E R FO R M A N C E : G E T T Y I M AG E S FO R R AC E TO E R A S E M S

M U LT I P L E S C L E R O S I S

system and suppress symptoms.

In 2010, I saw a Ted Talk by Dr. Terry Wahls.

She was diagnosed with MS and in a wheelchair, even after medication. She started shifting her diet and lifestyle and began seeing significant improvements. I followed most of her diet pretty strictly and saw some benefits. But I still experienced new symptoms. I thought I had this thing under control, but every time, I had to figure out another way to manage it.

So, in 2015, I went to London and TOP — this might sound gross — I did a DOCS fecal transplant to clean up my gut and establish a new one. That was really helpful and worked for six months.

Two years later, I went to Seattle for a stem cell transplant. That, too, worked for six months, but other problems popped up here and there. Then the pandemic happened and mobility problems started. Once I couldn’t walk beyond a half mile, I was like, “OK, I should probably get back on medication.”

MS symptoms worsen slowly over time and I learned that the changes I made before — lifestyle and diet — can work alongside medication. I’m

20 25

Diet and lifestyle shifts can help your immune system and suppress symptoms.

now on Ocrevus, an immunosuppressive infusion twice yearly, and I’ve been pretty much free of new symptoms since taking it for four years.

The thing about medication and MS is that it might help prevent future flare-ups or new symptoms, but it doesn’t heal what has been damaged.

I’m using a cane to walk now. My whole left side goes weak by like, noon-1 p.m. and I can’t play the guitar because my left hand just doesn’t have strength. It’s also hard for me to play the piano.

But I can still do stuff with my right hand.

I feel myself slowing down in general, and the MS affects my vocals as well. My voice gets shaky and I just can’t sing like I used to in A Great Big World (agreatbigworld.com). Our new EP, Then There Were Sparks, features my partner Ian Axel’s voice, not mine, but I’m heard in the writing and producing.

I write and practice when I wake up, from 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. I’m trying to exercise that muscle so I don’t lose it completely. I want to write, to create, to keep making music. This challenge only puts more of a fire under me. I’m going to get over this and figure a way around this obstacle.

It’s a very invisible disease. I’m realizing now that instead of trying to hide it from the world, sharing it is healing.

I’m now a board member for Race to Erase MS (erasems.org) and I’m inspired by what they are doing. One of their missions is to find a cure, and I believe they will.

Writing and producing is still my passion, and I want to be as much a part of the process as possible. I might be taking a back seat from performing and touring now, but I don’t want to take a back seat with the other things I love, and I don’t necessarily need to.

(As told to Lina Lecaro)

L A M AG . C O M 6 9

MS/ADDICTION

ADDICTION MEDICINE Walter Gerard Coppenrath III Kaiser Permanente West Covina Behavioral Health West Covina 833-574-2273 Matthew A. Torrington Matthew A. Torrington MD Culver City 310-425-2472

ADOLESCENT MEDICINE Martin M. Anderson UCLA Health Westwood Pediatrics Los Angeles 310-825-0867 Bradley M. Bursch Glendale Pediatrics Glendale 818-246-7260 Michele Roland Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles 323-361-2153 Francisco Rivera Huntington Plaza Pediatrics Pasadena 626-795-7051

A L L E R GY A N D I M M U N O LO GY Ellyn R. Ashida PIH Health Torrance 310-944-9098 Saraleen Benouni Allergy Asthma Care Center Inc Los Angeles 310-393-1550 Varaz Bozoghlanian Allergy Asthma Care Center Inc Los Angeles 310-393-1550 Melinda Braskett Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles 310-820-8608 Edward Buchsbaum South Bay Allergy & Asthma Associates Torrance 310-371-1388 7 0 L A M AG . C O M

N A N CY DAV I S

> A devastating diagnosis turns into life-changing activism

W

hen I was diagnosed at 33 with multiple sclerosis, I had three kids. Doctors told me life as I knew it was over and that I would never walk again, and the most that I could look forward to was to operate the remote control on my TV set.

I wanted to take care of my children, and suddenly they’re telling me that’s not going to happen. I went all over the country getting second opinions, but unfortunately, everyone [confirmed the diagnosis].

When doctors would tell me about the research they were doing — it was every really good hospital, from Harvard to Yale to Johns Hopkins to the Cleveland Clinic — they were all doing identical research. I would bring that up to the other doctors, but they were convinced they were the only ones doing that study, and they’d go, “No, no, no; you’re not a doctor.”

A light bulb went off in my head. I thought if we could get the best and brightest to communicate — because there’s no room for duplication — we could find a cure a lot quicker.

Race to Erase MS, which I founded 30 years ago, has always kept a database — we were very virtual before virtual was in. And we’ve updated our website every month, as doctors have been finding critical information.

There had been zero drugs on the market — and zero hope — to help stop the progression of MS. But as of December, we got FDA approval on the 25th drug to help fight MS. So it’s kind of an exciting time in the world of

medicine. And for a person diagnosed [with MS] today, there’s about a 92% chance that they will have an independent life, which is pretty amazing.

My son, Jason Davis, who I love more than life itself, always worked with me in my charity. We’ve had great success coming up with medicines, and he came to me one day and said, “Mom, I have an addiction problem, and the [Alcoholics Anonymous] 12-step program is not working for me. We have to do something science-based, just like we do for MS.” And he goes, “I’m going to way too many funerals of people my age.”

So we started a charity together [called Cure Addiction Now], and we got our 501(c)(3), about four months before Jason passed away. For 25 years, nobody put any money into basic science research for addiction, and it is the leading cause of death in our country for people 50 years old and under. I’m on a mission, and I have to make this happen, no matter what. It’s my son’s legacy, and it inspires me every day.

I’m passionate. I really want to find a cure — just to think of the number of lives that are changed any time you come up with a medication is kind of overwhelming and exciting.”

Nancy Davis is the founder of Race to Erase MS and cofounder of Cure Addiction Now. The 32nd Race to Erase MS gala will take place May 16 at the Fairmont Century Plaza.

(As told to Olivia Maria Palombo; this story has been edited for clarity.)

RACING FOR A CURE

From left: Race to Erase MS founder Nancy Davis with CedarsSinai doctors Paula V. Barreras Cortes and Nancy L. Sicotte

N A N C Y DAV I S A N D T H E D O C TO R S : DAV I D L A P O R T E ; CO R I N N E FOX X : J S Q UA R E D P H OTO G R A P H Y (JA R E D S C H L AC H E T & J O E M AG N A N I )

MEET THE TOP DOCTORS OF L.A.

Reyneiro Castro Huntington Asthma & Allergy Center Pasadena 626-793-6680

ENDOMETRIOSIS

Corinne Foxx

Joseph Church Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles 323-361-2501

> The actress struggled for years with menstrual

Jonathan Corren Jonathan Corren MD and Associates Los Angeles 310-312-5050

pain and urinary symptoms before finding Dr. Iris Orbuch

W

H E N I T H I N K back on it now, I really do think I had symptoms of endometriosis [a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus] as early as my first menstruation, at age 12. It didn’t really progress until about 2017, when I was 23 and having debilitating period pain. It was more than just bad cramps — because I do think endometriosis sometimes just gets generalized as that. I was having urinary symptoms; I was having bowel symptoms; I was having just these weird symptoms that led me to go to different doctors.

I went to my normal gynecologist, and she said, “You should go to a urinary specialist.” Another doctor told me, “This looks like bladder cancer.” I was being shuffled from doctor to doctor, and nobody’s saying the word “endometriosis.” It wasn’t until I went to a pelvic physical therapist that I found out. She was like, “I’ve seen so many patients; this really seems like endometriosis. I know an TOP amazing doctor — Dr. Iris Orbuch.”

DOCS When I saw Dr. Orbuch, she was able to give me some clarity. I was like, “Yeah, this is exactly what’s going on.” She is so thorough and very cautious. She was like, “I need you to see a nutritionist first, see a pelvic physical therapist, be on a specific diet — before getting surgery.

It’s going to give you the best chance at recovery.” It also taught me a lot about my body and the way you’re holding tension from years of pain.

I knew I needed the surgery. I was at a point where I couldn’t survive. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t live my life for more than just the week during my period. It’s not just when you’re bleeding, it’s all the different fluctuations.

I got my first surgery in 2018 with Dr. Orbuch, and then just had my second surgery this past October. Sometimes [the tissue] grows back, and in my case, it did. My endo is in my bladder, so I was having really bad bladder symptoms.

I feel like a brand-new person now that I’ve had my second surgery. It’s like night and day.

I came to find out years later that my grandmother and my aunt had endometriosis, but it wasn’t something they talked about. So once I got my diagnosis, I felt really passionate about telling my story. I connected to EndoFound [the Endometriosis Foundation of America, endofound. org], and I’ve been working with them since 2021.

I just hosted their first L.A. event last year. It wasn’t just for people with endometriosis, because endometriosis impacts one in 10 people with a uterus, so either you or someone you know is affected by it.

A lot of women don’t find out they have endometriosis until they try to have a child and struggle with fertility issues. That’s why EndoFound’s passionate about early education. Enpowr, a program developed for grades nine through 12, [teaches about endometriosis], and I brought it to my alma mater, Sierra Canyon. I was genuinely terrified

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

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Joshua M.I. Davidson Torrance Memorial Redondo Beach 310-792-8393 Joseph Gaudencio Dizon Kaiser Permanente Culver Marina Medical Offices Los Angeles 833-574-2273 LanAnh Do Allergy Asthma Care Center Inc Los Angeles 310-393-1550 Robert Eitches Tower Allergy Los Angeles 310-657-4600 Ronald M. Ferdman Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles 323-361-2501 B R E A K T H E C YC L E

Corinne Foxx, who stars on Beat Shazam with father Jamie Foxx, has been raising awareness of endometriosis with EndoFound since 2021.

to do a presentation about [menstruation] to a co-ed group, and I was blown away [at the response].

I’ve also been working with NAMI [National Alliance on Mental Illness] since 2017, and I put it together with EndoFound because I’m passionate about the connection between chronic pain and mental health. Then I jumped on board Shannon Cohn’s documentary [2023’s Below the Belt, executive produced by Foxx, Hillary Clinton, Rosario Dawson and Mae Whitman] and hosted the L.A. premiere.

My TV show, Beat Shazam [with father, Jamie Foxx], is going into its eighth season. [On May 15 in New York], I’m going to be a co-chair of the EndoFound’s Blossom Ball.

When I got my Blossom Award [in 2023], one of the things I said was, “It’s great to be in a room of people who support endometriosis, but more so, know what endometriosis is.”

[EndoFound and the Blossom Ball] raise so much money, and I’ve been connected with other endo warriors through that event, like Alaia Baldwin and Bindi Irwin.

There are so many unknowns about the disease still, and EndoFound’s done a great job of providing research dollars to finding out more.

(As told to Jasmin Rosemberg; this story has been edited for clarity.)

Endometriosis impacts one in 10 people with a uterus, so either you or someone you know is affected by it.

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

Catherine Fuller Catherine Fuller MD West Los Angeles 310-828-7978 Sherwin Hariri Beverly Hills Allergy Beverly Hills 310-504-1230 Sandra A. Ho Avant Allergy Los Angeles 310-870-1232 Edward K. Hu Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center Panorama City 833-574-2273 Rita Kachru UCLA Health Santa Monica Allergy & Immunology Santa Monica 310-481-4646 Alan Khadavi Allergy Los Angeles Beverly Hills 310-282-8822 Krikor Manoukian AllergyDox Burbank 818-561-4533 Marc J. Meth Century City Allergy Los Angeles 310-556-1377 L A M AG . C O M 7 1

M E N O PAU S E

Oprah Winfrey Her ABC special The Menopause Revolution brings Halle Berry, Naomi Watts and Maria Shriver together to destigmatize aging

W

H E N O P R A H Winfrey was 48 years old, she started getting heart palpitations. “For two years straight I did not sleep,” she says at the top of An Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution, which aired March 31 on ABC and is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

“I went to five different doctors in Chicago,” she continues. “I found a female doctor — a cardiologist — and she gave me an angiogram and put me on heart medication that I knew the next day was not working for me. I ended up wearing a heart monitor for weeks.”

Winfrey struggled to find answers TOP as her fears skyrocketed. “Every night DOCS for a solid two years, I thought I was going to die,” she says. “One day at the office, I picked up a book, and the page is open to: ‘Palpitations: Your Heart’s Wakeup Call.’ That was the first time I learned that those were symptoms that ‘the change’ was coming.”

To inform other women experiencing the same issues, Winfrey created a dialogue between highprofile figures and experts. Of the special, Winfrey tells Los Angeles: “The guests featured are all helping us understand and view menopause from a new lens, bringing updated information and research to women around the world.”

Every woman will face menopause — preceded by perimenopause, the transitional period before reproductive years end. And Winfrey notes, “Despite its impact on half the global population, menopause has remained a taboo topic.”

Women as young as 35 can start showing symptoms, which include anxiety, bloating, brain

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7 2 L A M AG . C O M

BY T H E B O O K

Books about menopause by Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Naomi Watts have become New York Times bestsellers.

fog, depression, hair loss, hot flashes, heart palpitations, irregular periods, sleeplessness, libido changes, mood swings, pain during sex, weight gain and vaginal dryness. “So, instead of suffering in silence or wrapping it in shame about getting older, we can stop the stereotype so we can change the conversation,” Winfrey says.

Like Winfrey, Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry had a frustrating medical experience. “I had razor blades in my vagina after a great night of sex,” says Berry in a pretaped video. “I went to the doctor, and he told me, ‘Oh, this looks like the worst case of herpes I’ve ever seen.’”

Both she and her partner, Van Hunt, got tested for the disease, and were found to be negative. “This was my ‘aha’ moment,” says Berry — whose symptoms, including dry eyes, appeared at 48 but weren’t confirmed until she was 54.

Berry joined forces with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington to create a standalone bill funding menopause research, and launched digital platform Respin (re-spin.com).

The forum “respins” the public conception of menopause and sells products for problems like vaginal dryness.

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, author of 2024 book The New Menopause, explains that most physicians are not trained in menopause. “It [takes] six to eight average visits before [it’s] actually diagnosed for most patients,” she says. Haver penned

B O O K COV E R S : CO U R T E SY P E N G U I N R A N D O M H O U S E

BY JA S M I N RO S E M B E RG

B E T T E R W I T H AG E

A N O P RA H W I N F R E Y S P E C I A L : T H E M E N O PAU S E R E VO LU T I O N , : T H E M E N O PAU S E R E VO LU T I O N : D I S N E Y/ E R I C M CC A N D L E S S

From left: Naomi Watts, Maria Shriver, Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry and Dr. Mary Claire Haver discuss menopause.

the forward in the bestselling book published in January by actress Naomi Watts: Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause.

“At 36, when I was trying to start a family and not getting pregnant, I asked my doctor what was going on,” Watts recalls when she joins the group on the special. “He took some blood work, and the results suggested that I was ‘close to menopause.’ I was filled with panic, loneliness and shame.”

In her book, she describes a particularly embarrassing incident when she was about to be intimate with her now-husband, actor Billy Crudup — which Winfrey has her recall.

“We were getting down to business, and I had to excuse myself. I remembered that I had my estrogen patch on,” Watts says. “I came out sort of frantic after having scratched and left a horrible red mark. He said, ‘Are you OK?’ And I said, ‘I’m in menopause, and I’m old, and should I just leave? Because you probably don’t want me.’”

Watts recalls Crudup’s answer: “He was like, ‘Hey, this is good news that you’re getting treatment. And by the way, we’re both old. …’”

Avid reader Winfrey chimes in with the line that Watts is too bashful to recount. “He said, ‘I have gray hairs on my balls,’” Winfrey notes.

In 2022, Watts created Stripes Beauty (stripesbeauty.com) — which offers education and community-building as well as body and

Despite its impact on half the global population, menopause has remained a taboo topic.

— OPRAH WINFREY

vaginal products. “We’ve earned our stripes, ladies,” Watts says.

Maria Shriver — chief visionary and strategic advisor for the Cleveland Clinic’s recently launched Women’s Comprehensive Health and Research Center — tells Winfrey that she wants women to view menopause as a blessing: “Because it means you’ve lived long enough to actually go through it.”

Shriver tells Los Angeles that most people are surprised to learn the lifestage is not just a gynecological phenomenon but a complex process in the brain. “Those hot flashes and night sweats are reactions caused by your brain responding to a loss of estrogen,” says Shriver — who studied aging after watching her parents suffer strokes and Alzheimer’s disease. “For some women, that loss of estrogen to the brain may put them at increased risk for a number of neurological diseases [that come] with age, including Alzheimer’s. My recommendation is to find a doctor and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of hormone treatment.”

As the special relates, in the past, hormone replacement therapy has been controversial.

“People being scared of taking estrogens [came from] the older HRT studies about breast cancer,” Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, the faculty neurologist for the UCLA Comprehensive Menopause Care Program, tells Los Angeles. Voskuhl’s studies of women with MS — who performed much better when pregnant and had higher estrogen levels — led to her work on how a decline in estrogen causes the cognitive issues 70% of women face.

Voskuhl isolated a type of estrogen that doesn’t present the same risk of breast cancer and has been used in Europe for 40 years. She urges women to seek treatment upon their first cognitive symptoms — but ultimately believes estrogen would be beneficial to all aging women. “If we know it works in the brain to be neuroprotective,” she says, we could not only make symptoms better for women at age 51 or 55 but show that 10 years later, the incidence of mild cognitive impairment — and therefore Alzheimer’s — is decreased.

In closing, Watts tells the younger generation they don’t have to fear menopause: “We are the last generation that has had to suffer in silence,” she says. And Berry thinks all women who reach it should be thrown a she-esta. The hourlong show also features accounts from everyday women, facts and comical tidbits from Leanne Morgan’s I’m Every Woman Netflix special.

“Menopause is not something you can outrun, outfox, out-yoga or out-meditate,” Winfrey tells Los Angeles. “Too often, women deny and lie about their age — which is denying your time spent here on Earth and everything that you learned and gained. This show discusses what you need to know to best advocate for yourself so we can ultimately see how freeing menopause can be in your life, with the best yet to come.

L A M AG . C O M 7 3

Stuart Y. Min Kaiser Permanente Medical Center City of Industry 626-282-2829

P R O U D PA R E N T S

Author Anna David and partner Jim Agnew had son Benjamin with help from a surrogate and Dr. Guy Ringler.

Asal Gharib Naderi Keck Medicine of USC Los Angeles Internal Medicine Los Angeles 323-442-5100 Jacob Offenberger Allergy & Asthma Relief Experts Granada Hills 818-366-8112 Sonal Patel Huntington Asthma & Allergy Center Pasadena 626-793-6680 Asif Rafi Allergy Asthma & Sinus Institute Los Angeles 424-256-2984 Joyce Schoettler South Bay Allergy & Asthma Associates Torrance 310-371-1388 Danica J. Schulte Southern California Allergy Encino 818-990-9155 Lee Sheinkopf Allergy Asthma Care Center Inc Los Angeles 310-393-1550 Farhad Sigari DelRey MD Marina Del Rey 310-823-4444 Ricardo Tan California Allergy & Asthma Medical Group Los Angeles 310-966-9022 Flora A. Vardanian AllergyDox Burbank 818-561-4533 Cindy Xi Keck Medicine of USC Downtown Los Angeles - Medical Clinic Los Angeles 213-437-1000 Michelle Yasharpour Dr. Michelle Yasharpour Beverly Hills 310-285-6650

A N E ST H E S I O LO GY Andre Atoian Limbic Medical Toluca Lake 323-886-2273 Frederic R. Bushnell Shriners Children’s Southern California Pasadena 323-844-1862 7 4 L A M AG . C O M

FERTILITY

Anna David > How Dr. Guy Ringler helped pave my unconventional path to motherhood

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“

U S T L O O K AT I T like it’s an annoying errand,” my friend Vanessa told me when I started the process of freezing my eggs. I repeated this almost like a mantra as I injected myself with hormones, drove across town for regular ultrasounds and went under to have my eggs removed.

If I looked at freezing my eggs like doing my taxes or going to the DMV — a massive inconvenience and nothing more — I could keep emotion out of it. And this was key.

I was not only a female Angeleno in my mid-40s with two cats and zero baby-daddy prospects on the horizon, but I was also deeply committed to both becoming a mom and not doing it on my own.

The start of the journey had already been emotional enough: I’d left the office of the first fertility doctor I’d visited in tears when I was brusquely told I’d be better off trying adoption or at the very least creating embryos with donor sperm. After vowing never to return to that office, I told myself I still had time to meet and fall for a man who also wanted to have a child.

Against all odds, if you buy into those scary articles about how any woman over 40 is more likely to be held at gunpoint than escape singlehood, I did. I met Jim — an

age-appropriate, sweet, handsome man without kids who was open to having one — on the dating app Raya.

By the time we were talking about starting a family, the pandemic had begun and the office of the fertility doctor who’d frozen my eggs had become, to put it generously, a disorganized shit show. Jim and I joked that if we allowed them to create embryos for us, we’d surely end up with another couple’s baby.

Then someone recommended Dr. Guy Ringler. At first, I was opposed; he shared a practice with the doctor whose office I’d left in tears. But he was encouraging and patient and, most relevantly, created two healthy embryos for us.

But I was 50 by then and so we decided to explore surrogacy.

Within a few weeks of connecting with an agency, Jim and I were introduced over Zoom to Emily, a potential surrogate.

A happily married mom of two in Georgia, she talked about healthy eating habits that put my own to shame TOP and referred to herself as our “oven.” Though we DOCS worried that partnering with her would be like marrying your first date, she seemed ideal.

Indeed, nine months after our embryo was put in her “oven,” Emily delivered our son, Benjamin, in a hospital in Alpharetta, Georgia. We were in the room, Jim cutting the cord before the nurse handed the baby to me. The next day, checking out with Bennie, I was told it’s Georgia state law that a new mom must leave the hospital in a wheelchair, whether that new mom delivered or not.

As the sweet nurse wheeled me, she made small talk about L.A. “Do you see a lot of movie stars everywhere?” she asked.

I shook my head, trying to make sense of the surreal new world I was now living in. I couldn’t see or remember anything but our son.

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[Dr. Guy Ringler] created two healthy embryos for us. But I was 50 by then and so we decided to explore surrogacy.

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY I RV I N R I V E R A

S U R R O G AC Y

M AT T H E W W E I SS

> A determined dad’s journey surmounts all challenges

I

always knew I wanted to be a dad. I was 14 years old when, with my mother battling cancer, I took on a parental role to my brother, 10 years younger. Later, I figured I’d have kids when I found love — but I was 40, and that hadn’t happened.

When, one day, I found myself ducking for cover during a standoff between a gunman and police, my first thought was, “I can’t die without becoming a dad.” That moment set everything in motion.

I started my journey with LifeLong Adoptions, but after learning it would take two years and there was no guarantee I could adopt a newborn boy, I explored surrogacy. I worked with an adoption attorney, placing ads in newspapers nationwide, but nothing came of it. I donated sperm, only to learn I have azoospermia and can’t have children. That challenged my ideas of manhood and lineage. But I moved forward and realized I would need a sperm donor.

With the help of baby concierge Stephanie Levich of Family Match Consulting, I spent six months searching for the perfect donor. Finally, I chose an egg donor from Fertility Alternatives and a sperm donor from Fairfax Cryobank. I wanted a tall boy, so I made sure both donors were tall. My fertility doctor, Carrie Wambach at Reproductive Partners Medical Group, created three embryos — two boys and one girl.

I used Dreamweaver Surrogacy for my next step. The first potential surrogate ghosted me. The second had endometriosis and likely couldn’t get pregnant. The third, in Arkansas,

Being a gay, single father added a layer to the struggle.

had a cyst that needed removal, but my doctor approved her.

After years of heartbreak, financial strain and countless setbacks, the embryo transfer worked on the first try.

The nine months sped by. My family and I flew to Arkansas, where my son, Finn Walker Weiss, was born on Oct. 14 — a big, 10-pound baby. But I noticed something was wrong: His stomach was pumping really hard. He was rushed to the NICU, where doctors diagnosed him with persistent pulmonary hypertension.

Finn spent three weeks in intensive care while I stayed by his side, furious at the universe for making fatherhood so difficult. A nurse flew home with us, but Finn’s health struggles continued, with severe vomiting and multiple pediatric visits.

We’ve recently found a formula that’s worked, so we’re hoping he’s good.

Being a gay, single father added a layer to the struggle.

Some surrogates and donors refused to work with me.

Adoption agencies hesitated. The costs were staggering: I planned for $100,000 but spent closer to $300,000. If I wanted the perfect surrogate in Los Angeles, I would’ve paid even more.

Finn’s a fighter and so am I. Halfway through all this I wondered if I was meant to be a father, if I was worthy of this child. But with every ounce of effort poured in — every setback, every dollar — I knew the real tragedy for me would have been never becoming a father. Now, my dreams of being a parent are real. (As told to Mikey Moran)

FAT H E R LY LOV E

TO P : CO U R T E SY M AT T H E W W E I S S

Writer-producer Matthew Weiss (center) used a surrogate to have son Finn. He’s flanked by his parents, Amy and Gary Weiss.

P H O T O G R A P H BY JA M I E S I E V E R

L A M AG . C O M 7 5

THYROID CANCER

B E AU D U N N

> Cedars-Sinai doctors help the artist and entrepreneur

M

y health journey started at 18, when I was diagnosed with lipedema, a chronic fat disorder that causes significant swelling and pain. I also suffered a severe knee injury, which left me in a wheelchair for five years.

Then, in 2018, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that attacked my thyroid and led to fatigue, weight fluctuation and hormonal imbalances. I figured this out working with Dr. Pejman Cohan, an endocrinologist in Beverly Hills, who monitored my thyroid with blood tests and ultrasounds.

In 2021, a routine ultrasound revealed a cyst on my thyroid, leading to further evaluation. A biopsy confirmed it was cancerous, and I made the difficult decision to undergo a full thyroidectomy as part of my treatment. I continue to manage

S C A N OV E R

After discovering a uterine fibroid, Beau Dunn did a full-body Prenuvo scan to ensure there were no additional problems.

You never know the battles someone is fighting.

the long-term effects of thyroid removal — and hormonal changes — with scans and blood work every six months.

In addition to Dr. Cohan, I also saw Dr. Allen Ho, a throat cancer specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where I had my thyroidectomy and got post-operative care.

Unfortunately, after the procedure, I developed severe anemia, leading to chronic fatigue, dizziness and weakness. To manage my iron deficiency, I had annual iron infusions at Cedars-Sinai with Dr. David Hoffman.

In 2024, while managing the anemia, I began experiencing prolonged, heavy periods and worsening fatigue, so I sought further medical evaluation. My doctors discovered a large uterine fibroid through ultrasound and MRI, which explained many of my symptoms. After the fibroid was found, I underwent a full-body Prenuvo scan to ensure there were no additional cysts, tumors or any other concerning issues.

Thankfully, the scan provided peace of mind that nothing else needed immediate attention.

When I had surgery to remove the fibroid, my doctors also found undiagnosed endometriosis, which had caused years of unexplained pain.

For the past 15 years, my health has been at the center of my life.

And to be honest, I’m still in it.

I’ve been every size imaginable, diagnosed and misdiagnosed more times than I can count. My years in a wheelchair, when I was unable to walk unassisted, showed me firsthand what it’s like to feel judged, frustrated and feeling like you can never fully get a handle on your health.

Since my surgery, I have experienced noticeable weight loss and, unfortunately, that has led to public scrutiny and unsolicited comments about my body. I want to speak out against body-shaming and unsolicited advice, especially when people have no idea what someone is going through. I encourage kindness on social media and in everyday life because you never know the battles someone is fighting behind the scenes.

I am also a global ambassador for Walk With Sally (walkwithsally. org), a California-based charity that supports families affected by cancer, and I founded Who Is She Wearing (whoisshewearing.com), a direct-to-consumer celebrity closet marketplace, where a portion of the proceeds benefits Walk With Sally. I use my platform to raise awareness for cancer survivors, women’s health issues and body-image struggles.

(As told to Lina Lecaro)

7 6 L A M AG . C O M

T H I S PAG E : CO U R T E SY B E AU D U N N : O P P O S I T E : CO U R T E SY G R E G L I N K

navigate 15 years of health struggles

Andrew J. Costandi Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles 323-361-2262

BRAIN CANCER

Greg Link

Jennifer L. Cutler Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles 310-423-5841 Arnaudov Dimiter Keck Hospital of USC Los Angeles 800-872-2273

> The entrepreneur beat the odds in battling glioblastoma, a malignant tumor with a median survival time of 12-18 months

Laszlo Z. Galffy Adventist Health Glendale 818-241-2101

BY JA S M I N RO S E M B E RG

G

builder who co-founded BrandLink Communications, recalls a few “mini-episodes” where he just didn’t feel right. But one day in June 2014, his life changed.

“I was in my boy’s pool in the Hamptons, and I had a seizure,” says Link, a native New Yorker who’d been visiting from L.A. “They pulled me out, and then we went to the [Stony Brook] Southampton Hospital, and they’re like, ‘We did a CAT scan. You have a brain tumor, and we think it’s cancer.’

“So it was immediately, like, ‘Wow,’” he continues. His mother and brother came to the hospital, and they were all stunned — and knew little about brain cancer, so they did some quick research. “They wanted to do the surgery right there [at Southampton Hospital],” he says. “And we’re like, ‘No, let’s go back to the city.’ Two days afterward, [a doctor] told me that the type of brain cancer I have, most people don’t live longer than a year.”

Glioblastoma is a very aggressive terminal cancer with no cure. “Basically, these cancer cells clump together and try to form a tumor,” says Link. “People don’t live very long, especially if they have a recurrence.” The median survival of patients with the best therapies is between 12 and 14 months, and 5% live longer than a year.

“Well, at first you’re like, ‘Woe is me. Oh my God, I’m going to die,’” says Link, who mustered hope. “You’ve got to do everything you can to live longer.”

Opting to stay in New York for treatment, he saw top doctors who had been on Netflix’s brain cancer reality show Lenox Hill, and he went to NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center for surgery to remove the tumor. “It was the size of a lima TOP bean,” he says. “Luckily, it was at the top of my DOCS brain, which is always a good thing. And then we looked into clinical trials, but they did a test after taking the tumor out and my tumor reacted positively to the chemotherapy. The chemotherapy I took was a tablet; I took it five days straight every month. So I didn’t do the standard IV chemo; this chemo was the only one that could penetrate the blood-brain barrier. I did that for over two years, just because it worked really well.”

For the first few years of his treatment, Link had an MRI every two months, then it became every three months. “Every year, my doctor kept on saying, ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing,’” Link recalls. Now, he just sees a primary doctor in L.A. — Dr. Lawrence Piro — and gets an MRI every six months. “He is one of the top doctors in L.A. He has his own clinic as part of Cedars-Sinai called The Angeles Clinic [and Research Institute]. He’s a doctor to many celebrities and high-net-worth individuals.”

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

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Paul B. Johnson Advanced Pain Medical Group West Hills 818-348-7246

R E G L I N K , an entrepreneur and brand-

Robert R. Kyureghian Mission Community Hospital Panorama City 818-787-2222 AG A I N S T A L L O D D S

It’s been more than 10 years since Greg Link’s glioblastoma diagnosis.

Link has also changed his lifestyle. “I eat better; I eat clean; I work out. And most importantly, I stay stressfree,” he says. “I don’t have the employees like I used to have, the offices in different cities. Right now, I just do marketing consulting and invest in CPG [consumer packaged goods] brands and do a lot of connecting, and I just do things that I’m passionate about — which are good-foryou products.”

The first brand he invested in was Poppi, a low-sugar, prebiotic soda. “I knew the founder, Rohan [Oza], from Shark Tank,” says Link, who notes the significance of gut health. “Because your immune system’s in your gut, your gut biome is very important,” he says.

Then, he was introduced to Magic Mind — a coffee alternative that started as a subscription and is now sold in Sprouts and Erewhon. “It’s got the matcha. That’s where the caffeine comes from,” he says, “but it helps you be productive, with less stress and anxiety — a little more focus.”

Link has found support from groups like the Glioblastoma Research Organization and he’s always willing to counsel other brain cancer patients — even if most aren’t afforded his same luck. “I know how blessed I am to be alive, because the odds are against you,” he says. “So I don’t stress, I live life to its fullest, I appreciate waking up every day. It’s just good to know that people can live long term with a disease that is very aggressive and deadly.”

Link hasn’t had a recurrence, and he recently wed his fiancée of three years, Denice Phumchun.

“I wouldn’t say I’m completely cancer-free. I would say that cancer cells are in my brain, but they’re sleeping,” he explains. “But the longer you go without a recurrence, the more likely you are of not getting one.”

He adds, “The bottom line is, I’ve had a normal, cancer-free life for 10½ years. I haven’t done any clinical trials; I’ve just been lucky and blessed. So, in essence, I’m a miracle.”

Well, at first you’re like, ‘Woe is me. Oh my God, I’m going to die.’ You’ve got to do everything you can to live longer.

Bita H. Nasseri Bita H. Nasseri MD Beverly Hills 310-289-8200 Vimal S. Lala Advanced Pain Medical Group West Hills 818-348-7246 Faisal Lalani Pain & Healing Institute Beverly Hills 310-856-9488 Yuan-Feng Lo Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles 323-361-2262 Jonathon Mansour Mission Community Hospital Panorama City 818-947-0150 Rebecca Margolis Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles 323-361-2262 Kaveh D. Navab Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles 310-423-1682 Neha S. Patel Shriners Children’s Southern California Pasadena 323-844-1862 Fayez S. Takla Keck Hospital of USC Los Angeles 800-872-2273 Ava Chomee Yoon Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center Downey 833-574-2273 De-An Zhang Shriners Children’s Southern California Pasadena 323-844-1862 L A M AG . C O M 7 7

B R E AST S U R G E RY Kjirsten Carlson Betz Breastlink Glendale 818-502-2323 Alice P. Chung Cedars-Sinai West Hollywood 310-423-9331 Catherine M. Dang Cedars-Sinai West Hollywood 310-423-9331 Kristi Funk Pink Lotus Power Up LLC Santa Monica 888-800-7522

IN FOCUS

Los Angeles senior editor Lina Lecaro uses a whiteboard to keep track of tasks at work.

Nimmi Kapoor UCLA Health Encino Cancer Care Encino 818-995-0020 Amy M. Kusske UCLA Health - Santa Monica Breast Care Santa Monica 424-259-8791

Fumito Ito Keck Medicine of USC Los Angeles General Surgery Los Angeles 323-442-6868 Leslie Memsic Bedford Breast Center Beverly Hills 310-278-8590 Maria E. Nelson Keck Medicine of USC Women’s Specialty Clinic Los Angeles 323-276-3705 Edward C. Ray Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles 310-423-2129 Heather Richardson Bedford Breast Center Beverly Hills 310-278-8590 Katharine Schulz-Costello City of Hope South Pasadena 626-741-1273 Jeannie Shen Huntington Cancer Center Pasadena 424-314-0182 Alicia M. Terando Cedars-Sinai Pasadena 424-314-0177 Carlie Thompson UCLA Health Burbank Breast Care Los Angeles 310-825-2144 7 8 L A M AG . C O M

> ADHD

L I N A L E CA R O

> Attention please: Why Jessica McCabe’s podcast is a godsend

W

e live in a world of stimulation.

Computers, smartphones, social media and streaming entertainment have given us all some semblance of ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).

But I didn’t realize I had a case until it became a problem in my life about 15 years ago. I was in couples counseling with my now ex-husband when our therapist suggested it might explain some of my behavior. After a visit to a highly recommended psychiatrist in Hollywood, I got a formal diagnosis and a prescription for Adderall, which I took for several years on and off. It didn’t save the marriage, but it did help me understand why I did — and didn’t do — so many things. It made a painful breakup a little easier and helped with co-parenting afterward.

There were signs [of ADHD] before the relationship woes, though. Growing up, I constantly got in trouble at school for talking in class and I always waited to write term papers until the night before they were due. I pulled it off every time (I liked the rush) and I got good grades, especially in English. My brain has always loved playing with words.

Deadlines were never a problem. I now know I require them. Structure, guidelines and achieving goals each week are the biggest motivators in my life as a journalist. I might get distracted as I’m researching a story, but whatever tangent journey I take in the process usually yields more depth, or a new idea for another time.

ADHD sufferers often lack focus, but they also have the superpower of hyperfocus, which helps us get things done.

The challenges — misplacing my phone or keys because I’m

thinking about five other things, time blindness leading to stress about running late and not really listening to others A P to TIO N Kthe ICKER — persist though. My current partner likensCme Dug cum, tem etur aliam Dog from the Disney film Up and, Usandam, admittedly, I “Squirrel!” reremqui ratatet ut atas a lot during conversations. Luckily,acidis I learned a lot from my ut aria susant apis pereium past relationship, and we communicate well. quisincime quosant fugiatibus Adderall is the most common prescription for adult ADHD, but about five years ago, I realized I hated it and the jitters it gave me. My struggles have never TOP been debilitating, but they still needed managDOCS ing, so I sought alternative resources to meds and soon discovered How to ADHD hosted

by Jessica McCabe on YouTube. Born in Los Angeles, McCabe is a former actress who has become a social media personality by sharing her attention-deficit struggles and offering tools and tips to deal with them. Her book of the same name, which came out last year, encapsulates the support, community and destigmatization of neurodiversity that makes her online presence such a godsend for so many.

Today, I lean into my strengths and plan ahead for struggles. I write down tasks big and small daily and I relish crossing them out when they’re completed. I also use Siri to set timers on my phone throughout the day to stay on track, and I regularly try new techniques I learn from McCabe, the doctors she interviews in her videos and others in the ADHD online community.

The irony of using the computer, phone and social media to help with attention problems isn’t lost on me, but real-world solutions seem to work, and trying new things continues to provide the stimulation I seek.

20 25

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY I RV I N R I V E R A

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

Amy C. Polverini Huntington Cancer Center Pasadena 424-314-0177

CYAN

How did L.A. used to deal with public drunkenness?

S O T DA N C E

The California Highway Patrol conducting a sobriety test in Los Angeles, circa 1953

A:

I recently got to poke my head into the back of a 1930s paddy wagon and it did not look like a fun place to wake up in. Those black behemoths cruised around the city in search of drunks in aggressive police “sweeps,” where anyone who appeared to stumble might get tossed in the back and sent to the Lincoln Heights Jail. At one point, some 80,000 Angelenos ended up in the “drunk tank” every year until sweeps ended in the 1970s.

Certainly, sober people were caught in the cleanups, and period accounts remind me of the “hysterical” women sent to insane asylums when their husbands got tired of them — and the union boss 1 2 8 L A M AG . C O M

who called a “troublemaker,” a controversial coroner and Charlie Chaplin Jr. at a Hollywood pool party.

One judge forced an accordion player to prove his temperance by playing the unwieldy instrument in the courtroom.

Starting in the 1930s, a number of

innovative programs attempted rehabilitation. The Wayside Honor Rancho had offenders harvesting barley, beans and corn for county cafeterias, and the Sybil Brand Institute offered courses in culinary arts and cosmetology.

From 1954 to 1967, thousands of

men picked up for public intoxication did their time at the Saugus Rehabilitation Center, or “Drunk Farm.” Inmates grew potatoes and canned tomatoes and learned trades like welding and landscaping on the 520-acre spread.

Today, that land is Santa Clarita’s Central Park, which you can visit this spring for the Tequila and Taco Festival and whiskey tasting at Boots in the Park.

CHRIS’ PICK

By Design

A NEW MOVIE SHOWCASES DISNEY LEGEND BOB GURR ● U N TO L D millions have had the times of their lives onboard Bob Gurr’s ride vehicles at Disneyland, cowering from his King Kong at Universal Studios or marveling at the sinking pirate ship he built on the Las Vegas Strip. The 93-year-old designer is the subject of a new documentary premiering April 26 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Bob Gurr: Living By Design showcases the Disney legend who is also a pilot, a sailor and a Burning Man enthusiast, with the boundless energy and curiosity that has inspired him since he was a kid. “I’m busy every day,” he says. “I just love being interested in everything.” Walt Disney himself recruited Gurr soon after he graduated from ArtCenter College of Design to design a car for his new theme park in Anaheim and Gurr’s Autopia, Monorail and submarines have been transporting us into lands of fantasy ever since.

— CHRIS NICHOLS

S O B R I E T Y T E ST: LO S A N G E L E S DA I LY N E WS / U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I FO R N I A , LO S A N G E L E S . L I B R A RY. D E PA R T M E N T O F S P E C I A L CO L L E C T I O N S ; B O B G U R R : J U ST FO R F U N P R O D U C T I O N S A N D A L E X T H E AT R E

Q

EMAIL YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ABOUT L.A. TO ASKCHRIS@LAMAG.COM

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THE TRAVEL ISSUE

JET TO THE MET THE NEXT STOP FOR POWERHOUSE DUO

WAYMAN + MICAH

TAKING OFF AERO LAUNCHES A LUXE NEW FLIGHT TO NYC

Also

TOP MOTHER’S DAY TEAS AROUND THE WORLD

IS NEW YORK — WHERE THEY’RE STYLING THEIR CELEBRITY CLIENTS FOR FASHION’S BIGGEST GALA

THE GETAWAY GUIDE INSPIRING DESTINATIONS BOTH DOMESTIC AND AFAR

PRESENTS

the GETAWAY GUIDE ESCAPE TO THESE INSPIRING DESTINATIONS, BOTH DOMESTIC AND AFAR 4 8 L A M AG . C O M

VIEW FROM THE TOP CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: J.K. PLACE CAPRI IN ITALY; MAUNA LANI ON THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII; A STATUE OF PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON AND A STREETCAR IN NEW ORLEANS’ FRENCH QUARTER; CASITA AZUL IN CAREYES, MEXICO; A VIEW OF THE EIFFEL TOWER FROM THE SHANGRI-LA PARIS; THE MARK HOTEL IN NEW YORK.

L A M AG . C O M 4 9

TAKING AIR TRAVEL TO NEW HEIGHTS FEATURING LUXURY AMENITIES AND PET-FRIENDLY OPTIONS, AERO GIVES FLYERS HEADING TO POPULAR LEISURE DESTINATIONS THE BENEFITS OF A PRIVATE JET — AT A REASONABLE PRICE

By L E I L A B R A DY

5 0 L A M AG . C O M

E E S TA B L I S H E D I N 2 0 1 9 by

Uber co-founder Garrett Camp, Aero, a semi-private airline, emerged from a simple idea: Commercial air travel is exhausting and frustrating, but private jets are inefficient and expensive.

The solution? Make flying feel luxurious again by delivering a private jet experience without the private jet price tag.

“The idea was to create something that bridged this gap between purely private charters and the first-class airline experience,” says Ben Klein, Aero CEO. The result, he says, is an experience on par with a private jet.

For instance, a price search on the Aero website shows the airline’s round-trip fare for travel in May from Van Nuys to Cabo is as low as $4,100. A private jet could cost nearly 10 times that much.

The aircraft are sleek, black Embraer ERJ-135 regional jets, reconfigured to accommodate just 16 first-class seats. The cabins feature hand-stitched Italian leather seats, dynamic mood lighting and soft suede walls.

“There’s been a lot of thought put in and refinement to the design to enhance the experience for people,” Klein says.

The airline features 24/7 concierge service with real humans answering the phone. Amenities include high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi and food and drink from Erewhon.

Food selection can also be tailored to the destination. Napa flights, for example, feature wines from local vineyards such as Sullivan Rutherford Estate.

P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : C A P R I : TO N Y G I G OV; M UA N A L A N I : CO U R T E SY M AU N A L A N I , AU B E R G E R E S O R TS CO L L E C T I O N ; F R E N C H Q UA R T E R : CO U R T E SY N O L A & CO. / T R AV E L I N G N E W LYW E D S ; ST R E E T C A R : CO U R T E SY N O L A & CO. /Z AC K S M I T H ; CO U R T E SY T H E M A R K H OT E L ; CO U R T E SY S H A N G R I - L A PA R I S / M A R C E LO B A R B O SA ; CO U R T E SY C A S I TA S A Z U L /S O R E N PA L L I S G A A R D

J E T- S E T T I N G

The Routes

T H I S S P R E A D : A L L P H OTO S CO U R T E SY A E R O ; J E T E X T E R I O R : P H I L I P C H E U N

P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : C A P R I : TO N Y G I G OV; M UA N A L A N I : CO U R T E SY M AU N A L A N I , AU B E R G E R E S O R TS CO L L E C T I O N ; F R E N C H Q UA R T E R : CO U R T E SY N O L A & CO. / T R AV E L I N G N E W LYW E D S ; ST R E E T C A R : CO U R T E SY N O L A & CO. /Z AC K S M I T H ; CO U R T E SY T H E M A R K H OT E L ; CO U R T E SY S H A N G R I - L A PA R I S / M A R C E LO B A R B O SA ; CO U R T E SY C A S I TA S A Z U L /S O R E N PA L L I S G A A R D

TA K I N G O F F

Aero’s flights offer high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi and food and drink from Erewhon.

“Whatever help you might need in your destination, whether that’s a car booking with one of our hotel partners, restaurant recommendation, any of that, we can help,” he says. (Last year, Aero’s score on customer loyalty site Net Promoter was 95; most airlines see a score in the 30s.)

Aero partners with hotels in each of its destinations: In Aspen, it’s Hotel Jerome; in Cabo, the Four Seasons at Costa Palmas. And international flights offer an additional perk. Guests landing at Aero’s private terminal in Cabo breeze through customs. “Typically, it takes no more than five minutes from the time you’re walking off the airplane to when [you get] in your car,” says Klein.

Aero is also pet-friendly, a major draw for its L.A.-based clientele. “People have told me we’ve changed their travel patterns,” says Klein. “They can do long weekends in Aspen or Deer Valley without the long drive and bring their large dogs. You’ll often see many four-legged friends on board.”

The airline has built routes around events, flying to Las Vegas for the 2024 Super Bowl and to Dallas for the 2024 Golf Team Championship.

“We’ll continue to cater [to] events that make sense for our L.A.-based guests,” says Klein.

“The idea was to create something that bridged this gap between purely private charters and the first-class airline experience.”

— B EN KLEIN , A ER O CEO

What began as a one-off flight to Thermal for desert music fest Coachella in 2023 quickly evolved into something bigger. “We flew to Coachella last year as a special event,” Klein explains. “There were so many people who asked us to start a regular flight because they were second homeowners or out there for a reason, we put [Thermal] on the schedule this year as a regular route.”

Another special destination is the Sundance Film Festival each January.

Aero has capitalized on the demand by offering direct flights to Salt Lake City and nearby regional airports during the festival window.

Aero launched its first route from its flagship terminal at Van Nuys Airport to Aspen in 2021. Cabo followed later that year. In the past five months, the airline has added bespoke terminals in Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Napa and ski resort Deer Valley.

A New York route, which will feature a full hot meal catered by Erewhon in addition to Aero’s standard food and

drink service, takes off May 12. The plane will land at a terminal close to New York City.

The flights will depart Van Nuys on Mondays at 7:30 a.m., arriving in New York mid-afternoon. The return leaves New York on Thursdays in the early afternoon and arrives back into Van Nuys just after 6 p.m. The flight is geared toward Angelenos heading East for the work week and New Yorkers coming West for long weekends.

“That’s the schedule that our guests have suggested. But it’s also just the beginning,” Klein says. “We’ll offer more flights, probably by the summer.”

What’s next for Aero? Expansion, with an emphasis on bringing the service to travelers across the country.

“We’ve established ourselves in L.A. and proven the fit in that market,” Klein says. “Now the opportunity is to bring this same experience to other key markets across the U.S.” For travelers who’d rather not compromise, that might be an easy sell.

L A M AG . C O M 5 1

T H E M A R K F LOW E R C A R T

I R I N A S H AY K AT T H E 2 0 24 M E T G A L A A F T E R - PA R T Y

> AS THE CLOSEST HOTEL TO THE MET, THE MARK FAMOUSLY HOSTS THE GALA’S FASHIONABLE GUESTS — AND HAS MORE IN STORE THIS SEASON

BY JASMIN ROSEMBERG

5 2 L A M AG . C O M

Despite being a native New Yorker, I’d never set foot inside the esteemed Mark Hotel (themarkhotel.com) — located at 25 East 77th St. and Madison Avenue, and something of an Upper East Side institution.

I’d seen the pictures: Dubbed the “unofficial red carpet” of the Met Gala, the five-star boutique property houses high-profile guests who attend the year’s biggest fashion show — and reveal their outfits as they exit, to the paparazzi stationed out front.

On the first Monday of May when the gala takes place, the hotel rolls out a red carpet and shuts down the street. The Mark also hosts the starry after-party, and it affords gala-goers staying there special perks — from 24-hour access to Bergdorf Goodman to round-the-clock room service from its F&B concepts

by Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Ever since its refresh in 2009, the hotel that’s four blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (“the Met”) has booked up months in advance of the glitzy Met Gala, happening this year on May 5. The Mark hosts around 60 celebrity attendees — plus their glam squads; previous guests have included Anne Hathaway, Cardi B and Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

But the stylish establishment — which received two keys from the Michelin Guide and has appeared in TV shows like And Just Like That… and Succession — is a luxurious getaway any time of year.

STAY After purchasing the neo-Italian Renaissance landmark property built in 1926 by architects Schwartz & Gross, Alexico Group (also behind The Laurel and 56 Leonard developments) reopened the Mark in 2009, following a chic makeover.

French designer Jacques Grange (whose clients have included Yves Saint Laurent and the Princess of Monaco) reimagined the interiors, blending high French style with modern American ease. In addition to conceiving of the black-and-white-striped floors that line the lobby — and for which the hotel is known — Grange commissioned pieces by artists like Karl Lagerfeld, Ron Arad and Vladimir Kagan.

In 16 stories, the intimate hotel contains 106 rooms, 46 suites and one penthouse suite. The elegant rooms feature black and white marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, heated towel racks and Italian toiletries formulated for the Mark.

Rooms also include black granite private bars with Sub-Zero fridge drawers and high-definition TVs. At more than 10,000 square feet, the two-floor penthouse suite is the largest in North America — and boasts five bedrooms, a conservatory, a library, a dining room and a 2,500-square-foot rooftop terrace with panoramic city views, which plays host to a skating rink come winter.

M E T G A L A A F T E R - PA R T Y: N E I L R A S M U S / B FA .CO M ; C A R T, R E STAU R A N T, LO B BY: CO U R T E SY T H E M A R K H OT E L

NEW YORK CITY

M E T G A L A A F T E R - PA R T Y: N E I L R A S M U S / B FA .CO M ; C A R T, R E STAU R A N T, LO B BY: CO U R T E SY T H E M A R K H OT E L

the GETAWAY GUIDE

THE MARK H OT E L LO B BY

T H E M A R K R E STAU R A N T

BY J E A N - G E O R G E S

EAT Right off the lobby, The Mark Bar is a swanky meeting spot for pre- or postdinner cocktails. French artist Guy de Rougemont designed the opulent, avant-garde bar, and Kagan created the sleek furniture. Sink into a plush booth and sip drinks from the Jean-Georges Signature Collection, such as The Mark prosecco cocktail with lychee-raspberry, the ginger margarita or the cucumber mint martini. A bar food menu with Jean-Georges staples is also available.

For a more elegant dining experience, continue into The Mark Restaurant By Jean-Georges, an indoor-outdoor space that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There, enjoy popular items like crispy salmon sushi, the black truffle cheeseburger, parmesan-crusted chicken and, for dessert, a chocolate chip soufflé.

Wines from around the world are displayed in a copper-and-glass wine wall.

Grange also designed the Mark’s adjacent restaurant, Caviar Kaspia — which opened in 2023 and is now the Parisian brand’s only U.S. location, following the

L.A. outpost’s closure. The upscale eatery evokes old-world charm, and offers a selection of the finest caviars as well as Caviar Kaspia favorites like the twicebaked potato — which can be paired with martinis, Champagne or shots of premium vodka. Don’t forget to finish with a tin of caviar-shaped chocolates.

A seasonal addition is the Mark Clam Bar, a Hamptons-style seafood shack that opened in front of the hotel on April 26, and marks a collaboration between JeanGeorges and Caviar Kaspia. Guests can visit the beachy pop-up for lunch or dinner, for seaside classics like lobster rolls, oysters and clams — topped off with caviar — plus wine and cocktails.

The Mark Haute Dog Cart by JeanGeorges is another favorite. Stationed outside by the entrance every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the famed stand run by longtime employee Heri offers JeanGeorges’ organic chicken and grass-fed beef hot dogs for $6 each, served with Kimchi relish and an array of condiments. For the Met Gala, Heri keeps the hot dogs and fries going all night long.

DO Renowned hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai has a salon on the Mark’s second floor — which also houses a fitness center and the John Lobb shoeshine station.

Walk over to see the Met’s newest exhibit, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style — also the theme of the gala — open May 10 to Oct. 26. Guests can also ride in the Mark’s pedicabs or borrow a Republic Bike, flaunting its black and white design.

Head to Central Park and take along a curated picnic prepared by Jean-Georges as part of the Mark’s “Picnic in the Park” package. Or, beginning May 23, go for a ride around New York Harbor on the Mark’s 70-foot Herreshoff sailboat, available for private charter and ticketed experiences for up to 25 guests.

For souvenirs, visit connecting shop Assouline for luxury-brand coffee table books. Or, peruse the hotel’s online boutique Le Shop for exclusive items, like a Caviar Kaspia by Moda Operandi potato bowl set or a Lingua Franca crew neck embroidered with words I’ll definitely be saying again: “Take me to the Mark.”

L A M AG . C O M 5 3

E L CO R T E Z H OT E L A N D C A S I N O

> A DOWNTOWN LANDMARK, THE EL CORTEZ HOTEL CONJURES THE SPIRIT OF OLD LAS VEGAS

BY CHRIS NICHOLS

5 4 L A M AG . C O M

I T H A S B E E N N E A R LY 8 5 Y E A R S since the first

resort opened on the Las Vegas Strip, but absolutely no trace of it remains. El Rancho Vegas burned down in 1960, and its scorched earth remains barren to this day, hidden under a slab of concrete. The city is so good at destroying history that chasing remnants of vintage Vegas is like ghost hunting — but with better lodging and delicious food.

No EMF meter is needed to feel the spirits at the Neon Museum after dark. The giant neon signs in the boneyard once entertained millions with light and color and movement but have moldered into rusting steel and broken glass. A high-tech light show called Brilliant! simulates animation through projection, and for a moment gives the illusion of life with music and energy, before the behemoths fade back to black. Other fragments of the lost city live on at the Mob Museum downtown, where you can ogle Meyer Lansky’s art deco cigarette case and Bugsy Siegel’s aviator sunglasses.

The ghost of gangster Siegel looms over the El Cortez Hotel & Casino (elcortezhotelcasino.com). The newly renovated Downtown landmark has the onetime owner/mob boss’s mug plastered everywhere from the ice machine to the men’s room. The entrance to casino restaurant Siegel’s 1941 is framed by a neon signature that matches not only the high-backed banquettes but the classic chicken parm that I scarfed down before heading to a concert at the hotel’s new ShowBar.

I learned the term “table touching” from an old maître d’ who explained the importance of a personal connection to each patron. Owner Kitty Heck at Hot Noods, the hotel’s new Chinese restaurant, is a master of it, sharing stories about her family — including Michelin-starred dad in the kitchen — as she checked on her devoted customers.

El Cortez is drenched in enough vintage neon to fill you with the spirit of old Las Vegas, yet just far enough from the madness of the Fremont Street Experience that it’s practically genteel. Book a room in the “Original 47” wing or, for a taste of Dynasty-era opulence, check out the original suite of onetime owner Jackie Gaughan on the top floor. Gaughan once owned much of Downtown, including the Plaza and a piece of the Golden Nugget. In 1979, he and his son Michael built the Barbary Coast next door to the Flamingo, where he opened his opulent Michael’s restaurant.

No place else captures the Casino-era like the outrageously decadent dining room, which was carefully taken apart and moved to the South Point casino when the original hotel closed. This palace of Continental cuisine was inspired by the Flamingo’s Candlelight Room and is filled with stained glass, tuxedoed waiters and flaming tableside preparations. I enjoyed the most lavish meal of my life amid all of this magnificence in a plush, dim room that was so magical I expected the candelabras to break into song. No ghosts required.

C A S I N O : CO U R T E SY E L CO R T E Z H OT E L A N D C A S I N O ; I N T E R I O R : C H R I S W E S S L I N G ; E X T E R I O R : L A S V E G A S N E WS B U R E AU

LAS VEGAS

M I C H A E L’ S G O U R M E T R O O M

LAS VEGAS LOUNGES > At the height of Las Vegas cool in the 1950s and ’60s, the big names playing the showrooms would sneak in to see the late-night shows in the hotel lounges. The town was awash in live entertainment and the tradition lives on in a few rooms. These are my favorite lounges, some with music, all with cocktails, and each one worth it for the vibe alone.

M I C H A E L’ S G O U R M E T R O O M : CO U R T E SY S O U T H P O I N T; H OT E L VA L L E Y H O : M A R K B O I S C L A I R ; CO SA N T I : J E S S I C A JA M E S O N

C A S I N O : CO U R T E SY E L CO R T E Z H OT E L A N D C A S I N O ; I N T E R I O R : C H R I S W E S S L I N G ; E X T E R I O R : L A S V E G A S N E WS B U R E AU

the GETAWAY GUIDE

BOOTLEGGER Before she built her dream Italian restaurant 50 years ago, Bootlegger owner Lorraine Hunt-Bono was herself a Las Vegas singer. Today, her sprawling complex features nightly live entertainment into the wee hours. We loved sultry Rita Lim, who channeled everyone from Peggy Lee to Karen Carpenter, on our visit. bootleggerlasvegas.com GOLDEN STEER This iconic woodpaneled steakhouse has been rolling out the beef since 1958, but with Saturday reservations already full for the entire summer, your

best bet is to belly up to the bar. The lounge menu features cocktails inspired by Frank, Dean and Sammy, and the people-watching is topnotch. goldensteer.com ITALIAN AMERICAN CLUB Outside, the 65-yearold private club is stone and statuary and fountains. Inside, there’s a mosaic of celebrity headshots leading to the stage, where this summer, you’ll see tributes to Luther Vandross and Barbra Streisand.

Non-Italians can join the club, and anyone can purchase a “30-Day Social Membership” for $1. iacvegas.com PEPPERMILL Is it day or night or 1972? Deep inside this dark lounge tucked into a coffee shop is a sunken circular pink marble conversation pit with hot tub water gurgling and flames shooting out of the center. That’s where you want to be when your Pink Squirrel cocktail arrives, lounging on gold velour and about to set sail. peppermilllasvegas.com — C.N.

H OT E L VA L L E Y H O

SCOTTSDALE > ARCHITECTURE STARS AT HOTEL VALLEY HO AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS

BY CHRIS NICHOLS

O N C E T H E PA I N T D R I E S , you

don’t usually get a second chance to go back and change the artwork.

When the owners of Scottsdale’s classic midcentury Hotel Valley Ho (hotelvalleyho.com) inherited a toosmall lodge with higgledy-piggledy renovations, they stumbled upon the original plans by architect Edward L. Varney and simply completed his ideas from 1956 when restoring the historic hotel.

Scottsdale has long been known for its innovative architecture.

The most famous architect in the world, Frank Lloyd Wright, came to town during the Great Depression and started his school Taliesin West, which influenced generations and is open daily for tours.

One of Wright’s students was Italian designer Paolo Soleri, whose Cosanti home and studio in Scottsdale welcomes visitors, as is his ambitious city of the future, Arcosanti, 90 minutes north and worth the drive. Both sell Soleri’s signature modernist bronze bells, which help fund the efforts.

Wright was still around when the Stockyards restaurant in

nearby Phoenix opened in 1947, and its Victorian frippery would have surely enraged the ideologue.

The vintage murals and stained glass at the steakhouse transport

CO S A N T I

you to a time when the “good old days” were the 1890s, à la Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. When you find your way back to Old Town, be sure to stop for a treat at the deliciously 1950s Sugar Bowl ice cream parlor. You can walk if off with a stroll through the Main Street gallery district on your way back to the Valley Ho. L A M AG . C O M 5 5

T H E F R E N C H Q UA R T E R

NEW ORLEANS

> SPECTACULAR MUSIC, FOOD AND ARCHITECTURE CREATE A WHIRLWIND WEEK IN THE BIG EASY

BY LINA LECARO

5 6 L A M AG . C O M

N E W O R L E A N S I S O N E O F the most culturally

significant cities in the United States, and it’s been on my must-visit list for years, inspired by some of my favorite films (Interview With the Vampire; A Streetcar Named Desire) and L.A. friends who fell in love with it and moved there. Many visit for the revelry of Mardi Gras in February, but the beads, booze and tourists can overshadow some of the city’s warmth and wonder.

There are other events to plan trips around — Jazz Fest (nojazzfest.com), happening this month, for example — but I chose to go during the French Quarter Festival (frenchquarterfest.org), which focuses on local music and food. With virtually every major restaurant in the area participating and serving the region’s signature dishes — from crawfish and po-boys (Acme Oyster House) to alligator nuggets, beignets (Café Du Monde) and jambalaya — popping in and out of this event allows for a multifaceted immersion and sampling of NOLA’s cultural mojo during a whirlwind week I’ll never forget.

Whimsical buildings here blend French, Spanish and Caribbean styles, from colorful Creole townhouses to charmingly narrow “shotgun” homes with Victorian touches. Airbnb might be your first thought for a stay, but the hospitality-driven services at area hotels make this getaway feel special. For my trip, the One11 Hotel (one11hotel.com) is a perfect choice. Just outside the French Quarter, the small

boutique destination is housed in a century-old former sugar refinery and features exposed brick walls, wood beams and large steel structural bones.

Melding its industrial past with its trendy present, it’s got a great bar plus an 8th-floor deck with scenic views of the Mississippi River.

New Orleans has always conjured exotic images and alluring activities that piqued my imagination.

Voodoo, ghosts, cemeteries, swamps, the bayou, art, music, bars … all are on my to-do list. I start with historic graveyard environments — the Metairie Cemetery, where author Anne Rice is entombed inside a beautiful stained glass-adorned mausoleum, and the Greenwood Cemetery, featuring an array of historic Civil War monuments. Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau is interred in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, the city’s oldest, which many consider NOLA’s most haunted grounds. Speaking of spooky stuff, voodoo dolls make cute souvenirs, and I snatch some great ones at the Voodoo Museum (voodoomuseum.com) and Voodoo Authentica (voodooshop.com), which also sell other mystical merch.

In the French Quarter, on Magazine Street and in the Garden District, a host of unique mom-andpop shops and fascinating architecture beckon. A pop into the Hotel Saint Vincent (saintvincentnola. com) reveals a classic Southern Gothic environment and two thematic cocktail spaces, one red-hued and sexy, the other bright and friendly.

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P R E S E RVAT I O N H A L L

A L L P H OTO S CO U R T E SY N O L A & CO. ; C H A P E L C LU B , T H E P R E S E RVAT I O N H A L L : Z AC K S M I T H P H OTO G R A P H Y; C A F E D U M O N D E : PAU L B R O U S SA R D

H OT E L ST. V I N C E N T ’ S C H A P E L C LU B

Considered the birthplace of jazz, NOLA might have more musicians per capita than anywhere in the world. A visit to Preservation Hall (preservationhall.com), where local legends go to jam, is a must. In general, though, residents steer clear of Bourbon Street and head to bars on Frenchman Street. In the Garden District, there’s Tipitina’s (tipitinas.com) and the Maple Leaf (mapleleafbar.com).

There are also street players everywhere, including the French Market (frenchmarket.org), a farmers market with food, art and activities.

After a streetcar ride, a gator encounter via Airboat Adventures (airboatadventures.com) and a pit stop at Hansen’s SnoBliz (snobliz.square. site) where locals line up for cold treats, I pay a visit to the New Orleans Museum of Art (noma.org) which reflects the city’s spirit as well, showcasing international and local works, including, through Aug. 10, “New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations,” a collection that feels very Mardi Gras-adjacent in terms of costuming and pageantry.

When the Super Bowl was at Caesars

Superdome in February, NOLA got a lot of attention, especially for its dining scene. French eaterie Lilette (liletterestaurant.com) is where Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift had a date night, so my partner and I follow suit, enjoying the white-tablecloth hot spot’s succulent steaks and inviting atmosphere.

The next night, the old-school scene at Brennan’s (brennansneworleans.com) in the Quarter is even more my speed.

The pink-and-green-schemed restaurant is where the iconic Bananas Foster dessert was invented, and the tableside demo/history lesson is fiery fun. My favorite dining discovery, the Vampire Apothecary (vampireapothecary.com), makes for a fanciful lunch, delicious sandwiches and soothing tea drinks amid seductive decor like dried flowers and witchy natural furnishings.

New Orleans allows drinking in public, and you’ll see a lot of it on Bourbon Street via plastic drinking vessels, often from Pat O’Brien’s (patobriens. com), which created the notorious Hurricane. (Cannabis, though, is still illegal.) But beyond touristy takeout sippers, a bar tour is a must, whether

CAFÉ DU MONDE’S B E I G N E TS

you’re looking for dive vibes or awardwinning mixology.

Jewel of the South (jewelnola.com), James Beard Award winner for best bar program, is aptly named, while Latitude 29 (latitude29nola.com) makes the tastiest tiki drinks in town, as created by the king of tropical cocktails, Beachbum Berry. For down-and-dirty atmosphere, locals love The Dungeon (thedungeonneworleans.com), a dark hovel with a heavy metal soundtrack; Holy Diver (holydivernola.com) with live music and campy themes nightly; and The Saint (facebook.com/p/The-Saint-Bar-Lounge), a gritty and gregarious hangout with a free jukebox that rocks, which is where I end my week.

It all goes by far too fast, and I still need to check out Commander’s Palace (led at various times by chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse); Antoine’s, the oldest restaurant in the city; and Algiers Central Market, home of the muffaletta. I also never get to try the city’s famous Drive-Thru Daiquiris. I’ll be back, though. Like so many others, I’m under NOLA’s spell now and only a return visit will break it.

L A M AG . C O M 5 7

M AU N A L A N I ’ S O P E N -A I R B A R

T H E A D U LT P O O L AT M AU N A L A N I

A S U N R I S E C A N O E R I D E AT M AU N A L A N I AU B E R G E R E S O R TS CO L L E C T I O N

HAWAII > MAUNA LANI ON HAWAII’S BIG ISLAND IS BOTH

A LUXURY RESORT AND SPIRITUAL RESET

T O H E A R A NAT I V E H AWA I I A N talk about their home, their voice tinged with an unfettered gratitude for the Aloha State, it’s easy to understand why the very word Hawai’i in the original tongue refers to, well, a spiritual force.

“Ha means breath,” one lifelong Hawaiian, Ben, a svelte shirtless guide in his 20s, tells me and a half dozen other guests from the Mauni Lani Auberge Resorts Collection. Ben is taking us on a predawn journey to “wake up the sun” with prayer aboard what locals call a wa’a kaulua, a double-hulled canoe in which we are all trying to paddle in sync.

“Wai,” he continues, “is water.”

And that last i? “God. Divinity,” he says, adding, “Hawai’i is the breath of life.”

It certainly feels like that as our canoe keels through the turquoise waters along the stunning Kohala coastline that frames the Mauna Lani’s picturesque 3,200-acre property on the Big Island.

Auberge bought the property in 2018, then sunk $200 million into a renovation to deliver the luxury for which the brand is famous in advance of a grand opening two years later.

As the sun slowly begins to rise over our canoe, bathing a majestic vista of volcanoes in the distance 5 8 L A M AG . C O M

with a sherbert-hued glow, Ben blows a horn to wake up the sun and sings a Hawaiian mantra of gratitude.

Trust me, there is nothing corny or forced about this experience. It feels like a vacationer could authentically integrate the spirituality Big Island lifers seem to glow with, and it’s something the Mauna Lani has perfectly merged into the energy of its resort. From the birds chirping in its open-air lobby, to its championship golf course framed by crashing waves, to the commanding oceanfront views from its infinity pools, Mauni Lani deftly embraces the Big Island’s unspoiled beauty by inviting nature into every nook of its contemporary midcentury design inside, as well as its pristine coastline outside.

This is a place where just taking a mask and snorkel into the water from a beach chair leads to an inevitable encounter with a sea turtle moving in the bright glow of tropical fish — and maybe even a passing seahorse dancing near the coral beds. It’s hypnotic and moving, and if the whole sense of adventure makes you hungry, the Mauna Lani has that covered with three fantastic restaurants and a stellar staff making sure guests don’t want for a thing. aubergeresorts.com/maunalani

Southern California has Coachella, Sydney in Australia’s New South Wales has VIVID SYDNEY, the largest multiartform festival in the Southern Hemisphere, which runs from May 23 to June 14. It’s a citywide celebration of light, music, food and ideas. The New South Wales Tourism Board has curated a slew of must-see events for the summer, which is Sydney’s winter. But don’t despair. The city’s weather mimics Southern California’s springlike temps without the June gloom or the rain. visitnsw.com; vividsydney.com — M.M.

R E S O R T: N I CO L E F R A N Z E N , PA D D L E B OA R D E R : N AT H A N R AW L I N S /CO U R T E SY T H E M AU N I L A N I AU B E R G E R E S O R TS CO L L E C T I O N ; SY D N E Y: CO U R T E SY V I V I D SY D N E Y

BY MICHELE MCPHEE

PASA ROBLES: 1437 characters 224 Words

CAREYES

MEXICO

> REMOTE RESORT MAGIC AWAITS IN CAREYES B Y M A L I N A S AVA L

I N C A R E Y E S , I S P E N D A N entire

A E R I A L : K A R L A C I F U E N T E S ; I N T E R I O R : K A R L A C I F U E N T E S & S O E R E N PA L L I S G A A R D

R E S O R T: N I CO L E F R A N Z E N , PA D D L E B OA R D E R : N AT H A N R AW L I N S /CO U R T E SY T H E M AU N I L A N I AU B E R G E R E S O R TS CO L L E C T I O N ; SY D N E Y: CO U R T E SY V I V I D SY D N E Y

the GETAWAY GUIDE

afternoon staring out at the ocean, watching pelicans dip and dive into the cool, blue Pacific. The birds are riveting in their precision — gliding above the waves, cutting a sharp right angle as they plunge beak-first into the water, scooping up fish in their sun-yellow gular pouches. I am hypnotized by these magnificent creatures, mesmerized by their wide, white-and-black wingspan against the backdrop of a cloudless, azure sky.

I have been to Careyes many times, this remote slip of dry jungle along the coastal edge of Jalisco, Mexico.

Discovered in 1968 by Italian banking scion Gian Franco Brignone, who passed away in 2022, Careyes is paradise found; a beachy, Bohemian collective of candycolored casitas and sprawling oceanfront castles perched across a 25,000-acre estate. There are no hotels in Careyes — you can rent a condo, casita or villa — and to get there, you’ve got to fly into Manzanillo (an hour-and-15-minute

drive) or Puerto Vallarta (a three-hour trek). Once you arrive, with its sun-dappled waters and ragged expanse of lush, tropical gardens, you will wonder why you ever vacationed anywhere else.

This time I have brought my 16-yearold daughter to Careyes. We are staying in a beachfront suite at El Careyes Club & Residences, a study in simplicity and luxury combined: whitewashed bedrooms, a sea shell’s throw from the property’s five infinity pools overlooking the ocean. Our mission: to do as little as humanly possible. To do nothing, as if it were a sport. But this is no easy task. I am a workhorse, wired for professional productivity. My kid is likewise buckling under the strain and stress of school.

The bleak aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, where we live, has left us both utterly exhausted.

For six days, my daughter and I rotate between the beach, pools and La Duna Restaurant & Bar, El Careyes’ on-site eatery serving everything from

freshly-made guacamole and tortilla chips to red snapper tacos garnished with homemade salsa. I channel my inner amphibian: I lay on the sand, tilting my head toward the sun. Then I dive (granted, not as elegantly as the pelicans) into the crisp, teal blue ocean.

I follow this up by swimming laps. I read an entire book, a pleasure rarely afforded since my days as an English major in college. Rosenfeld by Maya Kessler, you are the ultimate vacation read.

There are only a handful of restaurants in Careyes, but they are some of my favorites, both for their delicious culinary fare and their spectacular scenic views. Playa Rosa Restaurant, steps from the sand and surf and decorated with pops of hot pink, features the most perfectly seasoned Caesar salad and tuna tartare. For authentic Italian-style pizza — baked in a specialized oven flown over from Napoli — no place does it better than Lilo Beach Club, Careyes’ newest eatery. Set on Careyitos beach, Lilo blends high-end Mexican and Mediterranean gastronomy with a casual hippy vibe. Shio Sushi, with its motto “from sea to table,” will ruin you for any other sushi spot. The seaside sushi bar perched on the El Careyes property serves a delectable 15-course omakase, with a Sunomono salad and Robalo sashimi. The Akami, Kamatoro and Otoro nigiri are as soft as fresh-whipped butter. My daughter, a budding sushi aficionado in her own right, gives Shio this starred review: “It’s as if the fish swam straight from the ocean and jumped onto my plate.” We may never go to Nobu again. careyes.com L A M AG . C O M 5 9

J. K . P L AC E C A P R I

CAPRI > ONE NIGHT ON THE GLITZY

ITALIAN ISLAND

BY JASMIN ROSEMBERG

WHILE ANYWHERE on the Amalfi Coast is a summertime hot spot, the least touristy of the areas I visit is Capri — particularly come evening, after day-trippers return to neighboring towns.

A picturesque island in the Bay of Naples, Capri is accessible by sea, and my friend and I take a 30-minute ferry there from Positano. The stunning destination boasts cerulean water, clear skies, mountain views and a thousand-year-old history: During the 19th century, artists, writers and creatives discovered the hideaway, and it became a popular summer escape for notables like Marchesa Casati, Emilio Pucci, Sophia Loren and Jackie O. Our hotel, J.K. Place Capri (jkplaces.com/it), is one of the few right on the ocean. Housed in a historic 1885 building, J.K. Place Capri opened in 2007 in the largely untouched Marina Grande area. It has sister hotels in Paris, Rome and soon, Milan, and the season in Capri runs from mid-April to mid-October.

Lemon trees surround the stately white structure, which inside flaunts nautical décor — imagined by designer Michele Bonan and reminiscent of the Hamptons. The boutique property has 22 rooms, as well as a fitness center, spa and mammoth open-air heated swimming pool, all framed by coastal views.

We stroll through town, passing an array of luxury shops, en route to lunch at famed beach club La Fontelina. At night, we take photos from the scenic terrace of the hotel’s Lounge Bar. Then, we indulge in pizza and pasta at Aurora, one of the island’s oldest restaurants — and finish the night with gelato.

In the morning, we enjoy a huge buffet breakfast and some pool time before catching an hourlong ferry to Naples. I hope to have more than 24 hours on this luxurious island in the future.

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T H E S H A N G R I - L A PA R I S

PARIS

> SHANGRI-LA OFFERS FAIRY-TALE EXPERIENCES

IN THE SHADOW OF THE EIFFEL TOWER

BY MICHELE MCPHEE

A S A G I R L W H O R E A D Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale

The Princess and the Pea over and over, I have long dreamed of sleeping in a royal palace. So, when the Shangri-La Group invited me to visit such a palace — a chance to bed down in pure opulence like a pampered princess in a room that promises to overlook the Eiffel Tower and the Seine — I packed my tiara.

The five-star Shangri-La Paris was once the private residence of Napoleon Bonaparte’s grandnephew Prince Roland Bonaparte, botanist and member of the fin de siècle Parisian literati crowd. The hotel now has 100 perfectly appointed rooms and suites that Shangri-La likes to describe as an embodiment of “the quintessence of Asian hospitality and French art de vivre,” which could not be anything other than positively dreamy.

The Shangri-La Paris is situated in what is known as the city’s 16th arrondissement, centrally located to luxury fashion houses, café life and museums, including the Musée d’Art Moderne.

Even better, the hotel is offering fairy-tale-worthy experiences: How about a drive in a Citroën 2CV to visit the Montmartre Museum for a wine and cheese tasting followed by a personal portrait painted by a local artist to take home? Or a butlercurated Pique Nique Chic, the fancy French way to picnic, in the Champ de Mars under the world-famous La Dame de Fer, or Iron Lady, as the Eiffel Tower is sometimes known. Learn

CO U R T E SY J. K . P L AC E C A P R I ; CO U R T E SY T H E S H A N G R I - L A PA R I S

BAHAMAS: 1258 characters 207 words

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SHANGRI-LA THE SHARD

LONDON

> THE SHANGRI-LA AT THE SHARD

DELIVERS HIGH TIMES OVER THE THAMES

CO U R T E SY S H A N G R I - L A T H E S H A R D

BY MICHELE MCPHEE

to make dim sum alongside master chefs in the kitchen of Shang Palace, the first Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Paris. For foodies looking for fine dining that is a little more French, the hotel is also home to La Bauhinia, which serves the classics (oh, escargot!).

For those looking for low-key relaxation, there is the Chi spa, centered around an indoor 56-foot infinity pool awash in natural light.

Here’s to hoping that maybe, just maybe, I can be like the woman who felt the prick of that hidden pea in Andersen’s story, which revealed the heart of a true princess — and meet a lonely prince with a visit to the hotel’s oh-so-stylish Le Bar Botaniste, which offers botanical-forward spirits as a nod to Prince Bonaparte’s passion for nature. Remember, legend credits his granduncle Napoleon with creating bubbly. But even if I don’t find my prince, I still plan on hoisting a glass and uttering the phrase Napoleon made famous: “In victory, you deserve Champagne; in defeat, you need it.”

T H E S H A R D I N L O N D O N, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano to represent, as its name suggests, a shard of glass, is more than an iconic landmark. As the tallest building in the United Kingdom — standing 1,016-feet tall — the eco-conscious high-rise shines brightly over the Thames and some of the city’s most recognized landmarks, such as St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. This beautiful behemoth is also home to Shangri-La The Shard, a five-star hotel that starts on the 34th floor and climbs up 18 stories to house its 202 rooms and suites, all with breathtaking vistas that can be taken in without leaving the luxury linens of the bed. In fact, there is little reason to leave the hotel at all if one is looking for unmatched luxe service and worldly, award-winning cuisine.

The hotel’s TING restaurant includes a renowned afternoon tea, and for those who don’t suffer from vertigo, a visit to GONG — on the building’s 52nd level, the highest hotel bar in Western Europe — is a must. The Sky Lounge offers views and signature Veuve Clicquot cocktails,

and Bar 31, on the ground floor, sits amid the London Bridge area and surrounding neighborhood.

There is also plenty of adventure to be had nearby. Shangri-La London, like its sister property in Paris, has curated unique experiences that will immerse a visitor in the culture of the city without having to compete with the touristchoked crowds.

This summer, the Shangri-La London is offering an Eat, Play, Love package inspired by the bestselling book of the same name by Elizabeth Gilbert, which became a hit movie starring Julia Roberts. You can Eat your way through the iconic Borough Market alongside Shangri-La’s award-winning chefs to help handpick the finest seasonal ingredients before returning to the hotel where the chef will prepare a personalized meal based on your choices. Considering the hotel’s views and some of that Veuve Clicquot, Love is a no-brainer. And Play comes easy — by simply wandering outside to find the many historical hidden gems. shangri-la.com/london L A M AG . C O M 6 1

L AX ’ S D E LTA O N E LO U N G E

F O U R S E A S O N S H OT E L LO S A N G E L E S AT B E V E R LY H I L L S

VIP TRAVEL

> ROB DELLIBOVI, A LUXURY ADVISOR TO CELEBRITIES, DISCUSSES TRENDS AND TOP TIPS

BY L E I L A B R A DY

know how the A-list travels. He’s the one orchestrating the show.

DelliBovi started as a head of sales and marketing at hotels in New York City and noticed a recurring issue: High-profile guests — celebrities, athletes, politicians — would arrive unannounced, and unprepared hotels would scramble to meet their needs.

So DelliBovi took matters into his own hands and started a travel company.

RDB Hospitality (rdbvip.com) has been booking itineraries for celebs since 2009. It doesn’t just cater to highend clientele; it also helps hotels, restaurants and airlines figure out how to serve them better.

“I’m not aware of any company other than ours that is on both sides of the business,” says DelliBovi, who’s now based in Miami and serves famous jet-setters worldwide.

RDB’s focus is on making the travel experience seamless. When a client’s plane lands, a car is already waiting to whisk them to a private hotel entrance and directly to their room. The company even handles special dietary requests, like peanut butter with no peanuts.

RDB’s latest offering, the Hotel Greeter Program, is modeled after the 6 2 L A M AG . C O M

VIP airport experience. Guests skip check-in entirely. Rooms are prepared in advance, preferences are already noted and a personal greeter hands over the keys curbside. “People pay for convenience,” DelliBovi explains.

For those who aren’t looking to travel on an A-list budget, Dellibovi stresses that the personalization celebrities opt for is available for average travelers.

“Even three- or four-star hotels will do their best to customize a room,” he says.

Heading into summer travel season, DelliBovi thinks 2025 will be record-setting, concerning both volume and price. “Hotels that used to be $999 a night are now $2,500 a night. Hotels that were $150 are now $300,” he says.

His best advice? Don’t go to Rome.

“Sure, you’ll have good food. But it’s going to take you forever to get restaurant reservations,” he says.

DelliBovi recommends travelers with other options avoid big cities and opt for smaller, less-expensive markets.

Think Nashville over Miami, Paros over Mykonos.

Says DelliBovi: “There are a lot of amazing things in places that you might not think you’d want to go.”

DELTA ONE LOUNGE

BY JASMIN ROSEMBERG

> Delta’s premium-class flyers can now have an even more exclusive travel experience thanks to the new Delta One lounge that opened at LAX in October.

First, a separate Delta One check-in area with its own private security service enables passengers to completely bypass the main airport. From there, they can proceed via an elevator to the 10,000-square-foot Delta One Lounge, which offers seating for 200 guests.

Delta One flyers will feel like they’re in a trendy restaurant upon entering the stunning space, which contains a bar, library lounge, dining room and terrace, and nods to L.A. with its coastal decor.

Everything here is complimentary.

Take a seat and order from a server off a curated menu — which features items like salads, ceviche, fish tacos, salmon and steak frites. Or, try sushi bar favorites such as yellowfin tuna. Pair dishes with destination-inspired cocktails or premium spirits, and finish with a trip to the multitiered dessert station.

Finally, visit the wellness area to unwind with massage chairs and Hyperice products. Guests can also nap in a pod or freshen up in a shower suite.

CO U R T E SY FO U R S E A S O N S H OT E L LO S A N G E L E S AT B E V E R LY H I L L S ; P O R T R A I T: CO U R T E SY R D B H O S P I TA L I T Y; D E LTA O N E LO U N G E : JA S O N D E W E Y

R O B D E L L I B O V I D O E S N ’ T just

A L L I S O N KU N AT H

ART AT LAX

> MEET CALIFORNIA-BASED MURALIST ALLISON KUNATH, THE WOMAN BEHIND THE VIBRANT NEW INSTALLATION AT TERMINAL 4

BY OLIVIA KNOWLING

I F Y O U ’ V E walked through

B O L ST E R M C K I N L E Y

CO U R T E SY FO U R S E A S O N S H OT E L LO S A N G E L E S AT B E V E R LY H I L L S ; P O R T R A I T: CO U R T E SY R D B H O S P I TA L I T Y; D E LTA O N E LO U N G E : JA S O N D E W E Y

the GETAWAY GUIDE

LAX Terminal 4 recently, your consciousness is ready for takeoff — thanks to local artist Allison Kunath’s mural Everyday Transcendence. “ This piece is about those brief, often overlooked moments when something ordinary suddenly feels sacred,” Kunath says.

Featuring vibrant colors and intricate designs, the vast mural is 226-feet wide and 16-feet tall — and required plenty of prep work.

“A mural of this scale takes months of planning before a brush ever hits the wall,” Kunath says. “I spent over 250 hours in preproduction, mapping out more than 60 colors, planning the installation sequencing, coordinating lift access and safety protocols, integrating tech tools for design transfer and syncing with the airport’s construction schedule.”

Kunath’s work, unveiled in November, covers three walls and serves as a friendly and bright

welcome — or send-off — to LAX passengers. Her goal with the piece was to both juxtapose and counterpoint the hustle and bustle of the second largest airport in the country.

“Airports are charged spaces, full of movement and emotion, which makes them the perfect place to invite a pause,” Kunath says. “I wanted to create a kind of visual breath — something that cuts through the noise and helps travelers reconnect to joy, stillness and, hopefully, a deeper sense of being.”

The mural features patterns mimicking the sun in an array of colors. A horizon line can be seen in the mural, with warmer and lighter colors above the line, and cooler and darker colors below. This gives the piece a day/ night effect.

Kunath led a team of painters to complete the expansive mural, a project that LAX arts manager Tim McGowan oversaw.

Everyday Transcendence is just the latest addition to Kunath’s celebrated career. Her artwork is internationally recognized, with pieces that express a range of topics including mental health, interpersonal relationships and nature and feature a knack for combining bold colors and patterns with deeper meaning.

Kunath appreciates the work of those who helped her create the LAX mural. “It was a huge technical lift — and honestly, one of the most satisfying installations I’ve had the chance to lead,” she says. “The LAX Art Program was incredibly supportive throughout every step of the process, and their partnership made this project feel like a true collaboration.”

KU N AT H ’ S M U R A L , E V E RY DAY T R A N SC E N DA N C E

L A M AG . C O M 6 3

Where did people arrive in L.A. before LAX was built?

FIELD OF DREAMS

In 1929, the Graf Zeppelin airship landed in Los Angeles at Mines Field, which later became LAX.

A:

W H E N T H E L O S A N G E L E S Chamber of Commerce published a map to the L.A. airport shortly before it opened in 1928, there were more than 50 locations to choose from.

The Jurassic versions of LGB and VNY were shown, and thrill seekers could board a flying machine in the barley and lima bean fields where LAX is today.

Terminal One was built a year later and is still in use by maintenance crews.

That spot, called Mines Field, is also where 61 passengers arrived to great fanfare in 1929 aboard the giant dirigible Graf Zeppelin, which had traveled from Tokyo on a ’roundthe-world expedition.

A few years later, 9 6 L A M AG . C O M

blimp tourism exploded with the Hindenburg.

Passenger ships from around the world disembarked at General Steamship in San Pedro and, later, Matson in Wilmington, but those slips are gone and those old berths are unrecognizable after decades of freight embiggening.

Relics from the 1950s Matson terminal — which was once compared to a Palm Springs resort — remain, including statuary, urns and “angel” light posts.

Route 66 brought interstate traffic to Los Angeles in 1926, but a century ago, rail was probably the most common way to arrive in L.A.

Before Union Station opened in 1939, you could greet visitors at Southern Pacific’s Central Station at 5th & Central or Santa Fe’s La Grande Station at 2nd & Santa Fe. An iconic palm tree salvaged from an earlier SP location, Arcade Depot, was relocated and still sways above the Coliseum. You can also still visit La Grande as a teensy miniature at the Velaslavasay Panorama museum.

All aboard!

CHRIS’ PICK

Mama’s Home

TV STAR VICKI LAWRENCE TAKES THE STAGE ● YO U R grandmother’s favorite grandmother is coming to town just in time for Mother’s Day. Inglewood native Vicki Lawrence first played her iconic TV character “Mama” when she was just 24 years old during a sketch on The Carol Burnett Show.

The daffy, acerbic matriarch became a standout character in the ensemble that begat six seasons of the iconic 1980s sitcom Mama’s Family. The Emmywinning actress once again dons the Bob Mackie-designed gray wig and support hose for Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two Woman Show at the Haugh Performing Arts Center in Glendora on May 4. “I learned early on that ‘old lady’ characters are a mainstay of mine,” Lawrence wrote in her autobiography.

“Once I was dressed like Mama I started walking like Mama and before long became the head of this horrible, dysfunctional Southern white-trash family.”

— CHRIS NICHOLS

G R A F Z E P P E L I N : CO U R T E SY O F T H E C A L I FO R N I A H I STO RY R O O M , C A L I FO R N I A STAT E L I B R A RY, SAC R A M E N TO, C A L I FO R N I A ; M A M A : CC ST R E E T ST U D I O

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MID-CENTURY MARVELS HOW NATHAN LANE, MATT BOMER AND NATHAN LEE GRAHAM ARE FURTHERING GAY REPRESENTATION THROUGH THEIR HULU SITCOM

50 Plus

L G BTQ+ A NG E L E NO S

UPLIFTING THE COMMUNITY IN ESSENTIAL WAYS AND

TAKING STOCK OF MALIBU AFTER THE WILDFIRES JUNE 2025 L A M AG .CO M

P R I D E

I S S U E

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

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P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

MIDTURY CENTURY MAGIC STARS MATT BOMER, NATHAN LEE GRAHAM AND NATHAN LANE DISCUSS HOW THEIR GROUNDBREAKING HULU SITCOM — TOUTED AS A ‘GAY’ GOLDEN GIRLS SET IN PALM SPRINGS — FURTHERS REPRESENTATION IN BOTH BIG AND SMALL WAYS

BY James Aguiar PHOTOGRAPHED BY Irvin Rivera

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

W

H E N M I D - C E N T U RY M O D E R N —

starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham, and developed and created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan of Will & Grace fame — premiered March 28 on Hulu, the gay pedigree had already been signed, sealed and delivered.

The sitcom, which includes Ryan Murphy among its executive producers, was touted as the heir apparent to the (still) wildly popular NBC show The Golden Girls (1985-92). Yet that sobriquet felt unfair — partly because the two generations of programming are most dissimilar. Forty years ago, when The Golden Girls premiered, Blanche, Dorothy and Rose — three heterosexual women — were dealing with gay storylines in a very different way. They responded with utter shock upon finding out a longtime friend was a lesbian, or a brother was gay, or to the very difficult and very real AIDS crisis that was affecting its core audience in real time. But the show was seen then as groundbreaking television and the representation mattered. Almost a half-century later, it still does.

So, specifically, what do the two sitcoms have in common? Not a lot, actually, unless you consider an inhumanely hot location as the setting.

Miami was the home of The Golden Girls, while Palm Springs is the backdrop for Mid-Century Modern — complete with a seemingly endless supply of fabulous robes worn by both Lane’s character Bunny and the always fab Arthur, played by Graham.

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People always want to talk about the ‘problem’ [of ] what it’s like to be a gay actor, but I’m so much more interested in the solution.

— M AT T B O M E R

Lane feels viewers can relate to the same fear of aging with which his character grapples. “I’m just like you: I don’t like getting old,” he says. “How do I deal with it? Am I still viable in the marketplace?

Can I still get a date? You see why [Bunny] wants to live with these two men who have been his closest friends all these years. It’s interesting how they’ve all come together. I sort of force the issue impulsively and say, ‘Move in with me, and I’ll pay for everything.’ Which is kind of crazy, but they do it. We’re not making some grand statement — but I think subtly we are. Even people who might not agree with us politically, [I hope] that they enjoy who these characters are and laugh. And that is a statement in itself.”

For Graham, ubiquity is key to furthering gay representation. “Some of us do parades, some of us write op-eds, some of us do podcasts,” he says. “My thing is, if someone sees me doing something positive, then that’s my activism, to always show up, to be that glamorous cockroach that never dies. [I love that I] always, always, always hear, ‘There’s that bitch again! There she is again.’ You can’t get rid of me.”

Graham gets pride in helping others in similar situations navigate life. “If you feel seen in any way, or if you feel good after watching our show, the mission is accomplished. If you’re going through it that day [and] you put on an episode of our show, and you get through the next three hours because of it, well then, we’ve done our job. That is why it’s so important to have a show like this on right now.”

Bomer, who was coming off the melodramatic, decades-spanning Showtime miniseries Fellow Travelers, which follows closeted political staffers from the McCarthy era through the AIDS crisis, sees Mid-Century Modern as a welcome shift in tone.

“I’m just so grateful that we were able to put this show out and to try and bring some joy to the world and bring some visibility as well,” Bomer says. “These are real people in real conversations in a fun way.”

He says he feels the show’s occasionally zany sugar coating is a plus. “Sometimes, for me as an audience member, if I can laugh when I’m hearing any type of messaging or identifying with another person, it sinks a little bit deeper than if it’s too earnest or on the nose,” he says. “So that’s one of the things that really appealed to me about being a part of something like this.”

Bomer explains he’s tired of hearing questions about the obstacles LGBTQ entertainers face.

“People always want to talk about the ‘problem’ [of ] what it’s like to be a gay actor, but I’m so much more interested in the solution,” he says. “And I think it’s [in giving] our voices to something like this — that ‘MODERN’ TIMES From top: Matt Bomer’s Jerry, in shorts and a tank top, saves the wardrobe budget for characters played by Nathan Lane and Nathan Lee Graham; Linda Lavin as Bunny’s mother talks with Graham’s Arthur.

Lavin died before the season ended.

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P O R T R A I TS PAG E S 5 2 & 5 5 : P H OTO A S S I STA N T: AV E RY C E F R E @ D I N O S C H M O O D I O ; N AT H A N L E E G R A H A M : G R O O M E R : ST E V E S C H E P I S ( @ ST E V E _ S C H E P I S ) ; ST Y L I N G : C L I N T S P I R E S ; N AT H A N L A N E : G R O O M E R : A N G E L L A VA L E N T I N E ( @ A N GVA L E N T I N E ) ; ST Y L I N G T E A M : SA M S P E C TO R @ SA M S P E C TO R ST Y L I N G ; A S S I STA N TS : K AT I E VAU G H A N @ KVAU G H A N 1 & E ST H E R PA K @ PA K E ST H E R ; M AT T B O M E R ; G R O O M E R : J E S S I B U T T E R F I E L D @ J E S S I B U T T E R F I E L D ; ST I L L S : D I S N E Y/C H R I S H A STO N

When the cost of those robes is brought up at my recent sit-down with the three actors, Bomer — who plays Jerry, often seen in short-shorts and tank tops — quips, “What they save on Jerry’s wardrobe, they put into the robe budget.”

It’s clear the three actors have developed an easy chemistry off-camera as well as on, with Lane — who has a wealth of experience playing famously gay characters on both stage and screen —effortlessly taking the role of den mother, much like Bunny on the show. When asked what drew him to the project, he cites the cast as well as the subject matter.

“I get to work with these people,” he says. “It’s just about trying to do good work, and with a story and characters that I don’t think you’ve seen that much of: gay men who are getting older; men in their 40s, 50s and 60s trying to navigate life. I think that’s what makes it new and refreshing. And if we’re entertaining folks and making them laugh, it’s the best way to get your message across.”

FA S H I O N : 1 ST S LO O K , N AT H A N L A N E : T E A L S U I T, W H I T E S H I R T: S U I TS H O P ; T I E : S E AWA R D A N D ST E A R N O F LO N D O N , P O C K E T S Q UA R E : T I E B A R , S H O E S : G R E ATS ; 2 N D LO O K : V I N C E JAC K E T, V I N C E PA N TS , B R O O K S B R OT H E R S S H I R T, M A R C F I S H E R S H O E S

P O R T R A I TS PAG E S 5 2 & 5 5 : P H OTO A S S I STA N T: AV E RY C E F R E @ D I N O S C H M O O D I O ; N AT H A N L E E G R A H A M : G R O O M E R : ST E V E S C H E P I S ( @ ST E V E _ S C H E P I S ) ; ST Y L I N G : C L I N T S P I R E S ; N AT H A N L A N E : G R O O M E R : A N G E L L A VA L E N T I N E ( @ A N GVA L E N T I N E ) ; ST Y L I N G T E A M : SA M S P E C TO R @ SA M S P E C TO R ST Y L I N G ; A S S I STA N TS : K AT I E VAU G H A N @ KVAU G H A N 1 & E ST H E R PA K @ PA K E ST H E R ; M AT T B O M E R ; G R O O M E R : J E S S I B U T T E R F I E L D @ J E S S I B U T T E R F I E L D ; ST I L L S : D I S N E Y/C H R I S H A STO N

people can identify [with] or feel seen or get a release of some kind from watching it. That’s meaningful to me and makes it worthwhile.”

When the conversation turns to the tragic loss of beloved actress Linda Lavin during production, the guys disclose that the cast and crew were tasked with the unimaginable feat of producing an episode that dealt head-on with an unexpected death. Lavin portrayed Lane’s character’s mother, Sybil, and Lane has to play the scene from a raw place that’s both personal and immediate. The episode mixes the very real, sad emotions with the humor that’s often needed in diffcult times.

“You could hear a pin drop when we got to that section of the show,” Lane recalls. “It was emotional, but it felt very satisfying and gratifying, because I felt they had paid tribute not only to the character, but to Linda, the great actress.”

For Bomer, the depth of the loss struck backstage.

“I remember when it really hit me that Linda was gone,” he says. “We would always be together behind the curtain when they’d introduce us before the show.

And one of my favorite things about this whole experience is being with these actors: Linda Lavin, who’s a legend; Nathan [Lane]; and Nathan Lee — all theater icons. And we’re all still just as nervous to go on stage before the show starts, and that’s something that I’ll hold so near and dear to my heart. Then, not having Linda there that day really drove it home to me.”

In contemplating a possible Season 2, all three men grow animated when describing how they’d like to see their characters evolve.

I’m the real Golden Girl.

I’m the one who spent his whole life in [the] business and never had that major relationship.

— N AT H A N L A N E , ON HIS C H A R AC T E R , BUNNY

“I’d love to meet Jerry’s ex-wife, his mom [and] the congressman he slept with!” Bomer exclaims.

Graham has some guest stars in mind. “We got to get these black ladies lined up,” he says: “Jenifer Lewis, I think she’s the auntie. Maybe Phylicia Rashad is the mother.”

Lane feels more time is needed to fully uncover the show’s ties to past sitcom glory. “I’m the real Golden Girl,” he says of Bunny. “I’m the one who spent his whole life in [the] business and never had that major relationship. So that may not happen. I mean, it possibly could, but … we need to explore all of those things.”

Lane believes a second season of Mid-Century Modern would allow the series to continue to deepen its characters and their connection to the audience. “I think with the unfortunate passing of Linda, and how we treated that happening, [it’s] indicative of how the show can and will move forward — with serious subject matter that happens in real life,” he says. “And [it’ll explore] why this chosen family is now even more important.”

At the end of our time together, one thing is abundantly clear: These three actors have helped diffuse the stigma of the label “openly gay actor” for members of the generation that follows.

The show has also proven that the sitcom may actually be alive and well. The format still has new stories to tell, new families to visit, new life experiences to share … with a few “F-bombs” and “C-words” thrown in for good measure, all while “filmed in front of a live studio audience” — just like The Golden Girls.

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PROFILES IN LGBTQ+ PRIDE LOS ANGELES CELEBRATES 50 INSPIRING ANGELENOS WHO UPLIFT AND ADVANCE THE COMMUNITY IN ESSENTIAL WAYS

By LINA LECARO, JASMIN ROSEMBERG and MALINA SAVAL

WILLAM BELLI & ALASKA THUNDERFUCK 5000 DR AG Q UE E N S HE /HIM A N D SHE/HER FOR BOTH @ W IL LA M @ THE ONLYALASKA5000 NOTABLE PROJECTS: MOM (Moguls of Media) all drag podcast network; Drag: The Musical (Alaska); live performances in clubs across the globe

“Co-founding MOM Podcasts with Alaska and helping other drag queens pivot to digital things during COVID,” says Belli (on right). “I feel like I had my heyday and my dreams came true with A Star Is Born and a No. 1 Billboard album [Shartistry in Motion], so now I’m about helping facilitate other artists’ creative visions through producing, styling or pulling focus.”

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S H AU N VA D E L L A

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

LGBTQ+

LANCE BASS SIN G E R A N D R E STAURANT/ N IG HTC LUB OW NER

L A N C E B A S S : E L L A P E D DY; ST E P H A N I E B E AT R I Z : CO U R T E SY ST E P H A N I E B E AT R I Z ; E R I K B R AV E R M A N : CO U R T E SY E R I K B R AV E R M A N ; JA S M I N SAVOY B R OW N : BY S H A N E M CC AU L E Y; AU T U M N B R E O N : E L L A H OVS E P I A N

HE /HIM ; @ L A N CEBASS NOTABLE PROJECTS: Former ’N Sync band member, children’s book author, former owner of Rocco’s West Hollywood and co-owner of Beaches Tropicana WHO FROM L.A.’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY HAS INSPIRED YOU? “The Abbey was the

very first place I went to when I came out, and I’ll never forget how welcomed and accepted I felt. [David Cooley’s] hospitality and the space he created helped me feel more comfortable in my own skin. Watching how he’s built something so meaningful in West Hollywood inspired me to invest in WeHo myself.”

ERIK BRAVERMAN MARKETI NG EXEC AND BAR OWNER; HE/ H I M @ERI K_BRAVERMAN NOTABLE PROJECTS: SVP of Marketing, Community Relations & Broadcasting for

L.A. PRIDE

queer character on a network show who brought me a lot of joy. Helping craft her coming-out story on the show was such a gift Dan Goor, our showrunner, gave me.”

the L.A. Dodgers and owner/ CEO at Gym Bar WeHo WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? “At the Dodgers, I’ve

helped lead one of the mostattended Pride nights in professional sports. It’s been meaningful to create space in Major League Baseball, where LGBTQ fans and youth feel truly seen and celebrated. Meanwhile, taking over an iconic LGBTQ sports bar in West Hollywood [with my husband Jonathan Cottrell] has been a personal and community-driven passion.”

JASMIN SAVOY BROWN AC TOR AND S IN G E R S H E / T H E Y; @ JAS M IN SAVOY NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Series The Leftovers and Yellowjackets; and “Signals” single and music video WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? “The daily queer news

podcast I recently launched, Today in Gay — hosted

by Nay Bever and Vico Ortiz and produced by an allqueer team of nine.”

AUTUMN BRE ON ARTI ST; SHE / H E R @AUTUMNBRE ON NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Truth Be Told performance at MOCA’s American Gurl exhibition and Uncensored interactive performance in NYC with SaveArtSpace WHAT DOES PRIDE MEAN

STEPHANIE BEATRIZ AC TO R ; SHE /HE R @ STE P HA N IE B E ATRI Z NOTABLE PROJECTS: Films In the Heights and Encanto, and series Twisted Metal, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and A Man on the Inside WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“I’m very proud that I played Rosa Diaz on eight seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine — a surly but lovable bisexual

TO YOU? “Histories are

central to my work, and the history of Pride is no exception. Pride began as a rebellion. It was an act of defiance against police violence and systemic oppression. But more than anything, it was an expression of love: love for self, for community and for the right to exist fully and freely. That legacy feels especially urgent today.”

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LGBTQ+ NOTABLE PROJECTS:

MARTYN LAWRENCE BULLARD I NT E RI OR DE S I GNE R

WHO FROM L.A.’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY HAS INSPIRED YOU?

H E / H I M; MART Y NL AWRE NC E -

“So many people, from the always hilarious Alec Mapa to the fierce activism, talent and beauty of Laverne Cox [to] my current favorite rock star, Mal Blum [and] my beautiful ‘children’ Sabrina Wu, Joel Kim Booster, Dylan Adler and Sam Oh. My family is here. My community is here.”

B U L L ARD.COM

S H E / H E R ; @ S H R RYCO LA NOTABLE PROJECTS: Hulu’s Good Trouble and Poker Face Season 2; Starz’s Joy Ride; Netflix’s Shortcomings and Nobody Wants This Season 2; Bride Hard (premiering June 20 in theaters); Season 3 of Apple TV+’s Shrinking

MARCO CALVANI P L AYWRI GH T, F I L MMA K E R AND AC TOR; H E / H I M

celebrity homes and currently working on Sylvester Stallone’s villa, Pink’s ranch house, Cardi B’s mansion and Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber’s penthouse

@ MC ALVANI

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“A big favorite and recent project, which has ended up being republished all over the world as well as on the cover of Architectural Digest, was RuPaul’s house in Beverly Hills that I completed last year. It is a perfect representation of his personality, taste and sense of humor.”

“My first feature film High Tide, which I wrote, directed and produced.

I’ve been a gay man all my life and a storyteller for most of it, and yet I had never put queer characters at the center of my stories before. Bringing this film to life somehow ended up healing me from my own internalized homophobia.”

P OE T S H E / H E R; @ JE NCVOI C E NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Serving as Poet Laureate of West Hollywood and California Arts Council Fellow; poetry collection Braided Spaces WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“My personal mission as an artist is to engage people with poetry in different

WHAT DOES PRIDE MEAN TO YOU?

NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Netflix’s The Four Seasons — “my return to acting after 15 years”

S H E R RY CO L A : CO U R T E SY S H E R RY CO L A ; A N D R E W C H R I ST I A N : CO U R T E SY A N D R E W C H R I ST I A N ; W I L S O N C R U Z : PAU L R O B I N S O N ; J O H N DA H L ST R O M : CO U R T E SY J O H N DA H L ST R O M ; S COT T E VA N S : JA M E S H A R T L E Y

NOTABLE PROJECTS: Designs

JEN CHENG

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SHERRY COLA AC TO R A N D CO M E D IA N

M A R G A R E T C H O : N I C K S PA N O S ; M A R T Y N L AW R E N C E B U L L A R D : H O P E L E I G H : J E N C H A N G : K AY T E D E I O M A ; M A R CO C A LVA N I : G E R S O N LO P E S

Upcoming roles in Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 and Gregg Araki’s thriller I Want Your Sex opposite Olivia Wilde and Charli XCX; her new Live & Livid comedy tour

L.A. PRIDE

MARGARET CHO AC TOR A N D CO M E DIA N ; SHE/HER; @MARGARET_CHO

ways that surprise them.

Poetry Scrabble is an interactive sculpture I designed and featured at last year’s WeHo Pride Arts Festival. It brings strangers and friends together to discover something new.”

“Pride is such a beautiful word. It reminds us that we deserve to be seen, heard and respected. It symbolizes how far we’ve come as a community but also how much more we still need to fight for. Continuing to celebrate who we are is absolutely necessary, especially right now, because we’re not backing down!

We’re so much stronger when we’re together.”

ANDREW CHRISTIAN FAS H IO N D E S IG N E R ; H E / H IM A N D R E WC H R ISTIA N .CO M NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Underwear and capsule collections like the Hamptons, Ibiza Energy and F.A.G. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? “To be recognized as

the first openly gay men’s underwear designer who built a brand specifically celebrating queer bodies and sexuality. When I founded the brand, the fashion industry still treated LGBTQ+ visibility as a liability rather than an asset. I deliberately chose to break barriers by creating not just underwear but cultural statements.”

JOHN DAHLSTROM C E LEBR IT Y H AIR ST YL IST H E / HIM; @H AIR BYJ O H ND NOTABLE PROJECTS: Hair-

stylist to clients like Amy Adams, Leslie Bibb, Kaitlyn Dever and Greta Gerwig WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? “My evolution of self-

love. I used to not like myself — for years. Adolescence was rough and insecurities were high. [I came] to realize my unique artistic point of view and gentle nature were my biggest superpowers.”

WILSON CRUZ AC TO R ; H E / H IM ; @ WC R U Z 73 NOTABLE PROJECTS: TV

series My So-Called Life; Star Trek: Discovery; Noah’s Arc WHO FROM L.A.’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY HAS INSPIRED YOU? “Darrel Cummings,

who was chief of staff for the L.A. LGBT Center. His work alongside Lorri Jean, for years, shaped queer L.A. We met when I was doing My So-Called Life, and he has remained, at any given time, mentor, big brother, landlord, boss, friend, shoulder to lean on … with his husband, the great director Tim Dang.”

SCOTT EVANS E N TE RTA IN M E N T J O U R N A LIST; H E / H IM; @IAMS COT T EVANS NOTABLE PROJECTS: House Guest, his Webby awardwinning YouTube show, which celebrates its one-year anniversary this Juneteenth WHAT DOES PRIDE MEAN TO YOU? “It means courage to me:

the courage to show yourself, to speak up for yourself, to be yourself. These days, it still takes courage. The celebration of Pride usually means you don’t have to summon that alone — that there are people literally and figuratively on your side boosting you, supporting you, really seeing you.”

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LGBTQ+

L.A. PRIDE

SHERRY COLA AC TOR AND COME DI AN S H E / H E R; @ S H RRYCOL A NOTABLE PROJECTS: Hulu’s Good

Trouble and Poker Face Season 2; Starz’s Joy Ride; Netflix’s Shortcomings and Nobody Wants This Season 2; Bride Hard (premiering June 20 in theaters); Season 3 of Apple TV+’s Shrinking

S H E R RY CO L A : CO U R T E SY S H E R RY CO L A ; A N D R E W C H R I ST I A N : CO U R T E SY A N D R E W C H R I ST I A N ; W I L S O N C R U Z : PAU L R O B I N S O N ; J O H N DA H L ST R O M : CO U R T E SY J O H N DA H L ST R O M ; S COT T E VA N S : JA M E S H A R T L E Y

WHAT DOES PRIDE MEAN TO YOU?

“Pride is such a beautiful word. It reminds us that we deserve to be seen, heard and respected. It symbolizes how far we’ve come as a community but also how much more we still need to fight for. Continuing to celebrate who we are is absolutely necessary, especially right now, because we’re not backing down!

We’re so much stronger when we’re together.”

ANDREW CHRISTIAN FASHIO N D E SIGNER; HE/HI M A N DR E WC HR ISTI AN.COM NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Underwear and capsule collections like the Hamptons, Ibiza Energy and F.A.G. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? “To be recognized as

the first openly gay men’s underwear designer who built a brand specifically celebrating queer bodies and sexuality. When I founded the brand, the fashion industry still treated LGBTQ+ visibility as a liability rather than an asset. I deliberately chose to break barriers by creating not just underwear but cultural statements.”

JOHN DAHLSTROM C E L E B RI T Y H A IR STYLIST H E / H I M; @ H AI R BYJ O H N D NOTABLE PROJECTS: Hair-

stylist to clients like Amy Adams, Leslie Bibb, Kaitlyn Dever and Greta Gerwig WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? “My evolution of self-

love. I used to not like myself — for years. Adolescence was rough and insecurities were high. [I came] to realize my unique artistic point of view and gentle nature were my biggest superpowers.”

WILSON CRUZ ACTOR; HE/HI M; @ WC RU Z 73 NOTABLE PROJECTS: TV

series My So-Called Life; Star Trek: Discovery; Noah’s Arc WHO FROM L.A.’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY HAS INSPIRED YOU? “Darrel Cummings,

who was chief of staff for the L.A. LGBT Center. His work alongside Lorri Jean, for years, shaped queer L.A. We met when I was doing My So-Called Life, and he has remained, at any given time, mentor, big brother, landlord, boss, friend, shoulder to lean on … with his husband, the great director Tim Dang.”

SCOTT EVANS E NT E RTAI NME NT JOU RNAL I ST; H E / H I M; @ I AMS COT T E VA N S NOTABLE PROJECTS: House Guest, his Webby awardwinning YouTube show, which celebrates its one-year anniversary this Juneteenth WHAT DOES PRIDE MEAN TO YOU? “It means courage to me:

the courage to show yourself, to speak up for yourself, to be yourself. These days, it still takes courage. The celebration of Pride usually means you don’t have to summon that alone — that there are people literally and figuratively on your side boosting you, supporting you, really seeing you.”

L A M AG . C O M 5 9

SUSAN FENIGER C HE F A N D R E STAURATEUR; SHE/HER @ SUSA N F E N IGER

rant and Border Grill in Santa Monica, and Alice B. at the Living Out Palm Springs LGBTQ community center — an ode to Alice B. Toklas and her life partner, Gertrude Stein

LIZ FELDMAN WRI T E R, P RODU C E R AND DI RE C TOR; S H E / H E R @ T H E L I Z F E L DMA N

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

NOTABLE PROJECTS:

“Getting an award from the Smithsonian and Julia Child Foundation was surreal. Julia was an amazing teacher and mentor. But from my work in our community, being on the board of the L.A. LGBT Center has by far been one of the most rewarding parts of my life. Food is not only nourishment but a way to bring people together.”

Creator and executive producer of Netflix series Dead to Me and dark comedy No Good Deed, which premiered in December WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

TRINO GARCIA AND ADAM VASQUEZ VI DEO CREATORS ; H E / H I M FOR B OT H ; @ T RI NOXADAM

FORTUNE FEIMSTER

NOTABLE MOMENT: The L.A. couple’s kiss on a bridge

went viral after photographer Henry Jimenez Kerbox documented it.

CO ME DIA N A N D AC TO R ; SHE /HE R @ FO RTUN E F E IMSTER NOTABLE PROJECTS: TV

series Last Comic Standing; The Mindy Project; The L Word: Generation Q; three Netflix comedy specials including her latest, Crushing It

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“One big one would be going to San Diego state prison for the second time to speak to inmates and tell our story, as well as hearing theirs,” says Vasquez. “But for sure, our biggest accomplishment has definitely been being chosen to be L.A. Pride 2025 community grand marshals at this year’s parade.”

“I’m proud of the continued LGBTQ representation that I weave through all my work — from my old, very silly online talk show This Just Out, which celebrated the joys of all things lesbian and queer, to Judy’s fluidity on Dead to Me and Leslie and Sarah’s aspirations to make a family and find a home on No Good Deed. My goal is always to bring real, layered, fallible queer characters to the forefront.”

WHO FROM L.A.’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY HAS INSPIRED YOU? “I’m a huge fan of Lily

Tomlin for many reasons, but I love that she has been active in our community for decades alongside her partner, Jane Wagner. They’ve both been longtime supporters of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and are always outspoken in standing up for gay rights.”

JESSE TYLER FERGUSON AC TOR; H E / H I M @ JE SS E T Y L E R NOTABLE PROJECTS: Star

of ABC’s Modern Family and Broadway shows like Take Me Out; launched Tie the Knot bow ties benefiting marriage equality WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“I’m proud I was able to be a part of a television series 6 0 L A M AG . C O M

S U SA N F E N I G E R : CO U R T E SY S U SA N F E N I G E R ; FO R T U N E F E I M ST E R : K I M N E W M O N E Y; T R I N O G A R C I A A N D A DA M VA S Q U E Z : E D G A R D O N . CO R N E L I O ; L I Z F E L D M A N : J I L LY W E N D E L L ; J E S S E T Y L E R F E R G U S O N : CO U R T E SY J E S S E T Y L E R F E R G U S O N

NOTABLE PROJECTS: Chef/co-owner of Socalo restau-

LGBTQ+ C H R I STO S G A R K I N O S : R U T V I K K AT U R I ; A N DY G E L B : I RV I N R I V E R A ; M I C H A E L G R A S S I : J S Q UA R E D P H OTO G R A P H Y- N B C U N I V E R SA L ; L E I S H A H A I L E Y A N D K AT E M O E N N I G : K AT E R O M E R O

L.A. PRIDE

that changed a lot of hearts and minds about the LGBTQ community. Watching TV when I was growing up, I didn’t see characters that reflected me. I didn’t see relationships that felt aspirational to me. I’m also proud to live my life openly with my husband [Justin Mikita].”

ANDY GELB PUBLI C REL AT I ONS POWERHOUS E ; H E / H I M @ANDYGELB @APEXPUBLI C RE L AT I ONS NOTABLE PROJECTS: Founding

partner at Apex Public Relations; handles the city’s starriest events, from the GLAAD Media Awards to the Vanity Fair Oscar party WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

CHRISTOS GARKINOS FASHIO N E N TR EPRENEUR HE /HIM; @ COVETBYCHRI STOS NOTABLE PROJECTS: Luxury

“Starting our PR company with my partners — Robin Baum, Simon Halls and Stephen Huvane — for the past 15 years, and its most recent iteration as Apex PR. I am proud of the progress [the community has] made; I am proud of our resilience.

I am proud that we live in a city that has been on the forefront of the gay rights movement.”

resale business pioneer and CEO of Covet by Christos livestreaming network Brilliant Minds, inspired by famous neurologist Oliver Sacks and starring Zachary Quinto

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? “Coming out at work in

the late 1980s in a conservative environment took a lot of courage. I’m also proud to have released my memoir [Covet the Comeback], where I delve into all the ways being gay has fully formed my personal experiences, career and outlook.”

MICHAEL GRASSI WRI TER AND PRODU C E R HE/HI M; # BRI LL I ANT MI NDS NOTABLE PROJECTS: Creator

and writer of NBC’s

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“It’s been incredibly rewarding to write a medical show that focuses on mental health. Plus, to have a gay lead on a network medical

drama is the kind of representation I wish I had growing up. I cut my TV writing teeth on the teen soap Degrassi and I loved our LGBTQ representation on that show; it showed teens and their families: ‘You are not alone.’”

LEISHA HAILEY AND KATE MOENNIG AC TORS AND AU T H ORS ; S H E / H E R FOR B OT H @ L E I S H AH AI L E Y @ KAT E OMOE NNI G NOTABLE PROJECTS: Their new book, So Gay for You, is out June 3; the Pants With Kate and Leisha podcast; The L Word TV series WHO FROM L.A.’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY HAS INSPIRED YOU? C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

“The community as a whole is inspiring,” says Moennig.

“I’m a firm believer that the different generations have a wealth of knowledge to pass on to each other.” Adds Hailey: “My friend Colman Domingo. He’s someone who carries both his artistry and his identity with unapologetic grace.

What makes him a true LGBTQ+ leader in my eyes is how he navigates public life with intention.”

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

L A M AG . C O M 6 1

CHRIS HOLMSTROM NEWS ANCH OR; H E / H I M; @ C H RI S . _. H OL MST ROM NOTABLE PROJECTS: News anchor and reporter for

CBS Los Angeles and KCAL9

MARSHA MOLINARI

“I’m incredibly proud to be an out, queer anchor here in Los Angeles. That’s not an opportunity available everywhere in the country, and I take the responsibility of representation seriously. I’m also proud to have hosted KCAL’s first-ever Pride special — a meaningful moment that celebrated individuals and businesses making a positive impact in the queer community.”

a line of new/archival Bob Mackie Designs on Amazon

P RODU C E R AND N IG H T LIFE GU RU ; S H E / H E R @ MARS H AMOL I N A R I NOTABLE PROJECTS: Produc-

er of upcoming horror movie, The Chattering; partner at the h.wood Group (which includes L.A. venues The Nice Guy, Poppy, Keys, Delilah and Harriet’s); podcast host; and DJ with partner Breck Lombardi at Di Di in WeHo

WHAT WAS A MOMENT OF

TRACE LYSETTE

B OB MACKIE

AC TR E SS; SHE /HER

FASHI ON AND COST U ME

@ TR AC E LYSE TTE

DESI GNER; HE/HIM @BOBMACKI E

NOTABLE PROJECTS: Monica

made history at the 2022 Venice Film Festival when Lysette was the first trans actress to lead a competition film there; her next feature film, Dope Queens, will debut at Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival this month.

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“I’m most proud that I dared to dream bigger than women like me were allowed. I’m certainly proud of Monica. Every time someone tells me how moved they were by it, it makes me feel like I did some good in the world. Hustlers [a fact-based story about strippers who outsmart their Wall Street clients] was a big deal too.”

6 2 L A M AG . C O M

NOTABLE PROJECTS: Dress-

ing stars for the stage and screen (resulting in nine Emmy awards, a Tony award and three Oscar nominations); the 2024 doc Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion; and

SELF-DISCOVERY?

WHAT ARE YOU PROUD OF?

“[When I was growing up,] nobody was talking about how they felt or what was really in their brain — or why they thought they were different. I just thought I was different because I didn’t want to play baseball or football or any of that stuff. And I would put on a record and play the music, and it was as if that was a real show for me.”

“Living my truth as an authentic transgender woman every single day. Simply existing as myself is an accomplishment in itself. Being a partner at the h.wood Group holds deep significance for me, especially in the cismale-dominated nightlife and hospitality industry, because it affirms that I not only have a seat at the table but a voice that matters.”

LIV HEWSON ACTOR AND PL AYWRI GH T THEY/THEM; @ L I V. H E WS ON NOTABLE PROJECTS: TV shows

including Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet and Showtime’s Yellowjackets WHO FROM L.A.’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY HAS INSPIRED YOU?

“I really love the programming that Trans Dudes of LA are doing.

I’ve been able to attend a few of their events and I’m always inspired. Everything is really intentional and so well-organized, to say nothing of how much fun it is to be in those rooms. The community engagement is wonderful to see.”

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

C H R I S H O L M ST R O M : CO U R T E SY C H R I S H O L M ST R O M ; T R AC E LYS E T T E : CO U R T E SY: T R AC E LYS E T T E ; B O B M AC K I E : CO U R T E SY O F Q U I XOT I C E N D E AVO U R S ; L I V H E WS O N : RYA N P F LU G E R ; M A R S H A M O L I N A R I : CO U R T E S E Y O F M A R S H A M O L I N A R I

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

LGBTQ+

ROSS PALOMB O

ANTHONY ALLEN RAMOS

HE /HIM ; @ R OSS PALOMBO

COMMU NI C AT IO N S

L.A. PRIDE

N E WS A N C HO R

E XE C U T I V E ; H E / H IM NOTABLE PROJECTS: Emmy

@ ANT H ONY RA M OSA H

R O S S PA LO M B O : CO U R T E SY R O S S PA LO M B O ; D E WAY N E P E R K I N S : DA LV I N A DA M S ; N I E C Y N A S H - B E T TS A N D J E S S I C A B E T TS : Z E U S V I E WS ; A N T H O N Y A L L E N R A M O S : M AT T M O N AT H FO R G L A A D ; M A RVA L R E X : DAV I D Z AU G H

Award-winning anchor and investigative reporter at CBS Los Angeles’ KCAL News

NOTABLE WORK: VP of communications and talent at GLAAD

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD

“I’m proudest to be ‘out’ as a broadcast journalist.

In the beginning, it wasn’t easy. Many news organizations thought an openly gay man was too polarizing to cover the news. I focused on my work, and it eventually led to me anchoring the first national LGBTQ+ newscast in the country for CBS News.”

OF? “GLAAD, the world’s

largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, is constantly working behind the scenes to have LGBTQ people included in all forms of media. As we celebrate our 40th anniversary this year, I’m proud the Primetime Emmy Awards honored GLAAD with the Television Academy’s Governors Award.”

DEWAYNE PERKINS

MARVAL REX

AC TO R , W R ITE R, PRODUCER

NIECY NASH-BETTS AND JESSICA BETTS

AC TOR AND CO M E D IA N

ACTOR; SI NGE R- S ONGWRI T E R

NOTABLE PROJECTS: Big Dad Energy, “the world’s first” exclusively transmasculine stand-up comedy night in L.A. (soon to be a TV special); sex comedy Airplane 2025 (Amazon Prime); psychological horror film House of Abraham (releasing June 13).

A N D CO M E DIA N; HE/HI M @ DE WAYN E P E R KI NS NOTABLE PROJECTS: Writer

on Brooklyn Nine-Nine; writer-producer-actor on 2022 horror film The Blackening; recurring character on Apple TV+’s The Studio WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“The Blackening was an opportunity to not just showcase myself in many different facets but also add to the lexicon of what and who a queer lead in a film can be.”

SHE/HER FOR B OT H ; @ NI E CY NAS H 1 @ JE SS I C AB E T TS MU S I C NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Nash-Betts has appeared in TV series When They See Us; Mrs. America and Dahmer — Monster: The Jeff rey Dahmer Story; Betts is a rock and soul singer-songwriter and reality show star who makes music for film and TV WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“We are most proud of being the first same-sex couple to be on the cover of Essence magazine in over 50 years and marrying the greatest love we’ve ever known,” says NashBetts. As for who’s inspired them, Betts chimes in, “RuPaul is such an inspiration to us. He’s charted his own path and has always provided a platform for queer visibility.”

H E / H I M; @ MARVA LA R E X

WHO FROM L.A.’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY HAS INSPIRED YOU? “I have been fortunate to be mentored by L.A. queer art legends like performance artists Ron Athey, Sheree Rose and Cassils.”

L A M AG . C O M 6 3

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD

WeHo Pride); DTLA Proud

OF? “The opioid epidemic

ANDRÉS RIGAL E N TR E P R E N E UR HE /HIM; @ A N D R E SRI GAL NOTABLE PROJECTS: Green

Qween cannabis shops in DTLA, WeHo and Sherman Oaks; events and clubs including Simon Says, Summertramp (at Outloud/

“Creating spaces that feel like chrysalis moments for queer people, where transformation happens, self-definition is sacred and being seen isn’t a privilege, it’s a given. Every project I’ve led has centered on queer liberation, visibility, reclamation and joy — not just as themes, but as guiding principles. These aren’t just parties or storefronts; they’re cultural sanctuaries.”

ZEKE SMITH AND NICO SANTOS W R ITE R - DIR E CTOR AND COMEDI AN; ACTOR AND COME DIA N ; HE /HIM FOR BOTH @ ZE K E R C HIE F @NI COSANTOS NOTABLE FACTS: Smith is a two-time Survivor contestant; Santos starred in NBC series Superstore and 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians; the couple wed in Palm Springs in 2023.

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“I’m most proud of my contribution to transmasc [transmasculine] visibility through my time on Survivor and subsequent activism,” says Smith. Adds Santos: “When people tell us how just seeing us together — a trans man and a queer Asian immigrant being successful and living a normal, happy life — has given them hope that anything is possible, that’s pretty hard to beat.”

TRISTAN SCHUKRAFT H OT E L I E R, C LU B OWNE R AND E NT RE P RE NE U R H E / H I M; @ TS C H U K RAF T NOTABLE PROJECTS:

MISTR (providing online PrEP Medication to prevent HIV); partner in Green Qween; new owner of The Abbey and The Chapel as well as Tryst Hotels in Puerto Vallarta and Fire Island, the latter of which has transformed The Waterfront at The Pines WHO FROM L.A.’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY HAS INSPIRED YOU? “I have deep respect

for David Cooley and what he built with The Abbey.

Long before ‘gayborhoods’ were trending on TikTok, he created one of the most iconic queer spaces in the world. He represents a generation of entrepreneurs who fought to build a gay business community from the ground up — and I see it as my job to help protect and evolve that legacy for the next generation.”

KALIE SHORR S I NGE R- S ONGWRI T E R S H E / H E R; @ KAL I E S H ORR NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Performed at Outloud Festival mainstage May 31; new single, “My Type,” from her upcoming EP 6 4 L A M AG . C O M

hits the LGBTQ+ community disproportionately hard, and they’re much less likely to receive support for mental health and addiction treatment. After losing my sister and my best friend from high school to fentanyl overdoses, I started working with the charity End Overdose to distribute Narcan and test strips at my shows.”

BEN SIDELL PAST RY C H E F H E / H I M; @ B S I DE LL NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Executive pastry chef at Saltie Girl restaurant and founder of SweetBoy bakery WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“I’m super proud of my new line of cookie tins available on SweetBoy.com. For the month of June, we will be selling Rainbow Sugar cookie tins, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to Trans Lifeline. Pride is a reminder of how hard those who came before us have fought for our right to joy.

I’m also getting married this year during Pride weekend, which just feels correct.”

A N D R É S R I G A L : CO U R T E SY A N D R É S R I G A L ; Z E K E S M I T H A N D N I CO SA N TO S : LO G A N CO L E ; T R I STA N S C H U K R A F T: T RYST H O S P I TA L I T Y; K A L I E S H O R R : C A I T L I N M C N A N E Y; B E N S I D E L L : B R O N S O N FA R R

WHAT GIVES YOU PRIDE?

LGBTQ+

MEGAN STALTER

someone else. I am so proud of our first ever pop-up event we hosted recently in L.A. It was such a special and rewarding experience to see [it] come to life in my Los Angeles community.”

ACTOR AND COME DI AN SHE/HER; @MEG SSTALT E R

CHRISHELL STAUSE AND G FLIP

Hacks (Max); the upcoming Lena Dunham-created series Too Much (Netflix): “Both changed my life in huge ways, and I feel like everyone who worked on them are family to me.”

WHAT DOES PRIDE MEAN

TV P E R SO N A LIT Y/REAL

TO YOU? “Pride to me is

E STATE AG E N T; MUSI CI AN

being who you are and loving yourself for it. It’s recognizing the history of queer culture and those who fought for our rights, freedom and joy, and making sure all of us always have those rights. I will always stand up for queer rights; I will always stand up for trans rights. Pride is also seeing someone in a bootleg Hi Gay shirt! I love gay!”

SHE /HE R ; THE Y/THEM @ C HR ISHE LL.STAUSE @ G F L IP NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Stause is the star of Netflix reality series Selling Sunset; spouse G Flip is a singersongwriter whose 2023 album Drummer won the J Award for Australian Album of the Year WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? “I’m most proud

that I’m able to work in acting, [as an] influencer, in real estate and the reality TV space all at once,” says Stause. Notes G Flip, “Right now, I’m most proud of the music video I made for my new song ‘Big Ol’ Hammer.’ I envisioned this extremely queer music video set in a mechanic shop, with dancing, a hot pink car and a cameo from Fortune Feimster yelling at us. It all came together.

It’s the gayest thing I’ve ever seen.”

: :

C H R I S H E L L STAU S E A N D G F L I P : N A Z R I N M A S SA R O ; M E G A N STA LT E R : RYA N P F LU G E R ; PAT R I C K TA : PAT R I C K TA B E AU T Y; M I C H A E L U R I E : C H E L S E A G E H R ; J O N AT H A N VA N N E S S : A A R O N I D E L S O N

NOTABLE PROJECTS:

PATRICK TA MAKEUP ARTI ST HE/HI M; @PATR I C KTA NOTABLE WORK:

Celebrity makeup artist and founder of the Patrick Ta Beauty line WHAT DOES PRIDE MEAN TO YOU? “Growing up, I

didn’t see any openly gay Asian American makeup artists. Representation is so important to me, so I can be that person to look up to for

MICHAEL URIE AC TOR; H E / H I M @ MI C H AE LU RI E L I K E S I T NOTABLE PROJECTS: Actor

on Ugly Betty (ABC) and Shrinking (Apple TV+); co-

L.A. PRIDE

W

founder of Pride Plays, a festival that celebrates LGBTQ+ voices in theater and will be held this month in New York City and Washington, D.C. WHAT ARE YOU PROUD OF?

“I’ll always be proud of the work we did on Ugly Betty — a show that highlighted queer people in deep and nuanced ways, especially for the scenes I shared with Mark Indelicato as Justin Suarez. Also, [that] the Pride Plays feature LGBTQ writers and directors at the forefront of storytelling and offer opportunities for LGBTQ actors to represent themselves onstage.”

JONATHAN VAN NESS H AI RST Y L I ST AND T V P E RS ONAL I T Y; H E / H I M; @J V N NOTABLE PROJECTS:

Star of Netflix’s Queer Eye; comedian and podcast host who’s taking his JVN’s Hot & Healed Tour on the road WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

“Queer Eye as a whole has taught me so much and touched so many people’s lives. Our Emmy wins are a highlight.

I’m so proud of my stand-up comedy progression and the quality and resilience of JVN Hair. I also think my podcast, Getting Better, teaches me so much about the world and the community we’ve built over the years.”

Join us for fearless and transformative theater, dance and music that unites and inspires us all.

Featuring: > Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble > Joy Guidry > David Roussève/REALITY > Jlin > Tiago Rodrigues > Wild Up > d. Sabela Grimes > Third Coast Percussion and Salar Nader > Lucìa

Don’t just watch — come and complete the experience.

CAP.UCLA.EDU

TIAGO RODRIGUES Photo by Christophe Raynaud de Lage

LGBTQ+

L.A. PRIDE GUIDE 2025

L.A. P PRIDE

20 25

1

GET OUT AND CELEBRATE THIS PRIDE MONTH

BY MIKEY MORAN

WEHO PRIDE

MAY 22 - JUNE 30 One of the largest Pride celebrations in the world, WeHo Pride returns with a full weekend of community events, parties and parades May 30 - June 1.

From the Dyke March and Women’s Freedom Festival to the massive WeHo Pride Parade and Street Fair, Santa Monica Boulevard will be bursting with color.

WeHo’s 40-day celebration kicks off May 22 — Harvey Milk Day. wehopride.com

OUTLOUD MUSIC FESTIVAL

1 . 2 . CO U R T E SY D OW N TOW N SA N TA M O N I C A , I N C . ; 3 . DA N A P L E A SA N T; 4 . J O N V I S COT T; 5 . DA N A P L E A SA N T

MAY 30 - JUNE 1

As WeHo Pride’s signature music event, Outloud takes over West Hollywood Park with an all-star lineup. This year’s headliners include Maren Morris (at Friday’s free event), Lizzo, Remi Wolf, Kim Petras, Honey Dijon and Paris Hilton — plus DJ sets, surprise guests and enough glitter to power the Sunset Strip. outloudmusicfestival.com

SAMO PRIDE

JUNE 5-22

Santa Monica’s monthlong celebration includes art installations, pop-ups and community events across the Promenade and beyond. It all leads up to Pride on the Pier (June 22), a free oceanfront bash with DJs, fireworks and fun for all ages. smpride.com

THE CCA’S CELEBRATION OF LGBTQ+ CINEMA & TELEVISION

JUNE 6

The Critics Choice Association’s second annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television will take place at the Fairmont

2

3

4

Century Plaza. Sherry Cola will host the festivities, which will honor more than 20 creatives from the entertainment world and stream on HereTV in June. criticschoice.com

VENICE PRIDE

JUNE 7

Since 2016, the coastal community’s celebration of its LGBTQ community has been one of the most joyful events of the year, leading to the iconic Venice Pride Flag Lifeguard Tower and higher visibility for queer culture in L.A. This year, the big block party and “Gaywatch” gathering returns with music and revelry. venicepride.org

LA PRIDE PARADE

JUNE 8

LA Pride celebrates its 55th annual LA Pride Parade on Hollywood Boulevard, between and including Highland Avenue and Cahuenga Boulevard. More than 100,000 spectators and participants are expected for an epic celebration, followed by the official after-party at the LA Pride Village. lapride.org

LA PRIDE VILLAGE

JUNE 8

Adjacent to the parade route is the LA Pride Village, where the day’s celebrations will continue with a music stage, community stage, two full-service bars, sponsor activations and giveaways, as well as more than 80 vendors and exhibitors and dozens of food trucks and stalls. The street festival is free and open to all. lapride.org

5 F LY I N G C O L O R S

1. Under the rainbow at Annenberg Community Beach House during SaMo Pride 2024 2. Happy faces at last year’s SaMo Pride 3. LA Pride 2024 brings the heat to the streets of Hollywood 4. Shining bright at WeHo Pride’s parade last year 5. Celebrating “Power in Pride” at LA Pride in Hollywood last year

GETTY PRIDE PROGRAMMING

OPENINGS: JUNE 10, 17

The Getty goes all in on Pride with two major exhibitions: $3 Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives (June 10 - Sept. 28) and Queer Lens: A History of Photography (June 17 - Sept. 28). Check the calendar for free discussions and film screenings, and shop the Pride Pop-Up starting June 3. getty.edu

PRIDE NIGHT AT DODGER STADIUM

DISNEYLAND AFTER DARK: PRIDE NITE

JUNE 18, 20

Celebrate Pride with Mickey and the gang during two exclusive nights at Disneyland. Expect after dark parades, themed food, rainbow photo ops and late-night rides. General admission tickets are $169 per guest. Tickets to the event include admission as early as 6 p.m. until the park closes at 1 a.m. disneyland.disney.go.com

JUNE 13

SFV PRIDE

A grand slam celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride, the Dodgers’ annual Pride Night features a rainbow-packed pregame, special guests and a custom Dodgers Pride jersey with select ticket packages. mlb.com/dodgers

The San Fernando Valley turns up for Pride with a local celebration spotlighting queer talent, small businesses and community pride in the 818. sfvpride.org

JUNE 28

L A M AG . C O M 6 7

Did L.A. really have the first gay riot?

SUGAR FROSTED

A:

8 0 L A M AG . C O M

Playtime

Richard Evans adds icing at the family shop.

D O Z E N S O F B O O K S , documentaries and even a historical marker in Downtown L.A. commemorate the Cooper Do-nuts riot of 1959, a decade before Stonewall, but there’s no proof that it actually happened.

The story goes that patrons at an all-night snack shop near Skid Row fell victim to LAPD harassment and fought back, throwing crullers and coffee cups at the officers. Novelist John Rechy shared the tale with authors of the book Gay L.A. in 2006, and from there it took on a life of its own.

L.A.’s vice squad ran rampant that year, arresting booksellers and burlesque audiences. The state tried to shut down Barney’s Beanery for serving LGBT customers, so they hung “Fagots — Stay Out” signs, and the Gas House in

CHRIS’ PICK

Venice was refused a permit unless they promised to ban deviants. L.A. gays were so closeted that even Liberace sued a newspaper for insinuating that he was homosexual (and won!).

Historian Nathan Marsak’s 10,000-word

corrective in his blog Bunker Hill Los Angeles explains how no doughnut shop existed between the two gay bars Rechy mentioned, before the novelist recently changed his story. Rechy’s lone account was joined

in recent years by lesbian activist Nancy Valverde’s memory of an Eisenhowerera melee she did not attend.

Cooper’s may have been an ally, and Valverde’s work was significant — but perhaps Mr. Rechy imagined something greater than what was. His friends were likely hassled but it took until 1967 for L.A.’s first organized protest at the Black Cat in Silver Lake.

PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE TURNS 40

● P E E -W E E Herman

was born at L.A.’s Groundlings theater.

The zany alter ego of Paul Reubens became one of the biggest pop culture icons of the 1980s, inspiring TV shows, movies, toys and even a Halloween costume. The Alex Theatre in Glendale is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his first feature film, Peewee’s Big Adventure, with a screening, reunion and party on June 14. Comedian Dana Gould will interview E.G. Daily, who played Pee-wee’s girlfriend Dottie, and Diane Salinger, remembered for her monologue in the mouth of a giant dinosaur, will attend — along with crew, including the artists who created Large Marge. Proceeds benefit Stand Up to Cancer, which is fighting the disease that claimed Reubens in 2023. The HBO documentary Pee-wee as Himself premiered May 23 and let the comedy icon come out as gay and tell his story.

He said, “My whole career, everything I did and wrote was based on love.”

— CHRIS NICHOLS

D O N U TS : CO U R T E SY CO O P E R D O N U TS .CO M A N D T H E E VA N S FA M I LY; P E E W E E ; CO U R T E SY WA R N E R B R O S .

Q

EMAIL YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ABOUT L.A. TO ASKCHRIS@LAMAG.COM

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ANN’S WINE BAR

BY A .O.C .

F R O M TO P L E F T: S U Z A N N E L A N Z A ; FA R A H S O SA , CO U R T E SY LO S A N G E L E S P H I L H A R M O N I C ; CO U R T E SY FA I R M O N T C E N T U RY P L A Z A ; C H R I ST I A N T H O M P S O N / D I S N E Y L A N D R E S O R T; R O B I E E Z I E G L E R

SUMMER IN THE CITY T H E H O L LYWO O D B OW L

FA I R M O N T C E N T U RY P L A Z A

DISNEYLAND

H OT E L F I G U E R OA

No exotic travel plans? No problem!

There’s no need to get out of town with L.A.’s abundance of outdoor activities, luxurious escapes and seasonal programming at iconic institutions. Enjoy a concert at the world-famous Hollywood Bowl (which has an equally impressive food program, run for 10 years by the Lucques Group). Visit Disneyland, Walt Disney’s majestic theme park, for the peak of its 70-year anniversary celebration. And peruse our staycation guide to 50 of L.A.’s favorite hotels — with sizzling new summer offerings.

Go ahead and dive in.

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C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

HAVING A BOWL The Lucques Group’s Caroline Styne (left) serves as wine director for the Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine program, while chef Suzanne Goin handles the food. They pose here at one of the Bowl’s three restaurants, the Backyard.

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P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

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SUMMER IN THE CITY 2025

IN PERFECT HARMONY The Lucques Group’s award-winning chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne celebrate 10 years of curating the Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine culinary program B y JA S M I N R O S E M B E R G P h o t o g r a p h e d B y I RV I N R I V E R A

In 1997, Suzanne Goin was executive chef at Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel’s Campanile, and Caroline Styne managed Sean MacPherson’s Jones Hollywood. “We both had been making plans to open our own places,” Styne recalls.

“But we had mutual friends that went to Stanford together, that had this idea the two of us should meet.”

Despite their friends’ urging, the women kept putting it off. Notes Styne, “I finally got a phone call that said, ‘You’re going to meet Suzanne Thursday night at 9 o’clock at the Pearl on La Brea. Get this over with, and we’ll leave you alone.’”

Styne went. “And we hit it off immediately,” she says. “I remember telling my husband, ‘This woman was actually really amazing.’” So they continued to connect.

“We describe it as ‘dating,’” Styne says.

“We would go out and talk about what we imagined for our restaurants, like, ‘I like you. Do you like me? Should we do this?’

And that’s literally how it all started.”

Their first restaurant didn’t happen overnight. “It took us a year and a half before we opened Lucques,” says Goin of the iconic modern-California restaurant they debuted in 1998. “You’re trying to find a space, and you really want this dream to happen, and everything keeps falling through. It was torturous. But I

think going through that whole process together was like our ‘getting to know each other,’ so that by the time we opened, we knew it was the right fit.”

The native Angelenos (Goin is from Hollywood Hills/Los Feliz, while Styne grew up in Beverly Hills) just seemed in sync. “The two of us were raised very similarly — [by] similar parents with pretty serious work ethics,” says Styne.

“We both had very hardworking professional moms,” adds Goin, a Brown University graduate who’d worked at esteemed restaurants including L.A.’s Ma Maison and L’Orangerie and Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in Berkeley. “So those role models were always there.”

Each partner of the Lucques Group (thelucquesgroup.com) handles her own department. “Suzanne does everything back of the house: the menu, the food and the cooking,” Styne explains. “I take care of everything in the front of the house,

service and wine/beverage. I always say that she’s solid, I’m liquid … yin and yang.”

The partnership proved a hit — and on the heels of game-changing bistro Lucques, the two opened A.O.C. wine bar on West Third Street in 2002 and Tavern in Brentwood in 2009. They co-founded the L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade food fair benefiting childhood cancer, with Goin’s husband David Lentz, in 2010; moved A.O.C. to a new space on its 10th anniversary in 2012; and debuted the Larder Baking Company in 2013.

Food critics also responded to their chemistry. In 2006, Goin received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California and she earned the national recognition of Outstanding Chef in 2016.

Styne scored James Beard’s Outstanding Restaurateur award in 2018; and to date, Goin is a four-time winner (with 11 noms).

In 2015, one of the world’s largest natural amphitheatres — with seating for nearly 18,000, and the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since it opened in 1922 — came calling.

“The Hollywood Bowl was looking to find their new concessionaire after a contract was expiring,” recalls Goin. “They worked with a consultant I knew [from when I] worked at Pinot Bistro. He called me up and said, ‘Hey, I’m working on the Hollywood Bowl. Do you think you and L A M AG . C O M 5 1

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the same. Lucques at the Circle, for Pool Circle subscribers, offers a three-course prix-fixe menu and wine list in the vein of Lucques (with items from spinach and dandelion salad to halibut with sweet corn). Anne’s Wine Bar is inspired by A.O.C. — which pairs new and old-world wines with seasonal small plates (from focaccia to market fish and pork belly).

And the Backyard is a chic al fresco space that serves steaks and grilled items.

Baking Company signature cookies and brownies. The food kiosks include Kitchen 22 (with made-to-order burgers) and rotating stands, with items such as tacos, hot dogs, barbecue sandwiches and sweets.

A variety of picnic boxes can be preordered for pickup. This year features four new three-course menu options, such as The Burton Way with Goin’s slow-roasted salmon and a revamped vegan box with roasted vegetables. The Supper in Your

“When we’re cooking, and all of a sudden, the opener will come on … there’s nothing like it. ”

– SUZANNE GOIN

“There are moments where it gets a little smoky,” Goin says. “But when we’re cooking, and all of a sudden, the opener will come on … there’s nothing like it.”

Goin is excited about new Backyard dishes like blue crab tostadas and peach and watermelon salad. “There’s definitely a push every year to think about doing something new,” she says. “The Bowl has people who’ve been coming for years. So it is always about trying to surprise them.”

The Bowl’s three marketplaces (Plaza Marketplace, Marketplace East and Buzz McCoy’s Marketplace) offer everything you’d need for a picnic, such as grab-andgo salads, sandwiches, sushi by Seaweed in Glendale, cheese plates, wine, beer, soda, snacks and desserts like Larder

Seats program enables reserved box seat holders to preorder (up until 6 p.m. the previous day) three-course dinners or à la carte menu items to be delivered to them.

Favorites include the BBQ box with ribs, fried chicken and brisket, as well as a surf and turf for two. New items include vegetable tagine and prawns with gazpacho.

“So much of the Bowl is obviously the music and the weather,” says Goin. “But that time before the show, when people can have a glass of wine and enjoy the time together, is a very special thing.”

Last year, they introduced a fried chicken stand with Goin’s popular menu item. “We’ve done taco [stands] since we opened — this year, we decided to do burritos,” she says, noting they’ll offer vegan, P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

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Caroline might be interested?’ And I was like, ‘That sounds like the most massive, overwhelming [undertaking] — amazing, but like, how do you do that?’”

She also appreciated the offer’s weight.

“I grew up going to the Bowl — we lived seven minutes away,” Goin says. “I have childhood memories of falling asleep to music, curled up on my mom’s lap. It’s a magical place and we’re both big-time Angelenos, so it was really tempting.”

They found the task of curating the restaurants, marketplaces and food stands for the entire venue less daunting when they broke it down. “We know how to run a 110-seat restaurant,” says Goin. “So it was three of those. One, they wanted to be a wine bar, so that was an obvious fit for A.O.C. The other one was a little more formal fine-dining, so that was a fit for Lucques. And the third one is the Backyard, which is outdoor cooking on two giant grills — which is my favorite thing to do. We had a catering company, and Supper in Your Seats is like a giant catering every night. We had the Larders, so the marketplace made sense to us.”

They debuted Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine (hollywoodbowl.com) for the summer 2016 season — and everything opened at once. “It was literally, turn switch and now you’re open,” says Goin, who recalls that year’s sold-out David Gilmour opening show. “The hard part was the first opening day — when all of a sudden, there’s 18,000 people coming. But we look at each piece as if it’s an independent operation. So it was applying that, but multiple times, all at the same time.”

Today, the restaurant concepts remain

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SUMMER IN THE CITY 2025

IN CONCERT

B OT TO M R I G H T: D U ST I N D OW N I N G , WCO U R T E SY T H E LO S A N G E L E S P H I L H A R M O N I C

HITTING ALL THE NOTES From left: The Backyard’s spicy beer-steamed shrimp cocktail, little gems and radicchio, chopped salad and charcuterie board; Suzanne’s fried chicken, a chicken burrito and a drumstick from Magpies Softserve; The Backyard’s ribeye steak, fried potatoes, asparagus, seabass, chicken paillard, veal chop and grilled broccoli; artisanal cheese from Ann’s Wine Bar; the Hollywood Vegan picnic box with roasted vegetables.

chicken tinga and braised beef burritos.

Also new are pizzas made with Larder Baking Company dough and a collaboration with Magpies Softserve owner Warren Schwartz for the expanded East market. “We wanted to do something fun in the ice cream world … that childhood novelty feeling, but more elevated,” says Goin. “The star of the show are these drumsticks. They’re massive waffle cones: a matcha one, cookies and cream and roasted banana.” They also carry Rori’s Ice Cream from Santa Barbara, plus nondairy and vegan treats.

Another addition is the Hillside Bar, off Promenade 3. “It’s been the goal since we opened to find ways [for] people to get a great glass of wine, bottle of wine or beer, without having to stand in a long concession line — and to have elevated options,” says Styne, the sommelier and wine director. Their second year, they created Bar 22 in front of Kitchen 22. “So we decided to offer that experience at other locations. The Hillside Bar has wines by the glass, natural wines, rosé, Champagne, sparkling and craft beers.”

Styne also curated an extensive wine list for the picnic boxes and Supper in Your Seats — with vegan, biodynamic and nonalcoholic options, from producers like Broc Cellars, Wavy Wines and Hollywood Bowl wine sponsor Winc wines.

Back this year are the free wine tastings before concerts on Wednesday and Sunday nights — for which Styne’s enlisted local and international winemakers and importers, including Mike Roth of Lo-Fi Wines, Jeff Fischer from Habit Wine and Martines Wines. The series will

run biweekly through the John Legend concert on Sunday, Sept. 28.

The Lucques Group partners have plenty else on their plate. After closing Lucques and Tavern during the pandemic, they transformed the latter into A.O.C. Brentwood in 2021. They partnered with Proper Hotel Group to open three concepts in their Downtown L.A. property: Caldo Verde, rooftop restaurant Cara Cara and Dahlia cocktail lounge. The founding members of the Independent Restaurant Coalition helped raise over $28.6 billion in government grant programs for U.S. restaurants and bars during the pandemic. And they’ve assembled the biggest lineup yet for L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade’s 13th food fair on Oct. 4 at UCLA. (With Bell’s Restaurant’s Daisy Ryan and Charlestonbased Mike Lata joining the nearly 60 chefs participating.)

But they’re going into their 10th season at the Bowl with the same excitement as their first. “I know Alabama Shakes are coming,” says Styne. “The biggest luxury is to be able to work a shift and then stay after and hear somebody, or a little bit of Dudamel’s conducting.”

For Styne, every year feels like it’s a new project, and Goin just hopes they get to keep doing it.

“Everybody gets so excited about everything that’s new, but I love the continuity,” Goin says. “Like, every season that I work in the Backyard or the wine bar or the pool, you find new things you can take on.

I mean, I love all the new stuff that we’re doing too,” she adds. “But keeping it going is what’s really exciting to me.”

Don’t miss these summer highlights at the Hollywood Bowl from the LA Phil, conductor Gustavo Dudamel and friends B Y L E I L A B R A DY From July 2-4, Earth, Wind & Fire will join the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the July Fourth Fireworks Spectacular. On July 5, experience Jaws in Concert, where the LA Phil performs John Williams’ score live as the hit film plays on the big screen. On July 10, Classical Pride celebrates LGBTQ+ artists from the community. Then, on July 15, Oscarwinning composer Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water, The Grand Budapest Hotel) will conduct a selection of his favorite film scores. Music legend Diana Ross returns from July 25-26 to belt classics like “I’m Coming Out.” Cynthia Erivo joins Adam Lambert for Jesus Christ Superstar Aug. 1-3. The Alabama Shakes shake things up Aug. 13, and Cyndi Lauper just wants to have fun on her farewell tour Aug. 29-30.

September also welcomes heavyhitters including Josh Groban (Sept. 5-6), Chicago (Sept. 1214), Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts (Sept. 15) and 12-time Grammy winner John Legend (Sept. 28).

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SUMMER IN THE CITY 2025

Fairmont Century Plaza

THE

STAYCATION GUIDE For a sweet escape close to home in any area of the city, look to these 50 favorite hotels with festive new summer offerings

BEL AIR HOTEL BEL-AIR 701 Stone Canyon Road, dorchestercollection.com WHAT’S NEW:

“The Restaurant [at Hotel Bel-Air] will unveil a fresh look. New offerings include 5 4 L A M AG . C O M

a garden spritz menu, roaming pastry cart and Sunday familystyle dinners. The hotel’s outdoor movie series invites guests to enjoy classic films under the stars, paired with themed culinary offerings [and] signature cocktails. Later in the season, our annual summer barbecue event [returns].”

–°GEN ER AL MANAG ER C H RISTO PH M OJ E

Hotel Bel-Air

F R O M TO P : CO U R T E SY FA I R M O N T C E N T U RY P L A Z A : C H R I STO P H M OJ E

Edited by JASMIN ROSEMBERG and HALEY BOSSELMAN

The Beverly HIlton

BEVERLY HILLS THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL 9641 Sunset Blvd., dorchestercollection.com WHAT’S NEW:

“The movie series will take place in July and August, with film screenings under the palms enhanced by themed menus and snacks.

The Cabana Cafe will extend its weekend hours until September, for sunset cocktailing and dining poolside. Live entertainment is offered on select evenings, making this popular poolside eatery vibrant.”

CO U R T E SY B E V E R LY H I LTO N ; CO U R T E SY L’ E R M I TAG E ; CO U R T E SY T H E M AY B O U R N E B E V E R LY H I L L S

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER J O H N SC AN LO N

THE BEVERLY HILTON

BEVERLY WILSHIRE, A FOUR SEASONS HOTEL 9500 Wilshire Blvd., fourseasons.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Our renovated spa offers our new Renewal Ritual treatment, designed to restore. Our summer events calendar [features] wine tastings and spirit spotlights in CUT Lounge to live music [and] poolside activations.

[At] THE Blvd, check out our new three-course Power Lunch, beef Wellington on Wednesday evenings or our Super Sunday feast.”

– R EG IO NAL VIC E PR E S I D ENT AN D G EN ER AL MANAG ER° R EED K AN DAL AF T

L’Ermitage Beverly Hills

experience inspired by the bold flavors and coastal spirit of Mexico. Moody Tongue Sushi, this Tokyomeets-L.A. pop-up, runs through Sept. 14. We’re [bringing] back Camp Four Seasons, a whimsical summer program [with] friendship bracelet making, movie nights, ice cream socials, starlit tent setups, s’mores and singalongs.”

– H OTEL MANAG ER ERI N Q U O N

L’ERMITAGE BEVERLY HILLS 9291 Burton Way, lermitagebeverlyhills.com WHAT’S NEW:

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL LOS ANGELES AT BEVERLY HILLS 300 S. Doheny Drive, fourseasons.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We unveiled La OLA, our vibrant new rooftop dining

“We open our rooftop to the public for the first time with the debut of Poza, a poolside lounge serving California-inspired bites and cocktails, and The Arhaus Terrace, created in collaboration with the luxury home furnishings brand. Our

rooftop is a new way to take in the beauty of this iconic neighborhood.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER FR ÉD ÉRIC ZEM M O U R

THE PENINSULA BEVERLY HILLS 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd., peninsula.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re delighted to bring back the Belvedere Tea Party — our signature afternoon tea reimagined to capture the season’s flavors. Guests and locals can also experience Aloha Summer at The Roof Garden, a new weekend BBQ series running through August that celebrates the soulful flavors of Maui, inspired by executive chef Luis Cuadra’s time living on the island.”

– MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R O FFER N IS S EN BAU M

9876 Wilshire Blvd., hilton.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Guests are invited to step into the story of The Beverly Hilton ahead of our milestone 70th anniversary in August. Paying tribute to seven decades of glamour, [we’ll be] debuting celebratory activations, themed packages and limited-time guest experiences designed to transport visitors through [our] legacy while getting a glimpse at what’s to come.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER DAVI D ECIJA

THE MAYBOURNE BEVERLY HILLS 225 N. Canon Drive, maybournebeverlyhills.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re thrilled to welcome Alinea, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant helmed by chef Grant Achatz, for a special pop-up at The Terrace from July 22 to Aug. 16.

We’re introducing YOGAqua to the rooftop every Saturday and Sunday morning, a paddleboard yoga experience created

by Sarah Tiefenthaler. Also, guests [can] reserve three BMW i7 vehicles.”

– MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R SAM JAGG ER

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SUMMER IN THE CITY 2025

DOWNTOWN L.A.

WALDORF ASTORIA BEVERLY HILLS 9850 Wilshire Blvd., waldorfastoriabeverlyhills.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Guests can look forward to refreshed menus at The Rooftop Beverly Hills and Espelette featuring bold, bright flavors. We’re also bringing back seasonal favorites like our Fourth of July dining series and the Full Moon Celestial Dinner, along with new wellness experiences.

We’ll also have exclusive staycation offerings.”

CONRAD LOS ANGELES 100 S. Grand Ave., hilton.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re launching a summer pool party series featuring live DJ sets, along with poolside wellness experiences led by local fitness instructors. We’re also looking forward to hosting unique activations, like an aura photography event.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER TO D C HAM B ERS

–°G EN ER AL MANAG ER D EEPAK M EH R A

FAIRMONT CENTURY PLAZA 2025 Avenue of the Stars, fairmontcenturyplaza.com WHAT’S NEW:

“With our new Pool-Cation package, the pool has just undergone a stunning refresh. We’re launching wellness initiatives including the HyperIce Recovery Lounge, as well as a spa residency with Mia Magik. The Bar at Century Plaza partnered with MUSIC to the Ears Foundation and Academix [on] an after-work soirée.”

– DI R EC TO R O F SALE S AN D MAR K E TI N G M IC HAEL M O R RIS

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CULVER CITY THE SHAY 8801 Washington Blvd., hyatt.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Access to the only rooftop pool in Culver City is available to non-hotel guests through ResortPass, and we recently added a new offering for The Peek — the newly renovated private rooftop venue. On the weekdays, our rooftop restaurant helmed by José Andrés Group, Butterfly, [offers a] Sunset Sips happy hour.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER ADAM ED ELMAN

1100 S. Broadway, properhotel.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re embracing the season with fresh, bold flavors at Cara Cara — highlighting the best of L.A.’s culinary richness. Guests can join us every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. for Proper Sounds, our rooftop DJ series featuring laid-back sunset sets and signature cocktails with amazing views.”

–°MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R B RU N O VERG E Y N ST

F R O M TO P : CO U R T E SY WA L D O R F A STO R I A B E V E R LY H I L L S ; CO U R T E SY D OW N TOW N L . A . P R O P E R H OT E L

CENTURY CITY

DOWNTOWN L.A. PROPER HOTEL

HOLLYWOOD Hotel Figueroa

HOTEL PER LA, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION 649 S. Olive St., hotelperla.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Every Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m., Bar Clara, our rooftop bar, will have DJ Bossa Nova playing live music. Guests can enjoy city views while having food and drinks by the heated pool. It’s a great place to relax with friends and enjoy the weekend.”

rooftop Broken Shaker with Authentic Hospitality.

In addition to refreshes to the space, we introduced a contemporary menu of Pan-Latin and Caribbean bites from the team behind award-winning restaurant Wildair, alongside crushable, tropical-inspired cocktails. The Exchange Coffee Co. is our new café initiative.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER NATHAN I EL J O H N S

– DI R EC TO R O F ROO M S DAN I EL M O NTE S

HOTEL FIGUEROA 939 S. Figueroa St., hotelfigueroa.com

F R O M TO P : CO U R T E SY H OT E L F I G U E R OA ; CO U R T E SY H O L LYWO O D VO LU M E

WHAT’S NEW:

“Hotel Figueroa invites guests and locals to enjoy the hotel’s newest restaurant, Le Petit Chef, [starting] July 2; Wednesday happy hours with resident DJ Jéli; PADI scuba classes every Thursday with Eco Dive Center; weekend pool parties; and Giving Grace, a new exhibit by 2025 featured artist Dame Moore.”

–°MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R CO N N I E WAN G

FREEHAND LOS ANGELES 416 W. 8th St., freehandhotels.com

THE HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT

THOMPSON HOLLYWOOD

7000 Hollywood Blvd., thehollywoodroosevelt.com

1541 Wilcox Ave., hyatt.com

WHAT’S NEW:

WHAT’S NEW:

“The Hollywood Roosevelt is a rare blend of Old Hollywood charm and new Hollywood culture. This summer, we’re bringing the energy back to Hollywood with night swims at Tropicana, along with a series of events and activations in two of our most iconic spaces — the Cinegrill Theater and Teddy’s Lounge.”

“At The Terrace at Bar Lis, Riviera Sundays bring the spirit of the French Riviera to L.A. every Sunday afternoon through Labor Day (think sun-soaked DJ sets, fresh seasonal bites and spritzes like our brand-new Frozen Aperol). Sunset Hour starts midday on The Terrace and flows into the evenings at Bar Lis.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER RIC H O K EN

– MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R B E TH O UTL AW

HOLLYWOOD VOLUME 6516 Selma Ave., hollywoodvolume.com

STILE DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES BY KASA 929 S. Broadway, kasa.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re reintroducing a fullservice bar and expanding daytime service, including poolside offerings on our rooftop. We’re also unveiling two new Artist Suites — immersive accommodations featuring curated installations from a single artist, with each suite also offering the artist’s collection through a digital catalog.

Our popular culinary popups [include] Okdongsik and Lefty Gelateria.”

WHAT’S NEW:

“KA’TEEN, chef Wes Avila’s lush Yucatán Peninsula–inspired restaurant [is] turning up Saturdays with Discoteca Brunch, a new summer series featuring lively DJ sets. Upstairs at Desert 5 Spot, the retro desert-themed rooftop bar, the Wild West pool party series Swimsuits & Cowboy Boots returns. Desert 5 Spot also hosts Soft Spot Songwriter Nights.”

– MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R B E TH O UTL AW

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER J USTI N H EN RY

WHAT’S NEW:

“We relaunched our beloved L A M AG . C O M 5 7

W HOLLYWOOD 6250 Hollywood Blvd., w-hotels.marriott.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re spotlighting The Garden with our There There dining concept, a nightly dinner party; Café Goldie, our jewel box coffee and brunch destination; and WET Deck pool events, including a Night Swim series. We’re launching a fitness collaboration with Technogym. Plus, pop-up music moments with Insomniac and Beatport. And our Jazz Night is back.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER N IC K RI M EDIO

THE LINE L.A. 3515 Wilshire Blvd., thelinehotel.com WHAT’S NEW:

“The hotel recently introduced a new poolside menu, offering light bites and refreshing frozen cocktails.

Beginning soon, Openaire will also debut Golden Hour from 4 to 6 p.m., featuring a curated raw bar with oysters, scallop crudo and lobster rolls.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER LU K E SO M ERS E T

LONG BEACH FAIRMONT BREAKERS LONG BEACH

MALIBU BEACH INN

1730 N. Western Ave., carahotel.com

22878 Pacific Coast Highway, malibubeachinn.com

WHAT’S NEW:

WHAT’S NEW:

“Tucked into the foothills of Griffith Park, Cara offers the perfect balance of city life and nature. We’re excited to be unveiling some fantastic new seasonal dishes at Cara Restaurant. There will also be some very special guest performers popping up at our weekly Wednesday Salsa and Sunday Jazz events.”

“We are the only hotel directly on the water, with access to the beach via our stairs. Now that PCH is open, we are very excited to welcome everyone back to Malibu. Also new is an updated capsule collection from our clothing partner Orlebar Brown, as well as a completely refreshed room product.”

– MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R C HAR LI E COS S ER

–°MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R G R EGO RY DAY

CALAMIGOS GUEST RANCH & BEACH CLUB 327 Latigo Canyon Road, calamigosguestranch.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Calamigos just reimagined the property. There’s a new resort pool with fresh furniture, food and drinks, with a swim-up bar. A reconcepted cafe, mart and retail shop [and] revamped restaurant. Plus, a new wellness floor in the Spa Calamigos, with cold plunge tubs, reiki, sauna. Rooms and suites have also been redecorated.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER DAVI D STO R K

210 E. Ocean Blvd., fairmont-breakers.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re home to the only rooftop bar in Long Beach, HALO. Alter Ego, the lobby bar and lounge, hosts live jazz performances Thursday through Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. Fairmont Spa is a tranquil space with abundant natural light in the relaxation lounge, complemented by peaceful and dreamy treatment rooms.”

– DI R EC TO R O F SALE S AN D

MAR K E TI N G MAU R EEN LE ARY

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CARA HOTEL

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

KOREATOWN

MALIBU F R O M TO : CO U R T E SY W H O L LYWO O D ; CO U R T E SY C A L A M I G O S G U E ST R A N C H & B E AC H C LU B

LOS FELIZ

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SUMMER IN THE CITY 2025

MARINA DEL REY HOTEL 13534 Bali Way, marinadelreyhotel.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re launching fresh seasonal menus featuring new vegan and vegetarian dishes, along with a creative cocktail lineup. We’re also introducing updated happy hour selections, though our Oysters & Martinis special remains a staple.

Plus, we’ve teamed up with new partners to bring even more energy to our Sunday Funday pool parties.”

The Surfrider Malibu

NOBU RYOKAN MALIBU 22752 Pacifi c Coast Highway, nobuhotels.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re excited to introduce new wellness experiences that guests can enjoy right in their rooms — perfect for those looking to relax and reset. We’re also partnering closely with the incredible culinary team at Nobu Malibu to enhance our in-room dining offerings, [so] guests [can] enjoy Nobu cuisine from their private decks.”

–°G EN ER AL MANAG ER AM I R VAH DAN I

THE SURFRIDER MALIBU F R O M TO P : CO U R T E SY S U R F R I D E R M A L I B U ; CO U R T E SY AC H OT E L PA SA D E N A

23033 Pacifi c Coast Highway, thesurfridermalibu.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Highlights include a new seasonal menu crafted by our incoming head chef, bringing a fresh take to our coastal Californian fare while continuing to champion organic, hyperlocal ingredients. Think sun-ripened produce from Malibu farms [and] sustainably caught seafood.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER ARI ELLE M O RTO N

MARINA DEL REY

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER DAN Z WI R N

PASADENA THE LANGHAM HUNTINGTON 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., langhamhotels.com WHAT’S NEW:

“A new exhibit of pop art from four contemporary artists will be on view in our Tap Room bar. We’ll be offering garden wellness classes like floating sound bath meditation, tai chi and puppy yoga. Our brand-new Langham Gallery minimuseum offers a look at the [hotel’s] rich history and [we’ll have] our summer afternoon tea menu.”

– MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R RIC HAR D B US S I ER E

THE RITZ-CARLTON, MARINA DEL REY 4375 Admiralty Way, ritzcarlton.com NEW FOR SUMMER:

“This year, the [hotel] celebrates our 35th anniversary. Highlights include new waterfront pickleball courts, poolside dining overlooking the marina and a butterfly enclosure where guests can learn about and interact with three different species of local butterflies.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER N IC H O L AS DU M B ELL

AC HOTEL PASADENA 19 S. Madison Ave., achotelpasadena.com WHAT’S NEW:

“This summer, AC Hotel Pasadena [will] elevate the guest experience with the highly anticipated debut of its rooftop restaurant and bar, set to open this July. With sweeping views and exceptional cuisine, the rooftop promises to be a must-visit visit.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER B EN S PAU LDI N G

L A M AG . C O M 5 9

✺

SUMMER IN THE CITY 2025

SILVER LAKE SILVER LAKE POOL & INN 4141 Santa Monica Blvd., palisociety.com

TERRANEA RESORT 100 Terranea Way, terranea.com NEW FOR SUMMER:

“The newly reimagined Spa at Terranea [is] now open after a year-long renovation.

We introduced Crabby Sundays — a buildyour-own seafood boil. Sips & Sunsets returns to the spa pool. For a touch of wonder, we offer guided stargazing sessions led by an expert who helps guests explore constellations and deep-sky objects.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER N IC H O L AS U NTER MAN N

“The pool welcomes neighbors every Sunday afternoon for our Sunday Swim Socials. We’ll also be introducing summer happenings with $15 Pasta Parties every Wednesday, jazz nights and a Summer Solstice soirée.

Our Dog Days of Summer promotion in July [waives] pet fees.”

REGENT SANTA MONICA BEACH 1700 Ocean Ave., santamonica.regenthotels.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Orla by Michael Mina launched a new weekend Beach House Brunch, as well as Sunset Sips on weekday evenings. Azure debuted a poolside brunch concept.

Guests staying at the resort can find family-friendly activities such as kite flying, surf lessons [and] a cycling adventure through the Santa Monica Farmers Market.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER YO U N E S ATALL AH

– PALISOCI E T Y ’ S MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R O F MAR K E TI N G E AVAN P O RTER

SANTA MONICA FAIRMONT MIRAMAR HOTEL & BUNGALOWS 101 Wilshire Blvd., fairmont.com WHAT’S NEW:

6 0 L A M AG . C O M

HOTEL CASA DEL MAR

“This summer, guests and locals are invited to join us every Thursday, Friday and Saturday to see our Lobby Lounge come alive with live music from our centerpiece piano, paired best with a meticulously crafted martini and a cool ocean breeze.”

1910 Ocean Way, hotelcasadelmar.com

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER S I M O N FRIC K ER

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER MA X J O NAS

WHAT’S NEW:

“Whether you’re feeling the effects of travel or simply trying to unwind during the heat of summer, our 60-minute Tranquility Pro-Sleep Massage offers the perfect solution. Acting on three sensorial pathways, this deeply relaxing treatment is designed to promote restful sleep and help the body recover from summer travel jet lag.”

C LO C KW I S E F R O M B OT TO M L E F T: CO U R T E SY T H E G E O R G I A N H OT E L CO U R T E SY SA N TA M O N I C A P R O P E R H OT E L ; CO U R T E SY V I C E R OY

WHAT’S NEW:

C LO C KW I S E F R O M B OT TO M L E F T: CO U R T E SY T E R R A N E A R E S O R T; CO U R T E SY R E G E N T SA N TA M O N I C A B E AC H ; CO U R T E SY H OT E L C A SA D E L M A R

RANCHO PALOS VERDES

SHUTTERS ON THE BEACH 1 Pico Blvd., shuttersonthebeach.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Our newly redesigned lobby by Nickey Kehoe [enables guests] to sip their way through Santa Monica’s 150-year history with our limited-edition cocktail

menu. Poolside, we’re introducing handcrafted gelato through an exclusive partnership with the next-gen Solato machine and adult popsicles. We’re also partnering with Nick Fouquet to offer custom-made hats.”

- G EN ER AL MANAG ER C H RISTO PH E BAR ATO N

SANTA MONICA PROPER HOTEL 700 Wilshire Blvd., properhotel.com WHAT’S NEW:

“This summer in Santa Monica, Proper Presents brings culture, creativity and community together with a vibrant rooftop music series. Featuring artists like Tycho, Cut Copy and Snakehips, the lineup is always evolving, offering everything from live DJ sets to wellness rituals, all designed to capture the spirit of the property and the city’s energy.”

C LO C KW I S E F R O M B OT TO M L E F T: CO U R T E SY T H E G E O R G I A N H OT E L CO U R T E SY SA N TA M O N I C A P R O P E R H OT E L ; CO U R T E SY V I C E R OY SA N TA M O N I C A

– MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R AR MAN DO C AM P OS

THE GEORGIAN HOTEL 1415 Ocean Ave., thegeorgian.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Chef Carolynn Spence just updated the menus in our restaurants and the offerings are light, fresh and tasty, perfect for summer dining. Homemade bucatini

limone with a crisp glass of Italian white on the terrace at sunset is perfection. Follow it up with our pastry chef Thessa Diadem’s decadent chocolate cake.”

– MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R PH I LI P PAVEL

SHORE HOTEL 1515 Ocean Ave., shorehotel.com

VICEROY SANTA MONICA 1819 Ocean Ave., viceroyhotelsandresorts.com WHAT’S NEW:

“The pool cabana setup is getting a refresh with some new extras that make pool days even better — including personal mini fridges, a curated menu of snacks and drinks, a complimentary bottle of rosé, a Coola suncare station and live DJ sets every Saturday.”

– MANAG I N G DI R EC TO R CO N N I E WAN G

The Georgian Hotel

WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re excited to have launched our new culinary concept, Shoreside. With sun-soaked interiors, a showstopping L-shaped bar and executive chef Todd Bohak’s fresh take on coastal California fare, it’s the ideal spot to unwind after a day at the beach or toast the sunset with friends.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER I N E S SA U DOVC H EN KO

VENICE VENICE V HOTEL 5 Westminster Ave., venicevhotel.com WHAT’S NEW:

“Swirl Fest on July 13 celebrates surf and skate cul-

ture with a focus on community and inclusivity. Expect live music, a public pop-up skatepark featuring a wave ramp and pump track, and skate competitions judged by legends Christian Hosoi and Laura Thornhill.

[It’s] organized by GrlSwirl, a women-founded skate collective.”

– OWN ER C AR L L AM B ERT

L A M AG . C O M 6 1

✺

SUMMER IN THE CITY 2025

WEST HOLLYWOOD

Kimpton La Peer Hotel

THE LONDON WEST HOLLYWOOD

PENDRY WEST HOLLYWOOD

627 N. La Peer Drive, lapeerhotel.com

1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., thelondonwesthollywood.com

8430 W. Sunset Blvd., pendry.com

WHAT’S NEW:

WHAT’S NEW:

NEW FOR SUMMER:

“[Spend summer] poolside with a spritz in our courtyard or dining at Top Chef Middle East-winning Charbel Hayek’s restaurant Ladyhawk. [We’ll also have] new summer cocktails, a fabulous update to our courtyard lunch menu, updates in our guest rooms and a few pop-up events [that] will bring some fun to outdoor spaces.”

“We’re delighted to bring back [John] Legend and LVE [Wines] at The London WeHo Rooftop for its second summer. Our poolside rooftop transforms into an al fresco dining destination.

Our partnership with The DEN Meditation [enables] thoughtfully designed wellness offerings. In addition, we’re introducing a monthly rooftop fitness experience with Rachel McClusky.”

“We’re excited to launch a refreshed lineup of rooftop events at our pool and lounge, new seasonal menus at our Wolfgang Puck restaurants and an expanded program of live performances at Sun Rose, our intimate music venue. Guests can also look forward to elevated wellness offerings at Spa Pendry.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER RYAN PAR K ER

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER TER RY B U C H H O L Z°

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER AN N E MARI E DOY LE

SUNSET TOWER HOTEL 8358 W. Sunset Blvd., sunsettowerhotel.com

SUNSET MARQUIS 1200 Alta Loma Road, sunsetmarquis.com WHAT’S NEW:

“An independently owned and operated hotel for over 62 years, [Sunset Marquis is] hidden in the heart of West Hollywood. [Guests can] enjoy our recently renovated one-bedroom villas located in our secluded gardens, among winding pathways. [Summer is] great timing to explore our many villa packages.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER RO D G RU EN DY K E

WHAT’S NEW:

“Our new Weekend Perks offer is the perfect opportunity to experience a true L.A. weekend. Our team will coordinate your perfect itinerary, from catching a performance at the Hollywood Bowl, visiting exhibitions at LACMA or shopping on Melrose. [Plus, maître d’] Dimitri [Dimitrov’s] meticulous attention awaits at The Tower Bar.” – G EN ER AL MANAG ER BAR BAR A MARI E

THE WEST HOLLYWOOD EDITION 9040 W. Sunset Blvd., editionhotels.com WHAT’S NEW:

“We’re excited to announce the launch of The Roof’s first-ever brunch and breakfast menu. Visitors can now 6 2 L A M AG . C O M

start their day with the south-of-the-border-inspired menu in the luxe dining room that overlooks sweeping views of DTLA to Santa Monica.”

– G EN ER AL MANAG ER RO B ERT TH O MAS

Westlake Village Inn

WESTLAKE VILLAGE WESTLAKE VILLAGE INN 31943 Agoura Road, westlakevillageinn.com WHAT’S NEW:

“At The Stonehaus, we’re unveiling new featured wine flights each month, paired with live music on the patio Thursday through Sunday. Mediterraneo is adding a new Summer Sundays Brunch. We’ll also be launching a new gondola experience, offering a oneof-a-kind way to take in the lake and the beautiful surroundings.”

– DI R EC TO R O F SALE S , MAR K E TI N G AN D PR MARIA SO LO R Z AN O

C LO C KW I S E F R O M B OT TO M L E F T: CO U R T E SY S U N S E T M A R Q U I S ; CO U R T E SY K I M P TO N L A P E E R H OT E L ; CO U R T E SY W E T L A K E V I L L AG E I N N

KIMPTON LA PEER HOTEL

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SUMMER IN THE CITY 2025

DAYCATIONS

EXPLORE THESE INNOVATIVE OPTIONS WHEN YOU WANT TO BEAT THE HEAT, LOUNGE BY A POOL, TAKE A FITNESS CLASS OR GO ON AN ADVENTURE OUTDOORS

BY DA ISY L E V I N E

R E S O R T PA S S : CO U R T E SY T H E W E ST H O L LYWO O D E D I T I O N ; J O H N R E E D F I T N E S S : CO U R T E S E Y J O H N R E E D F I T N E S S ; A I R B N B : CO U R T E SY A I R B N B L . A . E X P E R I E N C E S ; C A L I FO R N I A S U R F C LU B : J. P. CO R D E R O

» ’ T I S T H E S E A S O N for sun, fun and relaxation. With summer coming in hot, Los Angeles has a sparkling new roster of staycation adventures that satisfy cultural enthusiasts and pool

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seekers alike. From laying in the sun at the city’s most luxe rooftops to seeing the Santa Monica mountains on horseback, Angelenos can also relish in the tourism perks of their city.

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R E S O RT PA S S

JOHN REED FITNESS

AIRBNB

CALIFORNIA SURF CLUB

» Plan a celebrity-approved

» Known for invigorating

» Booking an Airbnb is now

» BeachLife Festival co-

» resortpass.com

» 8612 Santa Monica Blvd., West

about more than just reserving a home to stay in.

Curating innovative L.A. experiences for locals and tourists alike, the vacation masters offer excursions like a tour of the Hollywood Sign with a comedian for $20 or admiring breathtaking outdoor artwork with famous critics. Browse Airbnb’s app or website to find a myriad of bookings, from horseback riding to museum access.

Of course, you can also find housing accommodations.

Hollywood, us.johnreed.fitness

» airbnb.com

» 239 N. Harbor Drive,

staycation at some of L.A.’s most iconic locations with ResortPass. The pool and spa day pass service grants Angelenos access to some of the city’s finest hotels. Lay out at the rooftop pool at the West Hollywood Edition (shown above) or unwind in style at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel — the longtime favorite of Elvis Presley and setting for Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. A day with ResortPass starts at just $25.

the workout experience with a nightclub spirit, John Reed Fitness’ West Hollywood branch recently unveiled its brand-new outdoor pool just in time for summer. Sit beneath bright pink umbrellas and watch the sun set on Santa Monica Boulevard after a long workout. An all-access day pass permits entry to a number of facilities, including exclusive time at the sauna, Jacuzzi and fitness classes.

founders Allen Sanford and Rob Lissner reimagined two harbor-front Redondo Beach buildings for the new California Surf Club.

A coastal take on hospitality, design, music, food and culture, the membership club is accessible via day passes for $9 per adult and $7 per child. Because it’s adjacent to the city’s seasonal Seaside Lagoon, visitors can spend the day at the family-fun pool and walk up to CSC’s restaurant for soft serve.

Redondo Beach, casurfclub.com L A M AG . C O M 6 3

What happened to Pee-wee Herman’s bike?

CUT TO THE CHASE

Pee-wee rides his bike to freedom in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

A:

It’s at the Alamo … in the basement! Actually, the radically customized midcentury cruiser from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure on display underground at New York’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is a replica — one of many.

Fourteen vintage 1946-1953 Schwinn DX bikes were sourced from Pedal Pusher bike shop in Newport Beach for the 1985 film.

Prop master Steven Levine had them rigged for special effects (like spewing oil and swinging from a vine) and crafted the tchotchkes, saddlebags and tiger horns specified by Paul Reubens and Tim Burton.

The budget only allowed for a handful of bikes to be completely outfitted, with parts being interchanged on set.

“At the end of the film, they had me put them all in 8 0 L A M AG . C O M

a bungalow,” Levine says.

“Paul got at least one and the others were taken from that bungalow.” We tracked down six survivors and are chasing rumors of more.

Two authentic cycles are with collectors in the Midwest, including Dan Lanigan, who hosted the Disney+ show Prop Culture. “If you watch the film,”

he says, “the details are constantly changing … different pieces in different scenes.”

Two sold at auction this spring for north of $125,000 each (at Van Eaton Galleries and Propstore) and two are in museums, The Bicycle Museum of America in Ohio and The Hollywood Museum on Highland Avenue.

Next month, the Hollywood Schwinn will join the treasures at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Wilshire Boulevard, where it will live alongside R2-D2 and the ruby slippers of Oz as icons of Hollywood fantasy.

CHRIS’ PICK

Bridge Party

PASADENA’S COLORADO STREET LANDMARK WILL HOST A FIESTA JULY 19 LOV E I T or hate it, the scene in La La Land where Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone walk across Pasadena’s Colorado Street Bridge sure makes it look romantic. Who wouldn’t enjoy a glamorous promenade along that spectacular span, nearly as old as the Titanic?

Saunter alongside those glowing Edwardian-era lamps as the sun sets over Eagle Rock at the Colorado Street Bridge Party on July 19. The actual bridge is not super pedestrian friendly, but for one day, enjoy it closed to traffic and filled with food and live music and a classic car show. Stroll to your hearts content and raise a few bucks to help Pasadena Heritage, the nonprofit that worked to save and restore it. Some couples will likely bring customized padlocks to join the dozens already on the fence à la the love lock bridge in Paris. pasadena heritage.org — CHRIS NICHOLS

VOLUME 70, NUMBER 7. LOS ANGELES (ISSN 1522-9149) is published monthly by Engine Vision Media. Principal office: 644 S. Figueroa St., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA, and additional mailing offices. The one-year domestic subscription price is $19.95. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LOS ANGELES, 644 S. Figueroa St., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other materials, which must be accompanied by return postage. SUBSCRIBERS: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. Copyright © 2025 Engine Vision Media. All rights reserved. Best of L.A.® is a registered trademark of Los Angeles Magazine, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. SUBSCRIBER SERVICE: (949) 862-1133. GST #R133004424. Printed in the USA.

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KY L E T H O M A S

ASTROLOGER Explore your inner self with celebrity and pop culture astrologer K Y L E T HOM A S. Throughout his career, he’s used the stars to bring fun predictions about pop culture and weekly horoscopes to readers of People

BAR FOR CELEB SIGHTINGS Set inside mobster Bugsy Siegel’s former ground-floor apartment at Sunset Tower Hotel, this establishment with a “no photos” policy makes it ripe for regular A-lister sightings. But in addition to privacy, the Hollywood elite and locals alike flock to TOWER BAR for

MY BEST OF L.A.

TO D D L E R E W

 When he’s not crafting special projects for the Los Angeles

Public Library Foundation, Todd Lerew is visiting museums — more than 800 are detailed at everymuseum.la and 64 favorites are in his 2024 book, Also On View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles. — C H R I S N I C H O L S

an excellent stiff cocktail. It’s hard not to feel like a celebrity yourself while sitting at a white tablecloth, surrounded

by Art Deco design. Pro tip: Head to the left for intimacy, or to the right side for a buzzy experience.

8358 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323-8486677, sunsettowerhotel.com

BAR FOR DOGS (AND THEIR HUMANS) If you’re looking for the best pawty for your furry friend, a trip to MON T Y ’ S DOG BE ACH & B A R is worth the ride to Long Beach. With the philosophy “Dogs are people, too!,” this family-owned business on the beach offers a chill environment with comfy beach chairs, a doggie agility playground, music, food and, of course, cute dogs for days. Monty’s is open from morning until night, serving all the bar favorites for humans and a special dog menu.

5000 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, 562-589-2377, monty.hr

BOUGIE BIKER BAR

TO D D L E R E W AT T H E S U R F I N G H E R I TAG E A N D C U LT U R E C E N T E R

KURUVUNGNA VILLAGE SPRINGS “It’s an important Tongva village site in the middle of urban West Los Angeles.”

MARTIAL ARTS HISTORY MUSEUM “From Thai boxing to karate to dragon dancing — a huge

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range of artifacts and a whole Hollywood section.”

THE MUSEUM OF JURASSIC TECHNOLOGY “It’s the grandaddy — a beautifully designed physical embodiment of the concept of museums.”

BIK E SHED MO T O C O. is a biker bar, for sure, where only the sound of revving motorcycle engines is heard in its parking lot. But this 30,000-square-foot emporium for all things moto-culture has a fantastic restaurant, a barber shop, a store, an event space and even a private membersonly club — all of it filled with odes to the open road.

We love the bougie bikers that gather in this old warehouse in the heart of the thriving Arts District.

1580 Industrial St., DTLA, 213465-7661, bikeshedmoto.com

CLUB VENUE Since 1957, the T R OUB A DOUR has made it a sacred experience to get sweaty inside its wood-paneled, 500-cap space. The independent venue is legendary for its history of star-making moments (see: Elton John, etc.) and has continued to excite with shows from Harry Styles, Maren Morris, Chappell Roan and more of music’s best rising talent over the last 65 years. Relish live acts in your spot of choice, whether you prefer kicking back on the secondlevel bleachers or squeezing in among fellow fans on the ground floor.

9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, troubadour.com

COLD PLUNGE ICEPA S S L . A . makes contrast therapy accessible, offering traditional Finnish saunas and commercial-grade cold plunges. With locations across Santa Monica and Venice open day and night, IcePass also fosters community through happenings like Salsa & Sauna, Coffee & Cold Plunge and IceBreakers, a cold plunge speed-dating event.

The array of amenities and activities speak to the wellness club’s philosophy of recharging through mindfulness, ritual and connection.

Members receive unlimited access to all facilities, classes and socials.

Multiple locations, icepassla.com

COMEDY CLUB Why visit any other comedy club when you have the industry’s most

C LO C KW I S E F R O M TO P : CO U RT E SY TC L C H I N E S E T H E AT R E ; CO U RT E SY N E T F L I X / T H E EGY PT I A N T H E AT R E ;

magazine. Thomas uses his passion for the art of astrology to guide people on how to become the best versions of themselves. A membership to his Patreon comes with monthly predictions, horoscopes and exclusive content. kylethomasastrology.com

KY L E T H O M AS : L I N DSAY R OS E N B E R G P H OTO G RA P H Y; TO D D L E R E W: RYA N S C H U D E

Play

DON’T MAKE US PICK JUST ONE E A ST E S LOV E TO remind us of the power of seeing a big movie in a big theater with M OV I E CanI Naudience, and that experience doesn’t get much better than at one of L.A.’s fabulous PALACES movie palaces. For architectural overload, take a seat at these icons.

— CHRIS NICHOLS

THE EGYPTIAN THEATRE  If streaming is the biggest threat to the theatrical experience, how

are we to feel about Netflix’s glorious $70 million restoration of the birthplace of the Hollywood premiere? For about the cost of two episodes of Stranger Things, the streamer has a dazzling party palace that it lets the American Cinematheque use on weekends.

6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323- 306-4302, egyptiantheatre.com

T H E AVA LO N T H E AT R E AT THE CATALINA CASINO

TCL CHINESE THEATRE  The world’s most famous movie palace opened with a Cecil B. DeMille epic in 1927.

In recent years, the baroque landmark has gained stadium seating and one of the largest IMAX screens in the United States. It continues to show first-run films in the heart of Hollywood.

C LO C KW I S E F R O M TO P : CO U RT E SY TC L C H I N E S E T H E AT R E ; CO U RT E SY N E T F L I X / T H E EGY PT I A N T H E AT R E ; CO U RT E SY C ATA L I N A I S LA N D CO M PA N Y; CO U RT E SY D I S N E Y, © 2 02 5 A L L R I G H TS R E S E RV E D ; CO U RT E SY I C E PASS L . A .

6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323-461-3331, tclchinesetheatres.com

I C E PA S S L . A .

 Twenty-six miles across the sea (but still in L.A. County), this mammoth art deco auditorium on Catalina Island continues to unspool classics on weekends and offers guided VIP tours every day. Before designing this seaside amusement, architect Sumner Spaulding created Greenacres, the Beverly Hills mansion of silent movie star Harold Lloyd.

1 Casino Way, Avalon, 310-510-0179, theavalontheatre.com

EL CAPITAN THEATRE  Disney rescued this 99-year-old legitimate theater playhouse,

first converted into a cinema during World War II, in the 1990s.

The venue became its flagship, hosting gala premieres and offering glamorous extras like costume displays and live music at every performance. All that, and there’s an ice cream parlor off the lobby.

6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 818-845-3110, elcapitantheatre.com

famous breeding ground for talent right on the Sunset Strip? T HE C OMEDY S T OR E offers a quintessential standup show experience — comedian on stage, you at a table with at least two drinks — in a space where you never know who might show up. On most nights of the week, you’ll still find the line down the street before showtime.

8433 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323-656-6225, thecomedystore.com

T HE R OGER R OOM ushers imbibers past an unmarked door and into a cozy space with stained glass windows, a freak show mural and suspendered bartenders, who whip up craft cocktails that are easy to savor against low lighting.

The current seasonal menu includes a mint spritz and gin and tonic dashed with peppercorn, basil and citrus.

370 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Grove, 310-854-1300, therogerroom.com

DIMLY LIT BAR

HIDDEN GEM VENUE

For 15 years, this Largo at the Coronet-adjacent haunt has proven that expert cocktails and local pub vibes are not mutually exclusive.

The Hollywood Bowl may be the city’s most famous amphitheater, but this Hollywood Hills open-air venue is not to be missed.

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T HE F OR D is tucked away off Cahuenga Boulevard, fostering intimacy with its 1,200-seat capacity. In fact, no attendee sits more than 96 feet from the turret-flanked stage. This season’s signature eclectic lineup includes Aly & AJ, the Improvised Shakespeare Company and Studio Ghibli film screenings.

2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood Hills, 323-8502000, theford.com

MEET THE MAKER J E SS E B U SS W I T H H I S FA M I LY

HIKE WITH A VIEW

SLAM DUNK J E SS E B U SS

W H I L E G R OW I N G U P, Jesse Buss’ dad — the legendary Jerry Buss, who owned the Lakers empire at its height — taught him a lot, particularly about basketball, and he went on to inherit his dad’s passion and love for teaching. Here, he recounts how he came to become co-owner, director of scouting and assistant general manager for the team and how he’s investing in today’s youth. @ jessebusslal

When did you first develop a love of basketball?

I have loved basketball as long as I can remember.

It’s something my father and I bonded over throughout my childhood. I remember as a child watching countless hours of NBA games with him daily.

ethic, and that when it comes to basketball, winning is everything.

I wanted to work for the team ever since I was young because my dad instilled a competitive nature in me and I wanted to be a part of contributing to the Lakers being the best franchise in the NBA.

What did you learn from him, and how did you decide to pursue a career with the Lakers?

What inspires you to foster the future of basketball through your AAU team?

I learned many things from my dad such as work

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I just have a great passion for the game, and that

has been ignited further due to both of my sons. I want our [Left Coast] Legends players to have the best possible experience that they can have playing basketball.

Los Angeles is full of easily accessible hikes where everyday fitness is the main driver, so when you have some extra time on your hands, you might as well prioritize exercise with a side of beauty. Look no further than the P OIN T DUME C OV E T R A IL . The moderate outand-back trail runs just over a mile, teaming the rolling hills of the Santa Monica Mountains with unbeatable ocean views.

Cliffside Drive and Birdview Avenue, Malibu, 310-457-8144, parks.ca.gov

MASSAGE MEMBERSHIP With seven locations across the county, T HE NOW lives up to its reputation as a neighborhood oasis.

Angelenos from any part of

town have seamless access to these tranquil boutiques, distinguished by a natural but luxe beachside aesthetic.

Regular customizable treatments — which range from a signature Swedish massage to cupping and gua sha enhancements — are designed for relaxation, health improvement and stress relief. With monthly or bimonthly membership options that offer rollover credits, merchandise discounts and other perks, it’s self-care made easy.

Multiple locations, thenowmassage.com

LOUNGE ACT Generations ago, piano music wafted from L.A. restaurants and bars, creating communities around musicians like Marty & Elayne at the Dresden in Los Feliz. Today the tradition is nearly extinct, but when we came across SILV I A MOOR E singing the hits of Marlene Dietrich at the Red Lion Tavern in Silver Lake, we were captivated by her ability to hold an audience, waving a boa and slinking around the wood-paneled room as she belted out “La Vie en Rose.”

2366 Glendale Blvd., Silver Lake, 323-662-5337, redliontavern.net

Why did you want to build a gym at the Bel-Air Presbyterian Church?

I wanted to be a part of building something special that the community could have as their own. I also wanted to be a part of teaching the game of basketball to the younger generation. — DAISY LEVINE

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LONG-STANDING MEMBERS CLUB

 Nick Jones launched the first S OHO HOUSE

members club in London’s Soho in 1995, and the elite brand geared toward creatives — offering spaces to drink, dine, work and relax, not to mention hotel, spa and home décor components — has expanded around the world. The first L.A. house, in West Hollywood, has been a hot spot for 15 years; Holloway is a nearby addition with a more discreet vibe; Little Beach House remains a Malibu favorite; and Soho Warehouse is a hip downtown outpost in a former 1916 storage unit-turned-recording studio.

Multiple locations, sohohouse.com

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NEW MEMBERS CLUB

As one of the largest museum in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences and artists of moviemaking, it’s no surprise the Academy institution is a cinephile’s paradise. Between rotating exhibitions, workshops and screenings in the stunning Ted Mann and David Geffen Theaters, the AC A DEM Y MUSEUM OF MO T ION P IC T UR E S drops visitors into movie magic by bringing the likes of Dorothy’s ruby red slippers and R2-D2 right in front of them. In September, Jaws: The Exhibition arrives for the film’s 50th anniversary.

6067 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile, 323-930-3000, academymuseum.org

When hotelier Jeff Klein (Sunset Tower Hotel) opened San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood in 2018, the members club quickly became a favorite for celebrities and events like HBO’s Emmy party. Its sibling, S A N V ICEN T E S A N TA MONIC A , debuted in an oceanfront building in downtown Santa Monica in late 2024. Klein and designer Lisa Koch evoke romantic oldworld seaside hotels with cozy booths and moody lighting.

The club also includes a main dining room with wraparound terrace, billiards room, library bar, screening room and rooftop bar.

1401 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, sanvicenteclubs.com

AC A D E M Y M U S E U M O F M OT I O N P I C T U R E S

NEW SPORTING AND CONCERT VENUE This high-tech venue opened its doors last year when concert-goers sat in the 1.4-million-square-foot

WHAT’S TRENDING

MOVIE RELICS

dome for the first time and saw Bruno Mars. Next, IN T UI T DOME will host artists like Nelly, Kali Uchis and Linkin Park in August and September before the Clippers return for another season at their home court in October. With features like the fan-forward Wall seating, individualized entry via smartphone and rotating culinary offerings from local Inglewood restaurants, Intuit Dome is an entertainment powerhouse.

3930 W. Century Blvd., Inglewood, 888-311-0231, intuitdome.com

NEW VALLEY SPOT R E F O R M P I L AT E S CAPTION HERE

P I L AT E S T H E P I L AT E S C AV E

This Santa Monica Boulevard studio offers the mat method — 45 minutes of a combination of classical and contemporary pilates techniques that are enhanced with props and breathwork in a serene, woman-owned sanctuary.

11663 Santa Monica Blvd., Sawtelle, 424-440-3821, thepilatescave.com

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W H O WO U L D W I N in a fight: mat pilates, reformer or Lagree enthusiasts?

Let’s settle the debate with three powerhouse studios. - G R E TC H E N D E U T SC H

R E F O R M P I L A T E S If you are a reformer guy or girl, this West Hollywood studio is a space where you leave the chaos behind, find your strength and reconnect through your choice of traditional, lowerbody or restorative classes.

8250 W. 3rd St. #202, West Hollywood, 323-527-0629, reformpilates.la

THE STUDIO M

Megaformer lovers can experience Sebastian Lagree’s signature low-impact burn at five locations, blending sculpting intensity with classic stretch and lengthening techniques. Try these three studios and see which version of yourself comes out strongest.

Multiple locations, thestudiomdr.com

Mírate’s chef Alan Sanz and bar director Max Reis unveiled DA IS Y M A R G A R I TA B A R in April, showing off the power of the margarita through a dozen variations of the cocktail, ranging from the classic Tommy’s Margarita to the enticing Baja Slaw.

It’s all paired with imaginative versions of classic Mexican dishes — with seafood offerings like the octopus taco being a standout. Don’t miss the late-night happy hour for great pricing and exclusive

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offerings or weekend brunch for a Michelada extravaganza.

14633 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, 818-4503994, daisyla.com

OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUE The HOL LY W OOD BOW L has dazzled Los Angeles for more than a century with its serene, outdoor Hollywood Hills setting and bandshell stage, making for captivating performances that range from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and jazz musicians to worldfamous pop stars. The relaxed concert setting is elevated by chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne’s excellent food and beverage program, which includes complimentary wine tastings on Wednesdays and Sundays.

2301 Highland Ave., Hollywood, 323-850-2000, hollywoodbowl.com

BAR NEXT DOOR: FRED LICHT

PERSONAL TRAINING S TA R K, a club with a cult following among fitness aficionados, takes a full-body, holistic approach to personal training. The program, which starts with a DEXA scan and labs to assess body composition and outline health goals, includes one-on-one coaching in addition to nutrition counseling, chiropractic care and other measures to improve physical and mental well-being, cardiovascular health, gut health, strength, stress and more. Founded in Orange County in 2011, Stark has an airy location in West Hollywood, as well as facilities in Irvine and Newport.

Multiple locations, stark.health

RETRO BOWLING ALLEY For a brief moment in the 1960s, bowling alleys were glamorous wonderlands with free childcare, fine-dining restaurants and live entertainment in Las Vegas-style showrooms.

Luxury bowling has made a comeback with Bowlero, but we love L A H A BR A “ 3 00 ” BO W L as a survivor-class original. The 65-year-old classic still sports a

Take in some sights, or order some items from The Rooftop’s new Thai, Japanese and Koreaninspired menu created by executive chef Peleg Miron.

Pair summer drinks like the Watermelon Mirage or Two to Mango Margarita with Branzino, Maine lobster rolls, tuna crispy rice and new brunch items.

9850 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-860-6798, waldorfastoriabeverlyhills.com

SUNSET STRIP WATERING HOLE Neighbor to both rock clubs and affluent destinations, B A R NE X T DOOR is the perfect medium along the Strip. It vibrates with the spirit of a neighborhood bar, while still offering best-inclass cocktails. The bartenders make a mean martini (gin, espresso or dirty) that is perfect for cozying up to the long wooden bar or hiding in the dark back room. But don’t count out the signature cocktails, despite the flowery names. The orchid-topped Hustler Hollywood and picture-perfect Chateau Marmont are both tasty and Instagram-ready.

9159 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 424-278-1790, barnextdoor.com

TOURIST ATTRACTION BAR NEXT DOOR

glamorous neon sign, sparkling Googie architecture, a delicious coffee shop and a dark and cozy vintage lounge that lights up for karaoke nights.

370 E. Whittier Blvd., 562- 6916721, La Habra, lhbowl.com

ROOFTOP WITH A VIEW Sure, you might visit the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills for La Prairie Spa or ground-level restaurant Espelette, but take the elevator up 12 floors to T HE R OOF T OP BE V ER LY HIL L S to enjoy panoramic city views.

C O N T R I B U TO R S

SUMMER MOVIE SERIES Since 2002, CINE SP I A has led the way as L.A.’s most magical outdoor cinematic experience by screening classic and cult-favorite films year-round at iconic venues.

This August, enjoy your favorite thrillers at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, including The Lost Boys and Psycho.

“These films aren’t just fan favorites, but cultural touchstones meant to be shared and celebrated amid fellow fans under an open night sky,” said Cinespia founder John Wyatt.

Multiple locations, cinespia.org

Perhaps unless you work on a studio set Monday through Friday, getting a first-hand look at this showcase of 102 years of movie and TV history leaves you in true cinematic wonderment. The WA R NER BR O S. S T UDIO T OUR HOL LY W OOD gives a behind-the-scenes look at film’s most enduring franchises, TV’s current popular shows and industry-icon titles that vary from Harry Potter and the DC Universe to ER, Friends, Gilmore Girls, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Last Samurai and more. In the spring, a Superman exhibit joined the lineup.

3400 Warner Blvd., Burbank, 818-977-8687, wbstudiotour.com

Elizabeth Ahern, Anastasia Van Batenburg, Haley Bosselman, Gretchen Deutsch, Hillah Greenberg, Samara Grossman, Lily Lee, Daisy Levine, Michele McPhee, Chris Nichols, Molly Phan, Ava Mitchell, Jasmin Rosemberg and Eli Young

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TOP RESORT

CAL AMIGOS GUEST R ANCH AND BE ACH CLUB

WITH A NEW RESTAURANT, REFRESHED SPA, REVAMPED ROOMS AND COVETED PRIVATE MEMBERS CLUB, THE NEARLY 90-YEAR-OLD MALIBU MAINSTAY IS NOW A TRANSPORTING FIVE-STAR RESORT WITH A COUNTRY CLUB FEEL — THAT HASN’T LOST ITS FAMILY VALUES By Jasmin Rosemberg

I N 1 9 3 7, NAV Y V E T E R A N and businessman J. Grant Gerson and his wife, Helen Walter Gerson, founded Calamigos Covered Wagon Club in the rustic Malibu mountains.

“I was working for the YMCA, [and] at the end of the season, I decided to start my own camp,” said the late founder, who grew up in L.A.’s Wilshire District, in a video for the brand. As he didn’t yet have money to purchase property, he launched Calamigos as a travel camp for children, and aspired to foster family and community while sharing the area’s natural beauty.

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

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AU NAT U R E L

B I K I N I : L A R E V Ê C H E ; H AT: B O OT H I L L , C A L A M I G O S : M O D E L : E R L A G A R C I A ; G L A M : C H R I STO P H E R M I L E S ; ST Y L I N G : B R A N D E N R U I Z

Clockwise from top left: the stunning grounds; the rustic lobby; the sprawling property is 300 acres; the house bar.

Opposite page: The Resort Pool is one of five pools.

The name came to him from a story relayed by Captain Fremont Scott — a wagon captain who recalled how, upon being gifted a horseshoe nail necklace, a Native American chief from the Chumash tribe that inhabited Southern California had proclaimed, “How Calamigos.” (“Come as my brother, come as my friend.”) “So when I started my own camp, I thought that would be a good name,” Gerson said.

Ten years later, in 1947, he bought 15 acres and established a physical home for the children’s camp at Calamigos Star C Ranch — which has grown over nearly eight decades into a sprawling 300-acre property hidden in the hills above Pacific Coast Highway. Family-run for five generations, the nearly 90-year-old Calamigos Guest Ranch and Beach Club just received its biggest reimagination yet, and is looking to the future while honoring its tradition and family values.

“I was drawn to Calamigos Guest Ranch because of its rich history and the breathtaking natural beauty that surrounds the property,” says David Stork, who came aboard as general manager after roles at Patina Restaurant Group and Wally’s Wine & Spirits. He believes the mix of rustic charm and modern amenities create a unique atmosphere. “[But] what truly sets Calamigos apart is its commitment to providing an unforgettable experience for guests, whether they’re looking for adventure in nature or relaxation at our luxurious facilities,” he adds.

While the property has been updated through the years, Stork P H O T O G R A P H E D BY I RV I N R I V E R A

is one of the new team additions that accompanied its top-to-bottom transformation in spring 2025 — prioritizing sustainability while implementing modern design updates and introducing luxury brand partners (from the electric Cadillac Escalades that serve as house cars to Frette in-room amenities). As a result, the once-discreet resort has grown increasingly popular and been racking up accolades, most recently being crowned The Hollywood Reporter’s #1 hotel in Southern California.

Notes Stork, “Calamigos has completely redefined and enhanced our guest accommodations, and has introduced a variety of new spaces and amenities — including new wellness and activity programs that focus on holistic health and adventure.”

Guest accommodations consist of 52 ethereal cottages, bungalows and estate rooms immersed in nature and equipped with dreamy outdoor lounge furniture, outdoor showers, fire pits and private gardens. Inside, the tranquil newly redecorated rooms offer Flamingo Estate toiletries, rain showers, soaking tubs and custom beds, and come stocked with local snacks and refreshments — including wine made on site at the Calamigos Ranch vineyard.

To take in some sun, hotel guests can lounge at multiple cabana-lined pools (one being adults-only). Steps up from the main Resort Pool is a new pool house bar that serves lunch and SoCal-inspired libations in a space decorated to tell the ranch’s story.

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HORSE AROUND

Clockwise from top left: A carousel on site; outdoor seating; the beach club; a one-bedroom cottage.

Opposite page: The Ranch Club Restaurant features historical relics.

Volkswagen shuttle for a 10-minute trip over to Calamigos’ European-style private beach club — located where Corral Canyon Road meets Pacific Coast Highway. Just as hotels on Italy’s Amalfi Coast offer beach club experiences, the seaside retreat is complete with a scenic restaurant, lounge, pool and chaise setups.

The entire food and dining program at Calamigos has been revamped, under the culinary direction of chefs Rosie Gyulasaryan, Jon Peloso and Daniel Choo. While the ranch previously had a public-facing restaurant, the Malibu Café, for many years — until 2023 — a brand-new concept offers an elevated experience to hotel guests. The Ranch Club Restaurant conjures the opulence and equestrian vibe of The Polo Bar in New York with dark green walls and rich wooden accents. Historical relics from the ranch line the walls and a booth where performer Willie Nelson famously sat has been preserved.

Chef Gyulasaryan, who hails from Patina Restaurant Group and Wolfgang Puck Catering, aimed to create an authentic farm-totable experience highlighting local ingredients — from herbs grown on the property to sustainable seafood sourced nearby. “I wanted to 7 4 L A M AG . C O M

craft a menu that not only delights the palate but also tells a story about the region and its bounties,” Gyulasaryan says. “It’s important for me to foster a connection between our guests and the food they enjoy, enhancing their overall experience at the ranch.”

Some of her favorite seasonal items at the all-day Ranch Club Restaurant include a lemon mafaldine pasta, lamb tagine and burrata with summer nectarines; and the menus also include popular dishes like the Nameless salad (with avocado, Napa cabbage, kale and fennel) and a homemade-feeling chicken and dumplings with black truffle. The Ranch Club’s lunch menu of hearty salads, sandwiches and burgers is also served poolside.

Another new culinary addition is Gentry Market, a small Erewhon-like café that offers coffee drinks (like a popular strawberry matcha latte) and grab-and-go items (from pastries and breakfast sandwiches to spring rolls and sushi) — that can even be packaged for a picnic.

Those who do wish to plan a picnic — or any activity, from horseback riding to mat pilates to surf lessons and guided hikes or e-bike tours — need only visit activities and experiences

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

I was drawn to Calamigos Guest Ranch because of its rich history and the breathtaking natural beauty that surrounds the property. — General manager David Stork

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

director Peter Deacy. Calamigos also has pickleball courts, carousels and several stunning event spaces on its grounds.

Adjacent to a gym with the latest Technogym equipment is Spa Calamigos — headed by spa director Martine Blanchett. The refreshed facility with eight treatment rooms and a soothing lounge enables guests to experience red light and Himalayan salt therapy — plus a sauna and cold plunges — before heading into treatments that range from CBD massages to reiki energy sessions to a Malibu Glow facial.

An on-site boutique carries stylish swimwear, resortwear, jewelry and accessories. And the lobby is a woodsy home base, with a cozy fireplace and an array of beverage offerings.

While not heavily publicized, Calamigos’ private members club is entering its fourth year — and has a backlog of nearly 450 applicants, who are selected via a discerning process. “We’ve seen overwhelming demand,” says head of private membership Adir Tal of the experience, that’s more like a country club or a modern-day Discovery Land Company.

A safe but social outlet for adults and their families, the private club is comprised of many C-suite business executives and celebrities. “The most significant enhancement to membership at Calamigos [is] a completely private and secure member campus,” says Tal of the VIP spaces accessed by QR code, that include a great room lounge, pool, cabanas, comfort station with complimentary snacks and rooftop with expansive views and

golf simulators (though members also have access to Sherwood Lake Club’s executive golf course).

In addition to a secure members campus, members have their own private areas within all of the hotel spaces, from the restaurant to the beach club. Four curated members events are organized every month. “As a safe haven for families, membership has evolved significantly with meaningful annual events like KidChella and KidCoach, and Daddy and Me Campout,” notes Tal. “Calamigos Private Members is a community of families seeking connection and making lasting memories in a space that feels effortless and welcoming.”

And it’s true — Calamigos feels like a family, with hospitable servers who pay meticulous attention to detail and deliver personal touches, such as a package with a canteen of hot coffee and a fresh buttery croissant left by guests’ doors in the morning. Club members receive their own vine on the vineyard and family garden plot, and they come multiple times a week to use the facilities or drop off their kids at the still-popular camp that once started it all.

“The sense of community is palpable,” notes Stork. “Our goal is to continue to create an even more immersive resort experience that allows guests to connect with nature — and with each other.”

327 Latigo Canyon Road, Malibu, 818-540-2440, calamigosguestranch.com L A M AG . C O M 7 5

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P H O T O G R A P H E D BY E L I YO U N G

A protester at a No Kings Day event in Riverside holds the American flag upside down, symbolizing great distress in the country.

ANGELENOS TAKE A

STAND Inside the city’s summer of uprising against federal immigration raids

by Michele McPhee L A M AG . C O M 7 7

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Ed after emigrating to the U.S. from South Korea as a young man — pleaded guilty in October 2020 to eight criminal counts, including conspiracy, money laundering and customs offenses. His crimes, mostly centered on his avoidance of paying both tariffs and taxes, the government says, helped him buy his Westside mansion, where he parked a horde of luxury cars. He even stashed away $36 million in cash that the federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security found “squirrelled away in shoeboxes and garbage bags.” Noh, now in his late 60s, was hit with a year in federal prison when he faced a U.S. District Court judge in December 2021 and was ordered to pay a staggering $118 million in fines. He was allowed to keep his company, but only by agreeing to federal oversight.

Clearly Noh’s plea deal put Ambiance Apparel on the administration’s radar when Trump’s minion, California native and unabashed nationalist Stephen Miller, began compiling target lists to achieve a seemingly impossible number of arrests — 3,000 a day.

Before federal agents arrived at Ambiance Apparel on the morning of June 6, undercover agents had already P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

I RV I N R I V E R A

ON THE AF TERNOON OF JUNE 14, Mayor Karen Bass looked exhausted. She had spent much of the day running around in red, white and blue sneakers — a gracious nod that marked Flag Day — so by the time she zipped a City of Los Angeles-logoed jacket up over a cobalt blouse to step up to a bank of press microphones with a passionate plea for her people, it had already been a very long day. Flag Day happened to fall on President Donald Trump’s birthday. But rather than celebrating, Angelenos were planning to take to the streets to protest the authoritarian and hostile takeover of the city by National Guard soldiers and U.S. Marines sent into Downtown L.A. by the White House, an occasion that had been dubbed “No Kings Day.” Bass had been dealing with unrelenting chaos for eight straight days by then: city residents scooped up without warning, injured cops, vandalism, looting. The mayor desperately needed the No Kings Day protests to be passionate but peaceful — for its participants to behave in a way that would debunk the tiny snippets of mayhem that were being broadcast nationwide, that only told a tiny sliver of the story unfolding in her city. That chaos, she announced, was the direct result of the President’s unfettered cruelty toward undocumented immigrants.

“The eyes of the world are on Los Angeles,” Bass warned. After all, she reminded her constituents, the city will be home to FIFA’s 2026 World Cup games and the Summer Olympics two years later — two major international events that will bring much needed tourism and revenue into a city facing a seemingly insurmountable budget shortfall. She was flanked that afternoon by the Los Angeles Police Department’s top cop, Chief Jim McDonnell, the son of Irish immigrants, who quickly echoed his boss’ concerns: “Violence and destruction do not make your voice louder; they distract from your cause,” he said.

The start of L.A.’s descent into seemingly endless disorder began hours after federal judge Margo A. Rocconi, a magistrate for California’s Central District, signed four search warrants on June 5 that targeted “business premises suspected of unlawfully employing illegal aliens and falsifying employment records related to the status of its employees, among other federal crimes,” according to a court affidavit.

The first stop for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents the following morning was 2415 East 15th St., a warehouse for Ambiance Apparel on the outskirts of DTLA’s trendy Arts District. Ambiance is a sprawling international clothing company which bills itself as a “manufacturer, importer and wholesaler of casual basic apparel for women & juniors,” and its owner was very well-known to federal officials in the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.

The company’s owner — a wildly wealthy Bel Air man named Sang Bum Noh, who went by the name

Protesters pose for a photo during the peaceful protest in Downtown Los Angeles’ Gloria Molina Grand Park.

fanned out around the warehouse to keep watch on potential dangers when the raids jumped off. But those undercovers were noticed, and “word quickly spread on social media,” a senior DHS agent wrote in court records, that “ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] raids” were happening downtown.

Within minutes, the building was swarmed by protesters who rallied against the bundling of workers into unmarked vans. At 11:49 a.m., court records show, a powerful longtime labor leader, Service Employees International Union President California David Huerta, was on scene. And he was pissed. Words were exchanged between Huerta and ICE agents. At one point, Huerta took a cross-legged seat on the ground outside the gate, the government claims, and yelled: “Everybody sit down, sit down!” The confrontation between protesters and federal police intensified, and when a government van tried to access the warehouse parking lot, Huerta stepped in front of it. Within minutes, he was hurled to the ground and handcuffed — the first high-profile arrest in what is now months of unrest in Los Angeles, and one that sent Huerta to the hospital before he was held in a federal lockup

until the following Monday afternoon.

Huerta’s arrest ignited a firestorm. As he sat in a cell, hundreds of people gathered at Grand Park and marched toward the Metropolitan Detention Center — peacefully — and to the federal courthouse, where the search warrants had been signed to demand his release. Tensions were already escalating. Waymo cars were set ablaze downtown. Nearby buildings were defaced. Soon, there was looting and highly publicized attacks on police officers. All of it emboldened Trump to take over the California National Guard and send in the U.S. Marines in a highly unusual show of force. But Angelenos — most of whom behaved peacefully — fought back against the intrusion by taking to the streets in civil actions and marches that pushed back against what many viewed as unnecessary cruelty being inflicted on their neighbors.

How could Los Angeles not be horrified by the Home Depot raids; seeing children being ripped from the arms of their foster parents, car washes without workers, store shelves bare as employees became afraid to show up for work, street meat carts

“Violence and destruction do not make your voice louder; they distract from your cause.”

— LAPD chief Jim McDonnell

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— Miguel Fuentes, 28, Boyle Heights

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A protester stands on top of her car carrying a Mexican flag at a No Kings Day protest in Riverside.

abandoned across the city? How could they not respond by taking to the streets with expressions of love for the diversity that has long been the very lifeblood of L.A.?

In Little Tokyo, which had been hard hit by agitators, volunteers worked to scrub graffiti from small businesses. “We are in this together,” said Yuko Tanaka, 55, as she painted over an expletive painted on the side of a boba shop. “Everyone.”

In the Valley, Christy Vega, owner of the familyowned Casa Vega, the famed Sherman Oaks Mexican eatery, got behind Immigrant Defenders, an organization that supports families who have been ripped apart by the raids, after she saw heartbreaking examples of what she described as “a combination of fear and malaise,” adding that most people thought ICE was focused on rooting violent criminals out of the U.S., not “racial profiling.”

Along the Venice Beach Boardwalk, a man on a skateboard handed 10-dollar bills to Latino hot dog vendors, street artists and a young woman waving a Mexican flag with two kids in tow, and kept rolling.

Artist Darick Breland, 51, who works in Venice and lives in Culver City, said he’s been through L.A. tumult before and has no doubt his neighbors will not be afraid “to rise up” — but, he added, the ongoing demonstrations in his city now have a deeper meaning.

“This is about community. Protecting our people,” he said. “Trump took this shit too far.”

Near City Hall, a parked bus outfitted with a basketball hoop invited protesters to take shots. In Beverly Hills, a protester dressed as a dinosaur held a sign that read “I eat fascists.” Pasadena, Santa Monica, Echo Park, Silver Lake — nearly every neighborhood in Los Angeles County — showed up in droves at protests in support of their neighbors. “What the White House is doing is inhumane, and it is only going to bring Angelenos closer together,” said Martin Feldman, 42, of Huntington Park, the neighborhood that saw a terrifying sight when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem donned a bulletproof vest and rode with federal agents, looking for a man who was the subject of an arrest warrant.

The target wasn’t home, but his pregnant wife

E L I YO U N G

“We are L.A. Black.

Brown.

White.

Yellow.

Whatever.

This is a fight for human decency.

What is happening is just not decent.”

BY T H E N U M B E R S

BREAKING DOWN

Los Angeles is a city made for immigrants, by immigrants. So when ICE sweeps went into overdrive, June marked a critical moment for the soul of the city. Here are the numbers to prove it. b y H A L E Y B O S S E L M A N

200, 0 00 3.6 2,000 MILLION 5 MILLION 203

CA NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS PLACED UNDER FEDERAL LOS ANGELES COUNTY SERVICE BY TRUMP ON JUNE 7 RESIDENTS ARE IMMIGRANTS (NATIONAL GUARD)

NO KINGS DAY PROTESTERS IN DTLA (NO KINGS ORGANIZATION)

(USC DORNSIFE, 2022)

57 700

APPROXIMATION OF NO KINGS DAY PROTESTERS AROUND THE WORLD (MOVE ON)

ARRESTS ON NIGHT ONE OF DTLA CURFEW

(LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT)

$BILLION115

L.A. COUNTY IMMIGRANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY IN 2019 (USC DORNSIFE, 2022)

PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE DETAINED BY ICE IN FIRST 10 DAYS OF JUNE WITH NO CRIMINAL HISTORY (DEPORTATION DATA PROJECT)

1,618

MARINES SENT TO PROTECT FEDERAL PROPERTY IN LOS ANGELES IN EARLY JUNE (DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE)

UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE L.A. AREA DETAINED BY IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TEAMS, JUNE 6-22 (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY)

O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

Longtime nonprofits and new initiatives work to defend L.A.’s immigrant community b y H A L E Y B O S S E L M A N

The sudden, aggressive expansion of ICE raids put the livelihoods of immigrant Angelenos under threat. As a result, professional and volunteer defenders kicked efforts into high gear. Here are seven organizations leading the way.

COALITION FOR HUMANE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

Since 1986, CHIRLA has worked to build an immigrant-inclusive world through political advocacy, education, legal services and youth programs. The community-driven group has been at the forefront of uncovering what happened to detainees and was part of a group visit to the Adelanto Detention Center in June, promising to help find loved ones and uncover the inhumane conditions at the facility. chirla.org

COMUNIDADES INDÍGENAS EN LIDERAZGO

This Indigenous women-led nonprofit advocates for social justice through a cultural lens. Alongside highlighting voices from Indigenous communities, CIELO has supported the Indigenous community in L.A. by delivering food boxes to those afraid to leave home; providing support to community members interacting with foreign consulates; sharing “Know Your Rights” information in multiple languages in person and over Zoom; and raising funds to aid in covering rent, especially for those whose heads of household have been detained. mycielo.org

ESPERANZA IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT

A project of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project has worked to strengthen access to legal services for immigrants over the past 20 years through direct representation, community education and by creating a network of pro bono attorneys. The onset of ICE raids propelled the group’s sense of urgency. In turn, Esperanza has doubled down on its mission, adding rapid-response support including legal orientations, “Know Your Rights” presentations and consultations virtually and in person. Esperanza participates in various rapid response networks and has on-call assistance for community members who are arrested and detained. esperanza-la.org 8 2 L A M AG . C O M

IMMIGRANT DEFENDERS LAW CENTER

As the state’s largest nonprofit, probono provider of deportation defense, Immigrant Defenders Law Center has long been crucial to our immigrant city.

The organization routinely offers free legal representation, legal education and consultations and is at the forefront of immigrant advocacy, litigation and children’s rights. Since early June, ImmDef has also been exposing inhumane treatment by federal agents and inhumane conditions at federal immigration buildings. As the month came to a close, it sounded the alarm on the toxic, neglectful and abusive conditions at Adelanto, one of ICE’s largest detention centers in the country. immdef.org

MAD COLLECTIVE

Nourishing the city with meals, community and essential products, Mad Collective reignited its grassroots efforts when ICE settled into the city by organizing funds and volunteers to cover meals, shop and distribute groceries and step in for displaced staff at restaurants and other service jobs. madcollectivela.org

PICO CALIFORNIA

PICO California envisions a moral economy for the Golden State, which it works toward through community building and building power across race, class and faith. This network of organizations led prayer walks, successfully helped call on the Dodgers to take a stand against ICE and stood in supportive silent witness at migrant court hearings. picocalifornia.org

UNIÓN DEL BARRIO

For more than 40 years, this independent political collective has defended Mexican and Latin American communities across California. Come June, Unión del Barrio intensified its commitment to protecting L.A. through protest, community patrols and Instagram posts of federal agent sightings across the city. uniondelbarrio.org

“Los Angeles is not afraid to rise up. But this is different. This is about community. Protecting our people. Trump took this shit too far.”

— Darick Breland, artist, 51, Culver City

PAG E 8 3 : I RV I N R I V E R A

CITY OF ANGELS

and four kids were when agents forced their way in, which proved to be a prime photo opportunity for the Secretary — who had just been called out by Senator Alex Padilla, a lifelong Angeleno who was manhandled out of her press conference, hurled to the floor and handcuffed.

Padilla later teared up on the floor of Congress talking about the incident but vowed to continue fighting for his neighbors. “To the rest of the country, I urge you to see this for what it is,” he said, “because when the headline turns on Donald Trump, Donald Trump turns on the American people.”

By July 7, Mayor Bass had enough of trying to negotiate with federal officials to stop bringing unfettered, militarized disorder to Los Angeles and confronted heavily armed agents in the process of a sweep inside MacArthur Park — which was packed with families enjoying a summer Monday after the Fourth of July weekend and children who were part of a local summer camp. Masked agents on horseback and militarized vehicles rode into the public space like a mini coup d’état one would expect to see in war-torn parts of the Ukraine, not on the east side of Los Angeles. When Bass demanded answers, a Customs and Border Patrol agent handed her a phone to speak to his Chief, Gregory Bovino, and Bass hung up, furious. “They need to leave, and they need to leave right now!” Bass yelled after getting off the phone, adding that it was “outrageous and un-American that we have federal armed vehicles in our parks.”

Bovino — who had posted gleeful videos of ICE actions in Beverly Hills — told Bass to “get used to it.” The mayor stood strong and, later that night, she had another message for the city: “We will not be afraid, and we will not be divided. We will stand together.”

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

A lone protester wrapped in an American flag holds an umbrella painted with a peace sign while standing in front of National Guards at a federal immigration building in Downtown L.A.

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

L A M AG . C O M 8 3

G U E ST CO LU M N

CLOSE TO HOME

As ICE threatens the Latino neighborhood in Los Angeles where my first-generation American wife grew up, I remain hopeful for the future of my daughter and this country

by BEN MEISELAS

MY WIFE WAS AT DINNER with her family at a restaurant in the predominantly Mexican neighborhood she grew up in last night [on July 1]. The Latino neighborhood is currently being terrorized by ICE, who conduct raids at the factories, the Home Depot, the shops and where the vendors once were. Her neighborhood is the main one you often see on the news in Los Angeles for the ICE raids.

My wife called me after her dinner, and I could hear in her voice that she was not doing well. She told me how the once vibrant and crowded shopping center was dead. The once crowded shops and restaurants were now largely empty, as people were scared to go out.

While she was in the restaurant, they had the TV on to the local news station. Several times while she was there, the local news ran the commercial featuring Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem telling people to self-deport “or else,” and encouraging community members to rat each other out to ICE. My wife described how her side of our family all went silent and felt visceral pain as those government regime ads played.

My wife is a first-generation American. Her family is from Guadalajara. They are all naturalized citizens, and she is the youngest — she was the only member born in the United States. We have a fairly large family with many nieces and nephews. Some were at dinner last night.

After the ad played, our niece told a story about how many of her friends who are 12 years old are now the only members of their family to even leave the 8 4 L A M AG . C O M

house to pick up groceries. Everyone else stays home and hides. They don’t go to church or to the gym anymore. The community is completely paralyzed. Even people like my mother-in-law, who are citizens but do not speak English well, are afraid to leave their homes since ICE has also been known to harass citizens who are Hispanic.

I was not at the dinner last night since I was working at the [MeidasTouch] network making videos and hosting a live podcast with Congressman Maxwell Frost. I was sad I wasn’t at the restaurant to be there with my wife and our family when they were going through that. I felt a little guilty I was not there.

Our 9-month-old daughter was at the dinner, with her great big smile and big eyes and mouth-wideopen gesture that she now makes, where it seems she’s in awe of everything. I am grateful she is too little to know the cruelty taking place in our country — but sad she will one day find out.

I think about my daughter, Ximena, and the world she will be handed.

While I wish I was at the dinner last night, I also know the significance and importance the MeidasTouch Network plays in this period of time, as the main network for the resistance and the mostwatched digital news network in America. It’s a struggle I personally deal with sometimes — finding the balance between family and the growth of the network that is fighting for the future of Ximena and millions of other families out there.

Let me share what I told my wife last night since

Clockwise from top: A peaceful protest of activists and citizens opposing recent ICE raids occupies one side of Temple Street; Ben Meiselas protesting.

The spirit of America and our people has not been destroyed.”

L E F T TO R I G H T: E L I YO U N G ; CO U R T E SY B E N M E I S E L A S

— Ben Meiselas

it’s something I say frequently.

I told her, as I’ve told you, I remain hopeful we will get through this dark period because the spirit of America and our people has not been destroyed.

Trump’s approval rating is the lowest ever, the disastrous budget bill is the most reviled legislation in history and millions of Americans protested before and are ready to protest again. The resistance grows stronger each day. We know we have each other, and we recognize the evil of the regime.

When I am often asked about the secret to the success of the MeidasTouch Network, I share how this is much more than a “network.” This is a community and a movement, and that is what’s propelled us to beat all cable news in views — even though we

have zero investors and we’ve grown thanks to subscribers on Substack.

I feel it’s okay to open up and share with you about my family or my back problems or personal life or whatever — because we are just humans trying to make sense of this crazy world and leave it a better place for future generations. We’ve been in the trenches together now for a long time. We are battletested, and we see a path forward to make this country and world better. It won’t be easy, but we will get through this together. I promise you.

Ben Meiselas is the founder of MeidasTouch, a progressive media company doing “pro-democracy” journalism, and a co-owner of Los Angeles magazine.

L A M AG . C O M 8 5

From top: A lone protester stands in front of a police formation in Downtown L.A. during a No Kings Day demonstration as curfew is about to begin; graffiti along the walls of a federal immigration building downtown; peaceful protesters in Gloria Molina Grand Park.

8 6 L A M AG . C O M

G U E ST CO LU M N

PAG E 8 6 : F R O M TO P : M I C H E L E M C P H E E ; : I RV I N R I V E R A ( 2 ) ; T H I S PAG E : TO P : T I M U R B E K B O S U N OV; B OT TO M : CO U R T E SY T H E O F F I C E O F CO N G R E S SWO M A N L AU R A F R I E D M A N

L.A. UNDER ATTACK

From top: Protesters gather on the steps of Glendale City Hall for No Kings Day; Congresswoman Laura Friedman.

I’m the sponsor of a bill that will forbid ICE from wearing masks, as I believe these raids are dangerous and terrifying to our citizens b y L AU R A F R I E D M A N as told to Chris Nichols

I WENT TO FOUR RALLIES — in West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Glendale and Pasadena — and they were all different and exciting. There were so many people and they were all fired up. In Glendale, I asked the police chief if they had seen any violence or rioting. He responded, “Laura, no one’s even jaywalking.” Everybody was peaceful and there was a lot of joy. There was a huge range of ages and ethnicities, and it was a very good representation of a cross section of L.A. It was very cathartic to see how many people agreed with me about how awful this administration has been.

I talked about authoritarianism and the attacks on California. I talked about U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem saying that the Marines were here to liberate California from their elected representatives — about how ICE is kidnapping people and about Senator Alex Padilla being hogtied.

If they’re willing to hogtie a U.S. senator in a federal building, imagine what they’re willing to do to a dishwasher or gardener.

My office has gotten numerous calls from people whose family members have been disappeared, and we can’t track or find them. This is definitely happening right in our district, [to] people whose family members are U.S. citizens. I couldn’t tell you how many arrests of U.S. citizens there have been. We’ve

had a lot of concern and people are afraid. We had a car wash in Glendale raided; we’ve had reports of ICE in Griffith Park on trails to get vendors. They’re randomly going after anyone that might be there.

They’re driving around looking for people who look like immigrants to them — people with brown skin and accents. This is not them going after criminals. This is looking to fill Noem’s bounty, even if they’ve been here for 50 years and contributing to society. Even at asylum hearings, they’re picking people up at courthouses.

People come in and say, “I’d like to apply for citizenship, here’s my grounds for asylum,” and when they go to court, ICE is there to throw them into a van and [take] them away to God knows where.

They think the people of California are their enemies — that’s why they have the Marines here.

They sent the Marines into the Santa Fe Springs swap meet and had them running around like vigilantes. It’s terrifying. I’m the sponsor of a bill that will forbid them from wearing masks, and hopefully my colleagues will see that this is dangerous and terrifying to our citizens. There’s no reason for it.

If they’re willing to hogtie a U.S. senator in a federal building, imagine what they’re willing to do to a dishwasher or gardener.”

—CA Congresswoman Laura Friedman

Congresswoman Laura Friedman is the Representative of the 30th district of California, which includes Burbank, Glendale, West Hollywood and parts of Los Angeles and Pasadena.

L A M AG . C O M 8 7

Why is there billions worth of empty real estate near LAX? B I R DWAT C H I N G

A:

Can you say that again? I can’t hear you! The moment that the rowdy roar of propellers at LAX gave way to the ear-bleeding shriek of the first jet planes in 1959, the noise became unbearable. Some residents wished to stay in their homes, but others wanted relief.

9 6 L A M AG . C O M

Movie Magic

A WEEKEND CELEBRATION OF OLIVIA NEWTONJOHN’S ‘XANADU’ ● BETWEEN

From top: A Raven Black 1955 Ford Thunderbird approaches the longgone corner of Ney and Rindge Streets in Surfridge; Michael Beck and Olivia Newton-John in Xanadu.

When a new federal law allowing residents to sue cities over noise was enacted in 1962, Mayor Sam Yorty heard the writing on the wall and a plan was hatched to buy up the neighborhoods. Over a period of decades, mansions, cabins, schools and stores were slowly purchased

CHRIS’ PICK

and demolished or relocated. Two stone pillars from a 1920s development survive on Culver Boulevard.

The apocalyptic wasteland became a popular filming location for gritty detective shows like Mannix and The Rockford Files.

“They ended up buying something

like 3,000 structures, spending in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” says Kevin Williamson, director of the film The Price of Progress: LAX and its Neighbors. “And that’s in 1970s dollars.”

Surfridge, Manchester Square, Palisades del Rey and North Westchester became ghost towns.

Sidewalks and streets from the original subdivisions remain, with more than 300 acres now set aside as a wildlife preserve.

Manchester Square was the last to go, demolished just six years ago. The site is now the LAX rental car and Metro station; you’ll see it next time you board one of those noisy jets. As for the rest? “The plan,” an LAX spokesman told the Los Angeles Times in 2001, “is no action at all.”

Grease and Let’s Get Physical, Olivia Newton-John starred in the dazzling 1980 musical fantasy film Xanadu. Fans gather this month to celebrate “XanaDays,” marking the 45th anniversary of the outrageous roller-disco phantasmagoria. In the movie, ONJ teams up with Gene Kelly to create a 1940s dance club out of L.A.’s gloriously decrepit Pan Pacific Auditorium.

A weekend of fun includes a tribute concert at Burbank’s Colony theater on Aug. 8. A picnic with games, contests and cameo appearances at Pan Pacific Park, the original site of the vanished landmark, happens on Aug. 10, and a screening with a cast and crew reunion at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo takes place Aug. 9. The film was panned the first time around, but are audiences finally ready for an extravaganza of space angels and mime jugglers?

“It’s a spectacular entertainment,” the original trailer boasts, “that will transport you beyond your dreams.” xanadu experience.com — CHRIS NICHOLS

VOLUME 70, NUMBER 8. LOS ANGELES (ISSN 1522-9149) is published monthly by Engine Vision Media. Principal office: 644 S. Figueroa St., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA, and additional mailing offices. The one-year domestic subscription price is $19.95. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LOS ANGELES, 644 S. Figueroa St., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other materials, which must be accompanied by return postage. SUBSCRIBERS: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. Copyright © 2025 Engine Vision Media. All rights reserved. Best of L.A.® is a registered trademark of Los Angeles Magazine, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. SUBSCRIBER SERVICE: (949) 862-1133. GST #R133004424. Printed in the USA.

Q

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FILM, ART, THEATER, BOOK AND MUSIC DEBUTS

THE HIGH-STAKES POKER RING RUNNING UNDERGROUND GAMES

E XC L U S I V E NES E C S E H T D N I BEH

TMZ AT 20

BR EA KI NG NE W S

LISM A N R U O J Y T I LEBR E C F O E C A F E GHT I TH L D F E O G N D E A E H P C S E T THE EMPIR A S L A W D E N N A E C H S T ORLD H OW W E H T G N I V I

BY G SOMEBODY’S FEEDING LARCHMONT O C TO B E R 2 0 2 5 L A M AG .CO M

+

INSIDE TV PRODUCER PHIL ROSENTHAL AND CHEF NANCY SILVERTON’S NOSTALGIC NEW DINER

TMZ AT 20

K R A SN K C A ATT THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS TMZ founder Harvey Levin (right), at the company’s headquarters, talks to staff members, from left: Derek Kaufman, Arielle Port, Courtney Doucette, Roger Corral and Charlie Neff.

7 6 L A M AG . C O M

E, C N E G I L I D D E WITH DOGG RCES AND SAVVY SOU MZ HAS T WICKED WIT, D THE REINVENTE YWOOD L L O H F O T P E C CON ILT A U B D N A S W E N E R I P M E A I D E MULTIM

PHOT

CHOLS I N S I R H

BY C IVERA R N I V R I D BY OGRAPHE

L A M AG . C O M 7 7

dark hallway outside the newsroom of TMZ gives way to the bustling chaos inside, the last thing you see is a selfportrait of Paris Hilton framed on the wall. The pencil drawing is cute and girly, like something scrawled in an eighth-grade yearbook, complete with hearts dotting the “i”s. It depicts the actress locked up at the L.A. County Jail with TMZ’s Harvey Levin on the jailhouse TV. The artwork is on a greeting card sent to the entertainment news show in 2007, thanking Levin for his fair coverage of her case.

The lanky blond heiress is the star who inadvertently jump-started the celebrity news empire two decades ago.

On Nov. 8, 2005, the beta version of tmz. com launched, and a day later, the site posted a video showing Hilton’s Bentley, driven by her boyfriend, Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos III, crashing into a parked vehicle to escape paparazzi, then later being stopped by police, who let the couple go. TMZ’s caption notes the car “slams into a truck with a hit and run,” and then, “Paris makes things right by blowing a kiss to the cops.”

The TMZ formula of snark, sexy babes, exclusive footage and a wink back at the audience was born. Today, the TMZ brand reaches 70 million visitors

each month and operates an integrated ecosystem with TV shows and websites dedicated to entertainment news, sports and hip-hop. A sister site, TooFab, focuses on fashion and red carpets. The brand also operates an array of podcasts (including one featuring Los Angeles magazine co-owner Mark Geragos), has a kiosk at LAX and boasts a documentary film division. Famous faces (think: JoJo Siwa, Ray J and Bill Maher) can sometimes be seen on TMZ’s battalion of branded Hollywood bus tours. An “After Dark” tour shuttles fans to bars to pound shots, ride a mechanical bull and hear candid tales of debauchery.

“It was just a different voice,” says Charles Latibeaudiere, an executive producer who has been with founder Harvey Levin since the beginning of the show. “It was a voice that made [reporting about celebrities] palatable, I would say, to a male audience. Yes, we’re covering entertainment news, but we’re gonna say it kind of in a mocking, snarky and, at times, funny way. It was done more for ‘let’s have a laugh.’ It’s how guys sit around stereotypically in a group and just take shots at each other. We stumbled into presenting the show that way.”

Executive producer Ryan Regan thinks the show’s speed, agility and point of view put it in a unique position. “Harvey prioritizes movement,” he says. “We need to be making 100 calls. We’re good storytellers.

We’re very cost-efficient and we can do things faster than anybody.”

“We are to celebrity journalism,” says

TRACKING TMZ A HISTORY OF

PARIS HILTON CRASH

MEL GIBSON’S DUI

MICHAEL RICHARDS’ RACIST SET

Nov. 10, 2005

July 28, 2006

Nov. 20, 2006

Two days into its launch, TMZ catches Paris Hilton in the passenger seat of her Bentley as her boyfriend crashes it into a parked truck.

The gossip outlet breaks the story of Mel Gibson’s disorderly DUI arrest and antisemitic remarks, also uncovering that the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department has watered down the initial report.

TMZ leads the way in acquiring a video of Michael Richards repeatedly shouting the N-word at hecklers during a Laugh Factory set.

THE ALL-KNOWING CELEBRITY NEWS OUTLET

BY HALEY BOSSELMAN 7 8 L A M AG . C O M

From left: TMZ’s Charles Latibeaudiere, Harvey Levin and Liza Ovsiannikov

TA LLY “T HE RE AL ITY IS, YO UT UB E IS TO ER E’S DO MI NATIN G. I DO N’T TH INK TH E FIV GO ING TO BE TE LEV ISI ON IN PIV OT TO OR SIX YE AR S. YO U’V E GO T TO .”

WH ER E TH E AU DIE NC E IS GO ING — HARV EY LEVI N

Michael Babcock, head of TMZ Sports, “what the New York Times is to hard news.” Staffers report occasionally pulling all-nighters, leaving the newsroom just as the morning shift checks in. The New Yorker once quipped that “TMZ

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

T I M E L I N E I M AG E S : CO U R T E SY T M Z

JUST AS THE

NEWS JUNKIES

TMZ AT 20

I N T H E D E C A D E S that followed the

Y

TO

resembles an intelligence agency as much as a news organization.”

During the first two years of the site — before the launch of the TV show that would bring celebrity chaos into American living rooms — tmz.com broke news about Mel Gibson’s DUI arrest, ensuing antisemitic rant and possible police cover-up; a bald-headed Britney Spears attacking a paparazzo’s car with an umbrella; and Seinfeld’s Michael Richards screaming the N-word at Laugh Factory hecklers. Levin was fascinated by the way law enforcement sometimes treated celebrities differently, and grew his network of informants in

courthouses, law offices and police stations. He connected with the legions of omnipresent paparazzi roaming the streets of L.A. and built a newsroom of reporters doggedly chasing down leads.

In short, TMZ reinvented the entire concept of Hollywood news.

probing celebrity columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper, entertainment coverage was filled with fawning fans like Johnny Grant, who emceed Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremonies, and softball-slinging oddballs like Skip E. Lowe, the inspiration for Martin Short’s Jiminy Glick. Levin’s plan was to subvert the sway of celebrity publicists by avoiding scheduled interviews in controlled environments and go looking for stories at the places they were unfolding.

The first version of TMZ’s TV show was similar to the competition, with glamourous anchors reading scripted news. Latibeaudiere thinks their early shows were terrible. “Our producer said these [episodes] should be in the library,” he remembers. “I said, ‘Please don’t ever play them.’”

Producers hit on the idea of inviting the entire newsroom to pitch their stories on the air. “They wanted everyone who is in the office to kind of be involved in the TV show,” says Brian Particelli, a supervising editor, who adds that

T I M E L I N E I M AG E S : CO U R T E SY T M Z

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

ANNA NICOLE SMITH’S DEATH

BALD BRITNEY SPEARS

CHRIS BROWN ATTACKS

MICHAEL JACKSON’S DEATH

Feb. 11, 2007

Feb. 17, 2007

Feb. 19, 2009

June 25, 2009

Days after the death of Anna Nicole Smith, TMZ reports that her refrigerator contained methadone. It later reveals the prescription was written for Smith under a false name.

Britney Spears returns from a Caribbean rehab facility and after just one day home, shaves her head. TMZ is quick to share images of the pop star’s new look.

TMZ is the first to obtain and publish photos of a battered Rihanna following her attack at the hands of then-boyfriend Chris Brown.

The tabloid breaks the shocking news that Michael Jackson is dead — just 18 minutes after doctors’ official pronouncement.

L A M AG . C O M 7 9

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

BY MICHELE MCPHEE

FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES, TMZ co-founder Harvey Levin has wondered if he would ever hear from the guy who, back in the late 1990s, created BattleBot robots known as “Team Minus Zero” — a man Levin met only once, but someone who was inadvertently pivotal to the rise of his media empire.

When Levin set out to create an aggressive entertainment website for AOL and Telepictures — a way to break stories immediately rather than wait for them to air on television — the biggest issue was deciding what to call it. “We were trying to come up with a name and we just couldn’t,” he remembers.

He offered up one he liked, Pop Salad, but everyone hated it. Even people he polled in impromptu manon-the-street interviews in Marina del Rey told him, “It sucks. It’s awful.” Levin asked everyone he knew for ideas, including David Auerbach, a big-shot executive at Warner Bros. Auerbach rattled off dozens of potential names.

“Hated, hated, hated,” Levin remembers thinking. That is, until Auerbach spit out “Thirty Mile Zone,” an old movie industry term that set the physical boundaries of a labor agreement between the unions and producers. The zone radiated out from the

8 0 L A M AG . C O M

onetime headquarters of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers at the intersection of La Cienega and Beverly boulevards.

Levin was ecstatic. He had always liked initials and was prone to calling his former show, Celebrity Justice, “CJ.” He loved the sound of TMZ.com. There was only one problem: The robotics guy owned the domain name. “We couldn’t design the website without the title,” Levin says. Corporate suits got involved, trying to buy

MAKING HISTORY The thirty-mile zone radiated from the offices of the AMPTP, which moved into the Rexall drug building (pictured) at 8480 Beverly Blvd. (at La Cienega) in 1949, when the org was known as the Association of Motion Picture Producers.

the URL. A week went by and the suits hadn’t moved the needle. The site was slated to launch in a month, and Levin — a man who does not take a no or a “no comment” for an answer — was determined to get the job done. “I’m going to call this guy,” he told the executives.

The execs quietly eyerolled him. The name had to be worth at least 100 grand.

Levin was undeterred. Sitting in his Glendale office, he

looked up the address for Team Minus Zero — which proved to be only about four miles away; the BattleBot guy wasn’t far. “I called him and said I had this show on TV that my boss just canceled, so like I am thinking of starting a website,” he told the robotics dude in a deliberately rube-like voice, explaining he wanted to call the website TMZ.com. “I don’t know, man, would you consider selling it to me?”

The domain name owner hesitated. His website wasn’t active. The last thing had been posted six months before. “I don’t know … ” Levin pressed, and the guy asked for five grand. Levin played it cool, trying not to yelp with joy. He asked if he could think about it and hung up.

He paced around the office for 40 minutes, jittery with excitement, and called back.

“Would you really do it for five grand?” “Yeah,” came the response.

Levin, who drove a Mercedes, hung up and bellowed, “Who has the shittiest car in this parking lot?”

He took the cash, jumped behind the wheel of a Toyota Corolla banger and drove the four miles. He left with the URL signed over to TMZ. And never heard from the guy again.

L A M AG . C O M 8 0

TO P : B I S O N A R C H I V E S ; C E N T E R : I RV I N R I V E R A ; B OT TO M : C H R I S N I C H O L S CO L L E C T I O N

HOW HARVEY LEVIN GOT BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE ‘SHITTIEST CAR’ IN HIS COMPANY’S PARKING LOT AND BROUGHT HOME TMZ.COM

TMZ AT 20

...

AN OLD MOVIE-INDUSTRY TERM THAT SET THE PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES OF A LABOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNIONS AND PRODUCERS. anyone with a story that day is in the mix. Pitches go into a central email and get filtered through producers. “Harvey’s always been very ‘best idea wins’ no matter who it comes from,” says Particelli.

“That’s kind of his motto.”

Actor David Arquette, who’s been

a staple of TMZ stories from the beginning, sees the show’s interest as double-edged. “It’s typically pretty awful if they’re covering you. It’s usually for something embarrassing,” he says.

“The flip side is that when you have a big movie coming out, they’ll cover it.

It’s the old Hollywood thing where it’s good they’re talking about you even if it’s negative. It means that you’re part of the culture and interesting enough that they’re paying attention.”

Cast your mind back to the beginning of 2005 and a world before iPhones, YouTube and streaming Netflix. Dial-up internet was most often accessed on home computers connected to the same clunky cathode ray tubes that had powered televisions since they were invented. Most offices still had fax machines, and online video was rare. If you wanted to know who Orlando Bloom was dating back then, you might tune in to Extra or Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood around dinnertime and hope for red-carpet footage. You might have to wait until the next issue of People or the National Enquirer hit the stands.

TMZ gave the world scandal at the speed of light, pushing out story after story about celebrity shenanigans and beating the competition with the help of a huge newsroom that today sprawls over two-thirds of an acre inside a converted postal facility in Playa Vista, backed up by a New York office that filters the news overnight. At the helm is the indefatigable Levin, who his staff reports is approving stories at 3 a.m. before hitting the gym and commanding

TMZ CELEBRITY TOURS

RAY RICE’S UNCONSCIOUS FIANCÉE

2011

Feb. 19, 2014

TMZ launches a tourist excursion that not only visits the stomping grounds of the Hollywood stars but also the locations of the brand’s most famous stories.

T I M E L I N E I M AG E S : CO U R T E SY T M Z

the office. The 75-year-old attorney and high-energy TV veteran has been a staple of L.A. news for almost five decades.

Levin started in media offering legal advice on the radio as “Dr. Law,” which led to regular columns in the Los Angeles Times and Herald Examiner in the 1970s before branching into long stints in TV news. Levin spent 26 years doling out legal analysis and interviewing bystanders on The People’s Court.

“Harvey was always a legend for changing the game on breaking news,” says Christina McClarty Arquette, David Arquette’s wife and a former reporter for Entertainment Tonight. “Before TMZ existed, there was no source like it for breaking news. He also changed the game by making things a lot more salacious. People wanted to get the craziest stuff to compete with TMZ.” Levin had been producing the slick syndicated TV entertainment news show Celebrity Justice when Jim Paratore, head of Warner Bros.’ Telepictures, canceled the show and offered to move Levin to a website. The company had merged with AOL and was in the market for new online content. Paratore imagined a celebrity news site with familiar coverage of TV, movies and red carpet fashion. But Levin wasn’t interested and left town. “I went to Mexico and was in this kind of margarita haze and it just hit me,” Levin says. “By the time they aired Celebrity Justice, it was old news.

If you can break stories where you have producers and research and lawyers to vet everything and you don’t have a time period like a TV show, then you get it up and you beat everybody.”

WHITNEY HOUSTON’S DEATH Feb. 11, 2012

The day before the Grammy Awards, Whitney Houston’s sudden death shocks the world.

TMZ is first to report that she drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton.

TMZ Sports releases video footage of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice dragging his unconscious fiancée from an Atlantic City hotel elevator. On Sept. 8, it releases footage from inside the elevator that shows him punching her.

Rice is cut from the team.

DONALD STERLING’S RACIST CALL April 25, 2014

TMZ releases exclusive audio of then-L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling telling his then-girlfriend, V. Stiviano, to stop associating with Black people, sparking a scandal that forces him to sell the team.

L A M AG . C O M 8 1

“IT ’S TYP ICA LLY PR ETT Y AW FUL IF TH EY’ RE CO VER ING YO U. IT’ S US UA LLY FOR SO ME TH ING IS EM BA RR AS SIN G. TH E FLI P SID E VIE MO BIG TH AT WH EN YO U HAVE A CO MI NG OU T, TH EY’ LL CO VER IT.”

H A RV E Y L E V I N G R E W U P I N T H E

San Fernando Valley. Meadowlark Park in Reseda was an instant neighborhood that popped up in the early 1950s filled with quintessentially suburban midcentury tract houses that originally sold for about $10,000. A few feet from the family’s butterfly-roof home was his dad’s liquor store. Harvey remembers being fascinated by the blue and red lights outside his bedroom window as a kid — they weren’t from the store’s neon sign across the alley but from the LAPD squad cars that would show up when the store was being robbed. “[He] would open the store at 7 in the morning and run it until 2 the next morning,” Levin remembers. “[The family was] in that store all the time. I ended up working there. My dad taught me how to be a salesman. I would learn all these terms like calling it a heady bottle of wine so I could sell a more expensive bottle. That whole experience taught me a lot.”

Levin became interested in politics at Grover Cleveland High School, where he served on multiple debate teams and became president of the Boys’ League.

That’s the group that planned special events for the class of 1968, which included a performance by psychedelic band Strawberry Alarm Clock, an ArabIsraeli debate and a special assembly conducted by a skeptic of the official story of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. That one had Levin’s fingerprints all over it.

The teenager had long been fascinated by the case, and even camped out at the Reseda library to read the 888page Warren Commission report. He repeatedly called New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (played by Kevin Costner in Oliver Stone’s JFK) from an anonymous pay phone after reviewing stills

PRINCE’S EMERGENCY LANDING SOLANGE KNOWLES ATTACKS JAY-Z May 12, 2014

After fashion’s biggest night, TMZ runs an explosive post-Met Gala video of Solange Knowles roughing up brother-in-law Jay-Z in an elevator at the Standard Hotel as her sister, Beyoncé, stands idly by.

8 2 L A M AG . C O M

April 15, 2016

Less than a week before Prince’s tragic death from an accidental fentanyl overdose, TMZ announces the emergency landing of his private plane after he becomes unresponsive. He is briefly hospitalized and sent home. Later reports confirm he had OD’d.

KOBE BRYANT’S DEATH

from the Zapruder film, to offer a new angle on the case.

As a high school senior, Levin won a mock debate where he acted as Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in a battle against Richard Nixon. He dressed up the auditorium with fans, polls and friends costumed as a donkey and an elephant.

“I started calling all the stations in town and they all came,” Levin remembers.

“I was thinking, well, this is interesting how the media gets attracted to something because it was just different.”

Levin volunteered for RFK’s presidential campaign and was at the Ambassador Hotel the night he was shot.

He soon left L.A. to study political science at UC-Santa Barbara and received his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

Levin’s interest in the Kennedys is at the root of one of TMZ’s greatest flubs. In 2009, the website published a crumpled snapshot of a man who resembled JFK partying on a yacht with naked women.

It turned out to have been a Playboy magazine photo, taken years after the president’s death. “We screwed that up,” Levin says. “That one was on me. I spent the last two weeks of the year bringing in Kennedy experts, machines to analyze

TMZ INVESTIGATES ARRIVES

Jan. 26, 2020

April 13, 2020

TMZ is first to confirm the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna following a catastrophic helicopter crash in Calabasas.

TMZ Investigates, a series of TV documentary specials, debuts with a dive into the Tiger King controversy, including Joe Exotic’s murder-for-hire plot and the disappearance of Carole Baskin’s husband. The series runs on platforms including Fox, Tubi, YouTube and Hulu.

P R I N C E : A L L E N B E AU L I E U, WA R N E R B R O S .

R E CO R D S ; T M Z I N V E ST I G AT E S 9/ 1 1 : CO U R T E SY T M Z

H

— DAVID ARQU ETTE

TMZ AT 20

AIRTIME From left: Jason Beckerman, Charles Latibeaudiere, Dylan Berry, Eric Colley and Derek Kaufman are among those discussing the day’s lineup of stories.

BEHIND THE SCENES AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK INSIDE TMZ’S BULLPEN BY MICHELE MCPHEE

IT’S 7:30 A.M. AT TMZ , and its leader, enter-

tainment titan Harvey Levin, is holding court — literally. He stands atop a lectern perched above his buzzy newsroom sipping from a sherbet-colored water tumbler as producers try to persuade him to consider their story, arguing ferociously that what they had been chasing in the darkest hours should be featured on TMZ’s top-rated Fox show that night.

Pitches are barked — Howard Stern is back, or is he; Cardi B is running around in disguise; there’s an update on the ball-snatching “Phillies Karen” — and debated.

All of it is filmed as b-roll for TMZ’s sprawling network of online and television entertainment.

Levin is 75 but doesn’t look it. His wiry frame is roped with muscle

from daily workouts at the gym. For a guy who gets up at three in the morning and is usually the first one to arrive at his empire’s massive headquarters, he still vibrates with the same frenetic energy as the hungry young journalists assembled under him. “I saw a great murder on Dateline,” Levin announces to the bullpen, prompting a question

from the crew: “Did the wife do it?” Levin laughs.

“No, the ex-wife.”

On this September morning, TMZ’s most recognizable celebritywatchers who have become celebrities themselves, old-timers like Charles Latibeaudiere and Shevonne Sullivan and Charlie Neff, along with some of the newer faces, Courtney Doucette and executive producer of TMZ Sports Michael Babcock as well as a slew of others, banter heatedly about the day’s show, kind of like a family at a boozy holiday party. Even the show’s general counsel, Jason Beckerman, weighs in.

There’s clearly no mystery swirling around how TMZ’s sausage is made.

This is a collection of dogged, well-sourced, shoe-leather journalists who come to the bullpen armed with fat digital Rolodexes of phone numbers for the city’s real influencers, the movers and shakers who run Los Angeles, cops, emergency room personnel, agents, doorkeepers, bartenders, Uber drivers. Anyone and everyone who recognizes a story.

Watching Levin’s hand-selected team banter about the day’s scoops brings to mind a line from the film L. A. Confidential uttered

by Danny DeVito’s Sid Hudgens, a tabloid journalist who exposes Hollywood’s dirty secrets: “Off the record, on the q.t. and very hush-hush.”

L A M AG . C O M 8 3

this thing, going to the Marina del Rey boatyards. We spent so much time on it, and we got it wrong.”

“We do what everybody is supposed to do,” Levin says. “You get a tip, you chase it down, you accept the fact that you’re going to hit 100 dead ends and, you know, you find ways around the dead ends.” Levin says that plenty of stories consume resources yet never make it on air. “If we find out that something’s unfair or untrue,” he says, “it’s dead.”

The show has been accused of paying informants, but producers deny the claim. “People do sometimes look for money,” Particelli says. “But we only pay for photos.” Sometimes an unrelated news story has such shocking video that it rises to the top. “It doesn’t have to be celebrity-driven,” says director of audience development Cameron Lazerine. “It can be a crazy viral moment of a huge tidal wave crushing a ship.”

With some 200 contributors, the show boasts veterans of CNN, Extra and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Many of the crew come from less conventional backgrounds but all share a dogged determination to tell the show’s stories.

Producer Charlie Neff started out as a fashion model; TMZ Sports producer Michael Babcock was a restaurant manager in New Jersey before he sent in a winning audition tape. “One of our most successful guys Harvey met while pumping gas,” says Latibeaudiere. “This guy was at another pump and selling speakers out of his trunk, just hustling. He worked with us for at least 10 years.”

TMZ staffers enjoy the niceties that once enticed tech workers into the office. There’s a volleyball court filled with sand, and replicas of vintage military bombs stenciled with the TMZ logo hang near a pingpong table across from the complimentary Starbucks station. Clear tubes of Frosted Flakes and Cinnamon Toast Crunch beckon hungry employees, as does a free convenience store stocked with Kraft Mac & Cheese and Pop-Tarts. Pizza Hut delivers on Mondays. Fox purchased TMZ for roughly $50 million in 2021.

One of the newest staffers met his future at a scoop shop in Brentwood.

Twenty-one-year-old London native Jakson Buhaj started filming skits and live streams for YouTube as a tween. He learned Python and JavaScript as he was finishing high school and faced a “what

RELIABLE SOURCES Charlie Neff on the job.

Opposite page, from top: Shevonne Sullivan and Courtney Doucette; Derek Kaufman speaks at a morning meeting; Harvey Levin plans the show; the TMZ team in the bullpen.

TMZ AT 20 NT. “H AR VE Y PR IOR ITI ZE S MO VE ME LLS .

WE NE ED TO BE MA KIN G 10 0 CA WE ’RE GO OD ST ORYT ELL ER S. D WE ’RE VE RY CO ST-EF FIC IEN T AN WE CA N DO TH ING S FA ST ER TH AN AN YB ODY.” — RYAN REGA N, TMZ EXEC UTIV E PROD

am I going to do with my life” moment before a TMZ field producer wearing a camera over his shoulder walked into his Salt & Straw location. “I made this pitch to him,” Buhaj says. “‘Please take my information,’ and to sweeten the deal I gave [him] free ice cream and sent [him] out the door.”

After graduating Santa Monica College, Buhaj had offers from several schools but instead took a spot at the TMZ intern desk. “I made this software — this bot,” he says, “that surfaces a thousand different media outlets and celebrities the moment they posted something, so we would be the first to get to it.

That put me on Harvey’s radar.” Buhaj’s efforts have made TMZ on YouTube a major destination that may one day eclipse the brand’s TV efforts. “Jakson is being very humble,” Latibeaudiere says of the channel’s explosive growth since the

UCER

eager Gen Zer showed up. “Once he was here … Thank the ice cream gods.”

Levin isn’t afraid to predict the future. “The reality is, YouTube is totally dominating,” he says. “I don’t think there’s going to be television in five or six years.

You’ve got to pivot to where the audience is going.” In today’s age of infinite customization of personal livestreams, everyone can be a celebrity to somebody.

“People want authenticity,” Neff explains. “The new generation wants to see relatable people. Alix Earle, who is a very famous TikTok’er, is just a regular college girl who would post makeup videos. But she wasn’t fixing up the background of her bedroom. She had her tampons out, she had, you know, bloody panties in the corner, she had a Plan B package in the background. People are watching and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh!

She’s so relatable!’”

But is being an internet streamer as significant in the culture today as singers, actors and comedians used to be?

Kai Cenat posted skits on YouTube before turning the camera on himself all day and all night. By the time he reached 19 million followers on Twitch, moreestablished stars like Kim Kardashian and Mariah Carey were showing up on his livestream. “Streaming your life can be performance art. That’s what an actor is doing, right?” says Buhaj. “Nothing like that has been done in the history of entertainment.”

History buff Levin, whose life has long been colored by the promise and tragedy of the Kennedys, can relate. He has a favorite quote of RFK’s — words engraved on the late politician’s tomb: “Some men see things as they are and ask ‘Why?’ I dream things that never were and ask, ‘Why not?’”

KAI CENAT INTRIGUES Aug. 4, 2023

TMZ HIP HOP DEBUTS

DEPP V. HEARD

April 11, 2022

May 16, 2022

TMZ launches TMZ Hip Hop in New York, L.A. and Chicago, as well as seven other Fox markets nationwide.

TMZ keeps a close watch on the Depp v. Heard trial, publishing all its bizarre proceedings, including Amber Heard’s testimony about the source of feces in Johnny Depp’s bed.

TMZ ramps up coverage of internet stars such as Twitch streamer Kai Cenat, who grabs the tabloid’s attention for inciting chaos at an unpermitted giveaway of PlayStation consoles and gift cards in Union Square Park that requires police response.

INSIDE THE DIDDY TRIAL May 9, 2025

United States v. Sean Combs: Inside the Diddy Trial debuts the first of its six episodes on Tubi, with Harvey Levin and other legal experts discussing events at the trial. The July 3 finale features the trial’s verdict.

L A M AG . C O M 8 5

O R E Z T N E G A e feds h t t a h w f down o E MCPH E E e k a t e h t EL Inside b y M IC H : g y e n i n r o r e m s, dirty run pok g b u o r d m , i x l e e S Isra call L.A.’s

Sex, drugs, dirty money: Inside the takedown of L.A.’s Israeli mob-run poker ring by MICHELE MCPHEE O N A H O T A F T E R N O O N in late July, a jubilant Gilbert

Arenas — the retired NBA point guard who grew up hard in the Valley with a single dad before he catapulted himself to an All-Star career with the Washington Wizards — dances his way out of a federal lockup. The athlete is all smiles, fist pumping and wrist twisting as he makes his way down dozens of concrete steps in flipflops, clad in the same black tee and red basketball shorts he was wearing when he was arrested in a predawn raid by federal investigators hours earlier. His celebratory frolic is captured by his new wife, French American influencer and YouTube star Melli Monaco, who stands on the sidewalk recording a cellphone video. She has just posted a $50,000 bond so that her husband of roughly seven months can come home. As Arenas skips into the frame, Monaco can be heard giggling, “Free!”

This isn’t her new husband’s first arrest. Sixteen years earlier, he infamously dunked his NBA career after he and Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton pulled guns on each other in the locker room over a dispute after a card game on the team plane, leading to a felony charge and a league suspension.

That time, Arenas skated with a 30-day commitment to a halfway house, two years’ probation and a $5,000 fine. This time, he is facing a federal prison sentence. Nonetheless, Arenas doesn’t seem worried. As he makes his way toward his wife, he’s all grins as he sing-songs into the camera: “They can’t hold me baby.

They can’t hold me.”

It is a stunning act of braggadocio from a man now charged alongside a coterie of colorful suspected underworld L A M AG . C O M 8 7

IN THE CARDS

Previous page: The gun found under the bed of Allan Austria, a convicted felon; top left: professional poker player Eugene Tourevski; the mansion owned by Gilbert Arenas; Arenas, aka “Agent Zero,” in his NBA days; the personalized gaming table feds say Arenas contributed to the poker ring.

8 8 L A M AG . C O M

Private card games are not necessarily illegal, unless of course the players, the prostitutes in attendance or anyone else affiliated with the enjoyment of a long, smoky night playing Pot Limit Omaha is paying a rake — a tax. in DTLA (her beloved Labradoodle, Seven, was found wandering alone on an upper floor) and the 2023 assassination of an Israeli national who was playing poker in the Hollywood Hills.

On game nights at the Gable House — and at other luxury locales across the city — parking valets in tailored suits were at the ready. At Arenas’ home they stood near the iron gates to welcome the scores of luxury vehicles pulling into the 10-car interminable driveway. Beefy, armed security guards lurked inside and out, giving cash-flush gamblers a sense of safety in a neighborhood that had recently been besieged by home invasions and targeted by crews of late-night burglars.

Inside, guests mingled with attractive women whom prosecutors say provided paid “companionship” to the players, massaging shoulders, serving drinks and performing other paid services. Private chefs cooked up healthy fare. When it was time to play, high rollers assembled around the card table that made Arenas not just a landlord for the illicit games, as he claimed on social media, but instead,

say the feds, a direct participant.

The federal indictment sets the scene: The table is rimmed in gold and covered in black felt. In the center is a silhouetted figure of a basketball player with raised clenched hands and a “0” jersey.

The words “ARENAS POKER CLUB” are emblazoned across the top. The table is part of a $14,000 buy-in prosecutors allege Arenas made to be part of the poker ring in return for a cut of the rake. All of it imbues an air of sex, scandal and, most important, danger. Some say gamblers are by nature addictive personalities, hooked on fast action and adrenaline. The crowd running the games at the Gable House in Encino, federal prosecutors say, didn’t skimp on the danger.

The entire operation, according to court records, involved a reputed Israeli crime lord, a Russian professional poker player, a convicted narco trafficker and other hangers-on. The suspects listed in an indictment unsealed by California’s Central District court reads like an above-the-line call sheet for an L.A.-based Ocean’s Eleven film.

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

F R O M L E F T: P GT.CO M ; A P P H OTO/ N I C K WA S S

figures with ties to various organized crime outfits — a crew federal prosecutors say runs high-stakes poker games at tony homes across Los Angeles with a carefully curated guest list of wealthy Angelenos: NBA players, Hollywood industry insiders and trust funders. Private card games are not necessarily illegal, unless of course the players, the prostitutes in attendance or anyone else affiliated with the enjoyment of a long, smoky night playing Pot Limit Omaha is paying a rake — a tax — to the house, in this case to the Israeli mob.

That underworld outfit, according to federal prosecutors, has a history of offering high-interest loans to the night’s big losers — and of eliminating those running competing high-stakes poker games.

Those are among the charges outlined in a 24-page federal indictment unsealed by federal prosecutors in July, charges that come three years after an armed raid interrupted one such game at Arenas’ 5,300-square-foot mega mansion in Encino, one with impossibly picturesque views of the City of Angels from every window of the Tuscan-inspired villa.

Feds refer to Arenas’ palatial estate on Gable Drive as the “Gable House.” Its owner earned a flashier nickname from basketball fans: “Agent Zero,” inspired both by the way he eluded defenders on the court like a clandestine operative and because of his jersey number, 0. Federal investigators say the Gable House was a den of debaucherous poker games run by men who seem to be on the periphery of at least two high-profile crimes in Los Angeles: the unsolved 2021 disappearance of a Culver City mom who vanished from a poker party at a luxury high-rise

THE PLAYERS THE BALLER

Gilbert “Agent Zero” Arenas, 43, former Washington Wizards star, who rented his Encino mansion for poker games, prosecutors say THE BOSS

Yevgeni “Giora” Gershman, 49, who prosecutors describe as a “highranking member of an Israeli transnational crime organization” — and who charged women providing “companionship” at the event a 25%-35% “tax” on their earnings THE MUSCLE

Allan “Elica” Austria, 52, a convicted narco trafficker who served time for running drugs from Los Angeles to Honolulu THE PRO

Evgenni “Eugene” Tourevski, 48, a recognizable name on the professional poker circuit who kept the win/loss sheet, prosecutors allege THE STAGER

Arthur Kats, 51, who prosecutors say staged the mansion and found co-conspirators to host the games as well as taking the rent from the co-conspirators on Arenas’ behalf THE MANAGER

Yarin “YC” Cohen, 27, the baby in the bunch, who feds say collected the “rake” from the games for Gershman THE RUNNER

Ievgen Krachun, 43, accused of tracking players’ wins and losses, distributing poker chips to players and paying employees THE MOLL

Valentina Cojocari, 35, who prosecutors say entered a “sham marriage” with Gershman so he could get U.S. citizenship

In the sherbert-colored hue of a Southern California sunrise on a hot summer morning in late July, agents assigned to the Department of Homeland Security set out on a series of coordinated predawn raids. Arenas is busted in West Hills. Yevgeni Gershman, whom prosecutors describe as a “high-ranking member of an Israeli transnational crime organization,” is taken into custody in Woodland Hills (agents say Valentina Cojocari, who claims to be his wife, is not with him).

Ievgen Krachun, accused of being a runner for the game, is cuffed in Tarzana, as is Evgenni Tourevski, who allegedly kept the won/loss records. Arthur Kats, accused of helping to stage the game, was later captured in West Hollywood.

Most of them are quickly released on bond — except for Gershman, who is detained pending trial. Allan Austria, accused of being the game’s enforcer, is held over the weekend because he’s a convicted felon found with guns.

According to court records, the cache of weapons discovered at the West Hills home he shares with his “longtime life partner” Gina Porras, his father and their 13-year-old daughter, includes a loaded Winchester under his bed and another weapon within reach. But he, too, is eventually released on bond. His lawyer calls the whole case “a celebrity prosecution.”

The arrests should have come as no surprise to any of the suspects now under indictment. The Gable House had been raided three years earlier on July 20, 2022.

A player had lost more than a million dollars in a single night and was terrified the Israeli mob was going to kill him.

He began cooperating, leading the feds to start watching members of the crew.

On that night, according to investigators, the suspects are all present — except Arenas — at a poker party in Encino. With a DEA helicopter overhead and heavily armed agents swarming inside, gamblers try to dash to freedom. One falls into the pool. No one escapes, not the players, not

Gershman or his men.

Drugs and money are seized, but no one would be arrested until 2025.

Some of the money seized in the raid at the Gable House, cash that Arenas later tried to claim from U.S. Customs Enforcement, was marked as part of an ongoing federal investigation into the poker ring, a law enforcement source tells Los Angeles.

The cash had been linked to a poker game at the DTLA Hope + Flower highrise, which is where the missing woman, Heidi Planck, 39, was last seen before her disappearance. Forensic evidence collected there sent cops to a Castaic landfill in a futile search for her remains. Months after the Gable House raid, as federal officials cut deals with informants and cooperators, Planck, who left behind her young son, Bond, was declared dead.

In June 2023, Emil Lahaziel, a player at a poker game in the Hollywood Hills that several sources confirm was run by at least one of the same suspects named in the indictment against Arenas, was shot dead outside the game.

Arenas was not implicated in either the Planck or Lahaziel case, and none of his co-defendants have been named either. Still, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Scarsi has issued a protective order to mitigate “potential safety risks” to cooperating informants and witnesses in the Gable House case, an order by which all defense attorneys and federal prosecutors are now bound.

In early September, with almost all the suspects free on bail, Arenas posts another video to his @NoChillGilZero X account with the captions: “Man, jail had me SHOOK … no WiFi, no hoop court, no snacks. I asked for room service and the CO handed me a bologna sandwich. Whole time I felt like I got traded from the NBA to the YMCA overnight.” In the accompanying video, Arenas adds that he has “never really been like in jail, jail” and asks, “why is everything like, metal” in prison, saying there should be “some cushions.”

“Who did they think they arrested?”

Arenas asks in the video, then references a former scandal-free Wizards teammate.

“They thought I was just regular, regular.

Nooooo. No, I’m not Kwame Brown.”

L A M AG . C O M 8 9

The Music Center’s

2025-2026 DANCE SEASON

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Are those 1984 Olympics murals on the Hollywood Freeway ever coming back?

L O S T I N S PAC E

“Galileo, Jupiter, Apollo”

by John Wehrle at the 101 and Spring Street

A:

If there was only a gold medal for finger pointing. … Caltrans says the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles is responsible for maintaining the artworks along the freeway Downtown. MCLA co-founder Bill Lasarow says the artists signed over the works to the state of California and that the legislature just needs to add a line item covering regular cleanups. Today, any effort to bring them back appears dead in the water.

A détente was reached for a statefunded $1.7 million restoration in 2004.

Caltrans provided barricades, scaffolding and water trucks to power pressure washers and crowds cheered. Three years later, Caltrans began to cover graffiti and original art with gray paint. It used the word “hibernate.”

Artist Kent Twitchell 9 6 L A M AG . C O M

called the graffiti of his works “artistic terrorism.” Artists Frank Romero and Judy Baca discussed lawsuits over Caltrans’ graywashing (Romero filed one in 2009, but it was unsuccessful).

In 2013, original muralist Willie Herrón led crews that brought the works back again, but when a helpful Caltrans superintendent died

and MCLA executive director Isabel Rojas-Williams quit, there were no more fingers in the dike and taggers came out in force. Even though the works are protected by anti-graffiti coatings, Rojas-Williams estimates the cost of repairs today at about $2 million.

Lasarow says his organization is broke.

Caltrans says it’s

looking into the idea of stringing “fake ivy” in front of the works.

Rojas-Williams thinks the money is out there to restore the freeway gallery in time for the 2028 Games. “I wish people would say thank you for our art and donate money l ike the New Yorkers do. Hollywood uses our murals all the time, but they don’t give money to keep them alive,” Rojas-Williams says. “If somebody said, ‘We have the money,’ I know how to do it. We could do it in time for the Olympics.

Let’s do this together.”

CHRIS’ PICK

The Doctor Is Out DOCTOR DEMENTO HANGS UP HIS HAT ● AFTER 55 YEARS

of warping musical minds, The Dr. Demento Show comes to an end this month.

Barry Hansen started playing novelty and comedy records from his vast legendary collection on (what is now) KROQ in 1970.

His underground show hipped kids to weird and wonderful goofy songs and gave them access to what felt like a secret club.

By 1979, his show had gone national, and he played a cassette tape from teenage accordion player “Weird Al” Yankovic, launching him to stardom. Dr. Demento was the first DJ to interview Devo and says he’ll issue a new punk compilation next year. “When inspiration strikes me, I may dust off my top hat and return,” the doctor tells Los Angeles. “Somewhere way back in antiquity someone discovered combining funny words with funny music was a good thing. And I’m proud to have been able to bring that to the world with my show.”

The Dr. Demento Show comes to an end this month at drdemento.com.

— CHRIS NICHOLS

MAIN PHOTO: ISABEL ROJAS-WILLIAMS; DR. DEMENTO BY MARK TAKEUCHI

Ask Chris

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‘MALICIOUSLY SET’

Prosecutors say a former Palisades man intentionally started a New Year’s Eve blaze that allegedly ignited one of the most destructive fires in L.A. history.

The question now is why?

COMING IN HOT

Ray Garcia’s Broken Spanish returns OPEN BOOK

Judd Apatow’s career as a Comedy Nerd

N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 5 L A M AG .CO M

Brendan Fraser

IN RENTAL FAMILY FAMILY, THE OSCAR WINNER PLAYS A LONELY AMERICAN IN TOKYO SEARCHING FOR PURPOSE

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MORE MALE LEADERS BEHIND SOME OF THE CITY’S BUZZIEST PROJECTS AND MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS

THE L.A. MAN

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D I G I T E C H : P H I L L I M P R A S E R T WO N G ; P H OTO A S S I STA N T: A N D R E W LO P E Z ; P R O D U C T I O N COORDINATOR: M AT T H E W G E R E T Y; G R O O M I N G : S O N I A L E E E XC LU S I V E A R T I STS USING BALMAIN HAIRCARE

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In the Searchlight drama Rental Family, Oscar winner Brendan Fraser plays a lonely American in Tokyo looking for purpose while working at a service that offers temporary friends and family L A M AG . C O M 7 5

S

S O M E W H E R E I N H O L LY W O O D, A

long-lost hard drive contains a 360-degree scan of Brendan Fraser. In 1999, all 6-foot-2 of the blue-eyed, square-jawed big-screen dreamboat was digitally captured at the peak of his swashbuckling, action-star finest. “You put on the tight pants and unitard and stand in a washing machine of lights and it goes whirr,” the Oscar winner tells Los Angeles. “They wanted my body scan so they could re-create me on screen if they needed and also to make merchandise and dolls.” Fraser doesn’t know what became of the files but notes: “Naturally I have concerns.

Where does that data go? Who controls it?”

A quarter-century later, Hollywood is challenged by an industry shrinking due to runaway production, with digital effects replacing human art and AI-powered actors like “Tilly Norwood” entering the scene. As early as 2021, a holographic Whitney Houston had a residency in Las Vegas that ran for more than a year. Now, “prompt engineer” for AI films is a new Hollywood job listing and Coca-Cola, Heinz and Nike have made TV commercials using the technology. “You cry, you laugh — [you’re] scared,” director Timur Bekmambetov said proudly after a recent screening of his film LifeHack, a movie that takes 7 6 L A M AG . C O M

place entirely on a computer screen. “It doesn’t matter which tools you’re using.”

While we’re concerned about the impersonal overtaking art, we follow strangers on social media, face self-checkout lanes at supermarkets and order from a digital kiosk at McDonald’s. With evolving technology, synthetic humans, distancing relationships and simulated reality in the zeitgeist, perhaps now is the perfect time for Rental Family, a heartfelt drama starring Brendan Fraser that focuses on finding authenticity in an artificial relationship, out Nov. 21 from Searchlight Pictures.

“It’s nice to be shooting in L.A. again,” says Fraser, who relocated from Coldwater Canyon to New York a few years ago to seek treatment for his son.

“I can’t remember the last time I shot in L.A.” Fraser is back in California to work on a film noir with Andy Garcia and to talk about his new movie, in which he plays an American actor living in Tokyo recruited by a company that mitigates uncomfortable emotional situations by inserting a paid actor to play a part.

“There are improvements that could be made with regards to mental health issues in Japan,” Fraser says of the film’s conceit. “This is kind of a work-around.

There are people who are in need who don’t know what to ask for. When we come back to our very real world after having been in these virtual ones, we understand more about who we are.”

In the film, the salary for an actor playing an elderly woman is 7,000 yen (about $46), the role of a middle-aged housewife pays ¥8,000 and that of a teenage daughter commands ¥9,000.

We’re never told what Fraser’s character, Phillip Vandarpleog, is paid for the part of “Sad American,” mourning at a mock funeral, but whatever it is must be better than waiting out the days alone in his Tokyo apartment wearing sweatpants and lazily spying on his neighbors.

“He seems like he’s not doing so great,” Fraser says of his character. “I don’t even know if that guy is an actor, to be honest. There’s a population of expats — Americans, Canadians and Brits — in Tokyo. You can’t really pin down exactly what it is they do but [it’s] typically

L E F T: T- S H I R T, S H I R T A N D PA N TS : I SA I A ; R I G H T: S H I R T, K N I T A N D PA N TS : B I L LY R E I D ; B O OTS : C A R M I N A ; COAT: M I C H A E L KO R S ; WATC H : P I AG E T, CO U R T E SY T I M E VA L L E E BY C H J E W E L E R S

THE L.A. MAN

F R O M L E F T: T E E , S H I R T A N D PA N TS : I SA I A ; S H I R T, K N I T A N D PA N TS : B I L LY R E I D ; B O OTS : C A R M I N A ; COAT: M I C H A E L KO R S

I was the babysitter VHS tape for a long time, and now all those kids are having kids.”

— B R E N DA N F R A S E R

something with the arts. There are a lot of aspirational performers out there.”

The premise of the film is not entirely fictional: Real firms have popped up in Japan, France and even the U.S. offering temporary companions to those who feel isolated. In Rental Family, an agency helps clients who are lonely or in need of a fill-in relative. Fraser’s Vandarpleog, whose previous work includes playing trees and toothpaste tubes, finds meaning in his new roles. “I do believe in the value of make-believe and surrogacy,”

Fraser explains. “Everybody wants to feel that we belong.”

Mononymous writer-director Hikari delivers a film that can be classified as part of a genre in which reality is augmented to maintain a suspension of disbelief. Westworld did it with robots and The Truman Show created an artificial world around Jim Carrey. This spring marked the return of HBO’s 2022 series The Rehearsal, a kind of social experiment where producer and star Nathan Fielder lets people practice for

real life situations before they occur by acting them out in full-scale simulations. Fraser sums up the idea: “Theater is life,” he says. “Cinema is art.”

In Rental Family, Fraser’s character takes his young charge to an immersive digital aquarium where fish appear to swim among the visitors. “It’s cool … but it’s fake,” 11-year-old actress Shannon Gorman’s character says. Fraser’s Vandarpleog responds, “You know, sometimes it’s OK to pretend.”

This isn’t the first time a film starring Fraser has examined the conceit of altered reality. In director Hugh Wilson’s 1999 movie Blast From the Past, Fraser plays the child of Cold War-era parents that lock the family in a fallout shelter for decades, emerging to find their Valley neighborhood not destroyed by a nuclear blast but by the decay of civilization. “I think it was social commentary about what it means to be a gentleman,” Fraser says. “It came out at a time when Los Angeles was going through a huge reckoning with regard to the respect we have for one another as a society.”

» L A M AG . C O M 7 7

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a movie star for decades, with fans stretching through generations. “I was the babysitter VHS tape for a long time, and now all those kids are having kids,” he says. “[GQ’s] Zach Barron described me as being as familiar as the furniture in the living room.”

Acting is immensely fulfilling to Fraser. “Another reason I wanted to be a part of this as a career when I started was that I wanted to feel that I belonged. Not much has changed about that.”

Fraser arrived in Los Angeles after receiving his BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and acting as “Sailor #1” alongside River Phoenix in 1991’s Dogfight. The film enabled the young Fraser to enter the Screen Actors Guild under the Taft-Hartley Act. He relocated to Los Angeles after joining the union. “I had to ask myself, ‘Do I learn on the job or go back to the world of academia and theory?’ So I made the big leap and jumped into the industry with both feet and did pretty well for myself. It was up and down for a lot of the time, but I was definitely persistent.”

After convincing audiences he was a defrosted caveman from the Valley in 1992’s Encino Man, Fraser has gone on to work with esteemed directors like Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters), Harold Ramis (Bedazzled), Steven Soderbergh (No Sudden Move) and Darren Aronofsky (2022’s The Whale, for which he took home his best actor Oscar).

In Rental Family, an actor he befriends has one film that must never be mentioned. Does Fraser? “I used to 7 8 L A M AG . C O M

think it was Monkeybone,” he says. “But I love that movie! How weird it is that we actually got away with shooting it.

It was considered not successful for whichever reasons. Now it lands with a different audience that brings fresh eyes to it. It’s rewarding to think maybe we were on to something way back in the day — that we were just ahead of our time.”

Over the course of dozens of films, Fraser has co-starred with Hollywood legends like Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon and Shirley MacLaine in Mrs. Winterbourne. His vast body of work lives everywhere, not only in your streaming box, in action figures and your mom’s VHS tapes but also on a constant loop at Universal Studios Florida at The Revenge of the Mummy attraction. “It plays in Orlando a zillion times a day,” he says, adding that for 20 years, “I’ve been entertaining people with my cup of coffee

while they wait to get on the ride.”

Fraser’s next roles fit perfectly into his eclectic filmography. “It’s a bit of a ping-pong sort of pinball-machine trajectory,” he says of his career. In Pressure, he plays war hero and future President Dwight D. Eisenhower, landing on the beach at Normandy. He’s awed at the film’s rezzed up archival footage of World War II soldiers, so crisp that you can read their lips and see their breath in the cold. After that is Breaking Bear, an animated TV comedy from Julien Nitzberg, whose recent L.A. stage musical For the Love of a Glove told the story of Michael Jackson from the perspective of his evil, alien-possessed sequined mitt. Says Fraser of Breaking Bear, which focuses on a dysfunctional ursine family that turns to crime to save their forest home from fracking and other human threats: “We’re gonna move fast and break things. There’s

T- S H I R T A N D S H I R T: I SA I A

B R E N DA N F R A S E R H A S B E E N

THE L.A. MAN

FA M I LY T I E S

Clockwise from top right: Mari Yamamoto and Fraser as rental family agency co-workers; Rental Family filmed in Japan; Fraser’s Phillip is an actor at a crossroad; Mia (Shannon Gorman) gets a father figure in Rental Family; Phillip’s job duties include funeral attendance.

We wanted to have someone who brought both comedy and gravitas in a comically bizarre way, and that was Brendan.”

— JULIEN NITZBERG,

CO U R T E SY S E A R C H L I G H T P I C T U R E S

C R E AT O R , B R E A K I NG B E A R

something in there to offend everyone. It takes balls of steel to do that.”

For Nitzberg, Fraser was the perfect choice for a project that’s been described as a mob saga with cartoon sensibilities. “We wanted to have someone who brought both comedy and gravitas in a comically bizarre way, and that was Brendan,” says the director. “He just fully inhabits the role in an incredible way.

You see his whole body change. Even during table reads he just gives us 250%.”

In recent years, comic book conventions have morphed into pop culture expositions that bring in billions of dollars around the globe. Fraser has done at least four cons this year, posing for photos and signing autographs alongside stars like John Cena, Helen Hunt and William Shatner. “The convention world is where people [find] each other,” Fraser says. “They have a very specific hobby and love playing dress-up and

assuming the mantle of splashy cultural icons. It’s the nerds inheriting the world.”

Some come to hang with Fraser the kindly middle-aged father who can barely tell a dad joke, and others are there to meet their movie-star hero.

Which is real and which makes him their therapist?

He loves hearing from those who were influenced by larger-than-life characters like his adventurer Rick O’Connell from The Mummy. “‘I studied history, I studied archeology, I studied Egyptology, I go on digs looking for fossils or ancient civilizations,’” fans have told him at the shows. “People have really been inspired by the allure of what that grouping of movies delivered: a fantasy, an adventure, something thrilling, something romantic, something funny, something for everyone.”

He’s met people dressed like his

character from George of the Jungle and even one with a tattoo of Monkeybone.

“Hey! We’re still here,” he says. “We’re still doing this!”

Clearly, audiences are hungry for more Brendan Fraser. “It kind of all boils down to how fortunate I feel to be included in this whole enterprise,” he says. “I still pinch myself.”

L A M AG . C O M 7 9

P R E S E N T S

THE L.A. MAN

P U RV E YO R S O F TA S T E

The Hideaway Beverly Hills visionaries, from left: Evan Ross, Ryan Phillippe, Sylvain Bitton, JT Torregiani and Jeffrey Best.

FROM ENTERTAINERS AND RESTAURATEURS TO GOVERNMENT FIGURES AND FIRE RELIEF ADVOCATES, THESE 26 MALE LEADERS ARE BEHIND SOME OF THE CITY’S BUZZIEST PROJECTS AND MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS

> BY HALEY BOSSELMAN, CHRIS NICHOLS, MICHELE MCPHEE AND JASMIN ROSEMBERG

THE L.A. MAN

THE HIDEAWAY OWNERS

1

THE HID E AWAYB EVERLYHI LLS.COM

JEFFREY BEST RE STAU RAT E U R, E V E N T P RODU C E R AND E NT RE P RE NE U R DC B H OS P ITAL IT Y.CO M WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

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In 1975, I worked in Studio City as a dishwasher; 25 years later, I opened Firefly blocks from that venue. In 1985, I walked up and down Rodeo Drive to my job at The Grill; 35 years later, we opened The Hideaway. And in the ’80s, I was a singer in a band that headlined the then-hot Club Lingerie. Now, it’s the Warwick that we’ve owned for over 10 years.

WHICH MEN IN L.A.

1

HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

[Daily Grill co-founder] Bob Spivak, [hotelier] Sean MacPherson and [nightclub and A&R mogul] Jon Sidel — and, recently, Rick Caruso.

WHAT’S NEXT?

4

A third Habana in the Palm Springs area.

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY IRVIN RIVERA

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SILVAIN BITTON

RYAN PHILLIPPE

EVAN ROSS

JT TORREGIANI

R E STAUR ATE UR A N D E N TR E P R E NEUR @ SYLVA IN B ITTON

ACTOR AND RESTAU RAT E U R @RYANPHI LLI PPE

AC TOR, P RODU C E R, MU S IC IAN AND RE STAU RAT E U R @ RE AL E VANROSS

RE STAU RAT E U R AND E NT RE P R E N E U R @ JT TORRE GIA N I

WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS

WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS

OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

By far, my greatest accomplishment in life is building a family with my wife and our two beautiful boys. Now, if we’re talking about my hospitality career, then one of my proudest accomplishments would be opening my first nightclub, Les Deux, at the age of 26. That experience became the foundation of my journey, guiding the path that would eventually lead to opening The Hideaway on Rodeo Drive.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

Craig Susser of Craig’s has been a major inspiration.

His journey from serving as the maître d’ at Dan Tana’s to opening one of the most respected restaurants in Los Angeles highlights how relationships, perseverance and hospitality are true cornerstones of success.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Recently, I had the chance to coproduce an international event on a mega yacht in Monaco for Formula 1, a race-viewing experience called RD Grand Prix. It was my first time executing something internationally.

Now, I’m excited to expand on that concept and bring the experience to audiences around the world.

WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

There’s a lot of film and television projects I’m proud to have been a part of, as well as the success I’ve been able to experience in hospitality.

But being a father to three incredible kids and to see who they’re becoming makes me most proud.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

I’ve been lucky to have some great male friends and mentors over my time in L.A. The late Garry Shandling was one, as was the late Tony Scott. I miss them all the time. I have a large group of peers I’ve known for over 20 years that inspire me in various ways. And my close friend Dr. Raj Kanodia serves as a great source of inspiration and advice.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I currently have two films coming out this winter for Paramount/Republic Pictures: One Mile: Chapter 1 and One Mile: Chapter 2. I’m also working to help build a new clothing brand, Blanco, with my friend Matt Sinnreich.

MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

The project I’m most proud of is my most recent one, a film called Turnbuckle.

It’s the first film I’ve been involved in not only as an actor but as a producer.

I’m proud of opening The Hideaway on the famous Rodeo Drive, which has quickly become a staple in Beverly Hills.

WHICH MEN IN L.A.

WHICH MEN IN L.A.

HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

My longtime business partner, Sylvain. Our partnership has been built on trust and collaboration throughout the years.

Rodney Burns is a true staple in Los Angeles, and his sense of style and artistry is unmatched. He has an incredible eye for everything from furniture to décor, and his perspective on design is one of my absolute favorites.

He’s also been a longtime creative collaborator with Lenny Kravitz, which says a lot about his talent. My close friend Ron Burkle has always been someone I could call on when it comes to navigating business. His advice and perspective are unmatched.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’ve been developing several hotel projects that I believe have strong potential.

I’m excited about the future and see this as the natural next step.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Right now, I’m working on recreating Mahogany with my mother [Diana Ross]. I’m also involved in the Sammy Davis Jr. story with Elijah Kelley and Lena Waithe, which has been really exciting to develop. On top of that, I’m in post-production for Turnbuckle, which stars Terrence Howard, Emile Hirsch, Cara Delevingne, Macy Gray, James Franco and Kate Beckinsale.

L A M AG . C O M 8 3

THE L.A. MAN

TIMUR BEKBOSUNOV OP E RA S INGE R AND P RODU C E R @ T H E OP E RAOF TI M U R WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

MARC ANGE IN TE R IO R D E SIGNER MA R C-A N GE .CO M

I grew up in Soviet Kazakhstan and am very proud that I came all the way to L.A., where I’ve built a career premiering over 30 works by American composers. I am also a film producer and had the chance to observe the work of Nicolas Cage [in their film collaboration Color Out of Space] and Alfre Woodard, who starred in our Sundance grand jury prize-winning film, Clemency.

WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

WHIC H ME N IN L . A. HAVE I NSPI RED YOU?

David Lynch was my first portal into the City of Angels. Through his surreal, poetic lens, he depicted Los Angeles as a place where dreams and nightmares coexist. His films revealed an undercurrent beneath the sunshine. It made me want to experience the city for myself.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’m designing two new hospitality venues in California, a series of extraordinary residences across the U.S. and the Middle East and a highly artistic luxury hotel in Marrakech. I’m also developing new pieces for my collectible furniture line.

8 4 L A M AG . C O M

WHAT’S NEXT?

I have three upcoming world premieres in the next couple of months, and they’re all overseas. I think we need to find stronger ways to connect the different communities here, and I feel the time is right to bring a new international opera initiative to L.A. I am working on a new musical called Werewolf Camp in collaboration with Magdeburg theater in Germany with my partner Sandra Powers.

M A R C A N G E : V I C TO R STO N E M ; T I M U R B E K B O S U N OV: SA N D R A P OW E R S

I am very proud of how my work has evolved to merge design, art and storytelling. Most recently, my collaboration with 11 Ravens resulted in Colosso, a monumental pool table that blurs the line between sculpture and function. I am also proud of the spaces I’ve created here, from Muse to The Rooftop of the Waldorf Astoria, which is coming soon, or the restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental, which embodies my vision of luxury: immersive, poetic and unforgettable.

DYLAN EFRON T E L E V IS ION P E RS ONAL IT Y @ DY L ANE F RON WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

Winning The Traitors. This was my first step into reality TV and, at the time, it felt like a big risk. I grew up pretty private and I could have thought of a hundred reasons why not to do reality TV, but I also felt like I was ready to take a big risk and continue my journey of growth.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

My brother [Zac Efron], definitely. When I first moved to L.A. and was working as an assistant at Warner Bros., he let me move in with him.

WHAT’S NEXT?

DY L A N E F R O N : B R I A N M E L L E R ; A L E X E VA N S : C L A I R VO G E L ; JAY E L L I S : C I B E L L E L E VY

I’m currently putting my all into learning the choreography on Dancing With the Stars. It’s been such an incredible experience, challenging myself in ways I’ve never done before.

Beyond DWTS, I’m working on a very special project with my buddy Boston Rob.

JAY ELLIS ACTOR @JAYRELLI S

much — while also playing a messy, relatable character that challenged me.

ALEX EVANS ART IST IC DIRE C TO R O F TH E B OB B AK E R MA R I O N E TT E T H E AT E R B OB BA K E R M A R I ONE T T E T H E ATE R .CO M WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

I saw my first show here when I was 19 and was swept away by the magic of this place. Bob Baker was 85 years old and kind of a Geppetto carrying around this mythos. He was a dreamer, but in the most tangible, real way. For 30 years, every Christmas was going to be our last show and we’d have to shut down. Even in the most dire situations, he could feel the levity and joy of flowers dancing on stage.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We make 60 new puppets a year. We’ve had commissions from Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles and Lil Nas X. We just got announced at Coachella and will soon open our first new show in 40 years, Choo Choo Revue.

Charles King, Wendell Ellis Sr. (my dad).

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE

WORKING ON AND WHAT’S

WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR

INSPIRED YOU?

NEXT FOR YOU?

ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU

Kobe Bryant, Nipsey Hussle, Kendrick Lamar, [special economic adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom] Michael Tubbs, [Insecure showrunner] Prentice Penny, [LAUSD School Board member] Nick Melvoin, [Macro CEO]

I’m currently working on Running Point Season 2 for Netflix and Not Suitable for Work Season 1 for Hulu.

Next … If I tell you then it’ll ruin the surprise. And I’m all about the reveal of a magic trick.

PROUDEST?

Lawrence on Insecure. It was pretty amazing to be on a show that takes place in a city [like Los Angeles] that you love — and everyone else on the cast and crew loves so

L A M AG . C O M 8 5

THE L.A. MAN

OWNER OF FUGETSU-DO BAKE RY FUGETSU-DOBAK E RY.COM WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

ROBERT HERTZBERG F O R ME R STATE SENATE MA JO R ITY L E A DER R O B E R THE R TZB E RG.COM WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR

I am the president of the Little Tokyo Public Safety Association. Back in the 1980s, this area became kind of crime ridden. Cars were getting broken into, and then we had the Rodney King riots, which shut down all tourism to L.A. We started a

ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

The [Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center] at Cal State L.A. Ten years in the making with [former] Gov. [Gray] Davis, it is home of the LAPD and Sheriff’s [Dept.] crime lab, as well as the incredible School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics. The lab includes the Innocence Project, which finds evidence to exonerate the wrongly convicted, and it has 100% eliminated the backlog of rape kits in all 88 cities of L.A. County.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

Lew Wasserman, chairman of MCA/Universal, and Eli Broad, Broad Foundation.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Middle-Class Homeownership Act: I am the author of the November 2026 ballot initiative. I have been working on it for nearly five years with Doug McCarron, national president of the carpenters union, among others. It will result in over 100,000 new homes in California for middle-class buyers and is not limited to first-time homebuyers.

8 6 L A M AG . C O M

FRANK LIMA I NTERNATI ONAL ASS OC IAT ION OF FI RE FI GHTERS GE NE RAL SECRETARY-TREAS U RE R @I AFFGSTLI MA WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

Preventing cellphone towers from being installed on fire station property.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

Jesus Pasos, one of my first fire captains when I was a rookie firefighter over 33 years ago.

He was a legendary firefighter and a great leader.

WHAT’S NEXT?

To never miss an opportunity to support and bring a louder voice to all the hard workers out there, whether they are picking vegetables on the farms to feed us, cleaning hotel rooms, riding fire trucks, stocking milk in our grocery stores, taking blood pressure, teaching our children, building our infrastructure or keeping our streets safe.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Our business is not like most businesses. It’s connected to our culture and our religion, so it’s very unique. They use certain types of pastries for funerals, some for weddings, anniversaries and birthdays.

It’s a glutinous rice and we pound it up and we take that dough and mix it with sugar and encrust sweet bean paste inside — that’s

the basic old-style mochi. ...

We’ve created some longevity here and there’s a future in it that I’d love to pass on to my son. He’ll be the fourth generation.

C LO C KW I S E F R O M TO P : CO U R T E SY O F R O B E R T T H E R Z B E R G ; CO U R T E SY O F B R I A N K I TO ; CO U R T E SY O F F R A N K L I M A

BRIAN KITO

volunteer security patrol and cleaned up the neighborhood. It made people feel safe.

C LO C KW I S E F R O M TO P : CO U R T E SY O F R O B E R T T H E R Z B E R G ; CO U R T E SY O F B R I A N K I TO ; CO U R T E SY O F F R A N K L I M A

FRANK MCCOURT C IV IC E NT RE P R E N E U R A N D F ORME R DODG E R S OW N E R WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

I’ve spent the last decade tackling what I believe is one of the most urgent challenges of our time: the societal and personal harms created by the current design of the internet. Project Liberty, an organization I founded over six years ago, is developing solutions that put people — not platforms — back in control.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

L AW R E N C E LO N G O : T H E CO L L E C T I V E YO U ; F R A N K M CCO U R T: CO U R T E SY O F F R A N K M CCO U R T

LAWRENCE LONGO F O O D E N TR EPRENEUR @ B IG SHOT WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR

WHAT’S NEXT?

ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

Right now, I’m producing a YouTube series I created called Delivering Happiness, starring Nick Turturro. It’s a mockumentary-style short-form series about finding joy in unexpected places. Nick, a veteran actor and lovable underdog, goes back to his roots delivering pizza for Prince St. — but every delivery turns into an unscripted moment of connection. Through comedy, vulnerability and heart, each episode transforms a simple drop-off into a story about friendship, truth and purpose. Next up, I’m expanding on a global scale — opening 12 new restaurants in the next 12 months.

Opening Prince St. Pizza in L.A. during COVID taught me resilience and the power of community. Reviving the iconic Irv’s Burgers was a chance to preserve a piece of the city’s history while navigating the challenges of running a business here.

Launching Bar Next Door and now Hall Pass has let me keep pushing boundaries and creating spaces that bring people together. What I’m most proud of is building places that not only serve great food but also become part of Los Angeles culture.

During my time with the Dodgers, I had the immense pleasure of working with the iconic Vin Scully, and we maintained a friendship up until his passing. Like so many Angelenos, I was deeply inspired by his commitment to the Dodgers and belief in the power of sports to uplift and unite people.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’m excited about the impactful projects McCourt Partners is spearheading here in Los Angeles. Our partnership with Homeboy Industries helps support a landmark fundraising campaign focused on their campus expansion and the growth of Hope Village.

L A M AG . C O M 8 7

THE L.A. MAN

FLOYD NORMAN ANIMATOR @ NORMAN.F LOY D WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

ENRIQUE MELENDEZ STY L IST @ M R E N R IQ UE ME LENDEZ WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

I’m super blessed to be doing what I love with people that I love and to still have a career I can support myself with.

Recently, I just closed out styling an international press tour with Jenna Ortega for her Wednesday Season 2 run. So many looks I loved, and I couldn’t even pick my favorite.

There’s no doubt about it.

Walt Disney truly inspired me. ... One of my heroes was Sterling Holloway, whose voice I heard as a child when my mommy took me to see Dumbo. Many years later, I ended up on the recording stage with the very same actor. The fact that we can all work together and make these fun movies that entertain millions of people is enjoyable. It’s good work.

JASON OPPENHEIM RE AL IT Y T V STA R A N D RE AL E STAT E F IR M OW N E R @ JAS ONOP P E NH E I M WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

As most people know, Los Angeles was hit by some of the most destructive fires in its history. I’m especially proud of the work that we did at The Oppenheim Group during that time.

My office hosted a donation drive to collect clothing and supplies for displaced families, and we did nearly 100 interviews calling out landlords who were pricegouging fire victims.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

Although I never met him, my great-great-grandfather Jacob Stern has been one of the greatest inspirations to me among men in Los Angeles. He founded The Stern Realty Co. in 1889 — what is now The Oppenheim Group — and helped shape the city’s real estate and cultural landscape.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON AND WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

My best friend Reginald Haywood is a constant line of support, and his work ethic in the corporate world keeps me going.

Larry Sims, an amazing hairstylist and dear friend who is so talented, also makes time to live his best life.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I have a number of awards season clients I’ll be creating and collaborating with on looks. I’m super excited about it.

8 8 L A M AG . C O M

Over the past five years, I’ve opened both my Orange County and San Diego offices, and they’ve been absolutely thriving. While Los Angeles will always be home, I’m planning to spend more time working out of the Newport Beach office.

E N R I Q U E M E L E N D E Z : B E N CO P E ; F LOY D N O R M A N : A D R I E N N E B R OW N N O R M A N ; CO U R T E SY T H E O P P E N H E I M G R O U P

Looking back over a long career, I truly enjoyed my time at the Walt Disney Studios — especially having the opportunity to work with the old man himself on his last feature film, The Jungle Book, back in 1966.

I always enjoy the creative process. One of the things we learned while I was working on Sesame Street was how quickly children could absorb information no matter how fast we threw it at them. Kids are fast learners, and I didn’t learn how fast until I worked on that show.

HARLEY PASTERNAK P E RS ONAL T RAINE R AND AU T H OR @ H ARL E Y PAST E RNAK WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

I would say it’s a tie between my latest book, The Carb Reset; the gym I designed at the Four Seasons Hualalai and the Four Seasons Naples; and my academic appointments at the University of Toronto.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

My old friend Gunnar Peterson, who gave me the idea about turning a residential property into a high-end private training space; my old client Will Ferrell, who is probably the first person I’ve ever seen loved by everyone in the world; and my friend Paul White, who taught me so much about real estate and hospitality.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’m very excited about my new Vuori partnership. And I just started working on a new book about all the things I’ve learned over the last four decades.

H A R L E Y PA ST E R N A K : CO U R T E SY V U O R I ; B E N S H E N A S SA FA R : N I C K J O H N S O N ; S P E N C E R P R AT T: J O N P R E M O S C H

SPENCER PRATT TV A N D SO C IA L MEDI A P E R SO N A LITY @ SP E N C E R P R ATT WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

Besides being a dad, definitely helping with the congressional investigation into the Palisades Fire.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

My dad “Skipper,” who has worked hard as a dentist my entire life for his family.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Right now, I am focused on a documentary that uncovers the truth about the criminal negligence that caused the Palisades fire.

BEN SHENASSAFAR RE STAU RAT E U R , T H E H U NDRE DS ST R E E T W E A R B RAND CO- F OU N D E R @ B E NH U NDRE DS WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

[The Hundreds co-founder] Bobby Kim, aka Bobby Hundreds, is one of the most creative minds I’ve ever met. Mike Amiri is the hardest-working person I know — and to watch what he’s accomplished with his brand [Amiri] shows me that dreams do come true. Lastly, my friends Jon Shook, Vinny Dotolo and Evan Funke. I’ve watched them build empires in hospitality over the past 10 years, and now that I’ve entered their world, I look to them regularly to build the best restaurant and bar that I can.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’m currently working on The Hundreds 2026 and 2027 plans. Fashion is changing faster than ever, and we have to balance staying ahead and keeping up with the current trends. I’m working at making The Benjamin Hollywood and Bar Benjamin better every single day. We opened our doors just over a year ago and we have a lot of work to do. You can find me on the corner of Melrose and Formosa most nights for the foreseeable future.

L A M AG . C O M 8 9

THE L.A. MAN

JD SLAJCHERT WR ITE R JDWR ITE SB O O KS.COM WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

Following the COVID pandemic, I had the opportunity to travel the country, speaking about teenage anxiety and mental health. And after our family lost our restaurant, Moonshadows, in the Palisades Fire, I had the chance to share the inspiration and heartbeat of our beloved eatery with the world to help raise funds for our displaced staff.

ERIC VETRO VOC AL COAC H @ E RICV E T ROVO C A LCOAC H WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

I would say the movies that are about to be released — Wicked: For Good with Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere with Jeremy Allen White.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

I’d honestly like to say that my biggest source of inspiration has come from the broader display of resilience proven day in and day out by the countless number of individuals impacted not just by the Palisades Fire but also our neighbors close by in Altadena.

I’m incredibly excited to be preparing for my upcoming TEDx Talk at TEDxUnityPark in Greenville, South Carolina.

The talk will be largely about my story, overcoming adversities and how different parts of my story have impacted my writing process.

INSPIRED YOU?

OWEN THIELE ACTOR AND P ODC AST E R @OWENTHI EL E WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

Right now, I’m so proud to be a part of two shows [Adults and Overcompensating] that explore queerness and queer friendship in 2025. They’re both important stories and I’m so honored to be even a little part of each.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

My dad, Bob Thiele Jr., and my grandfather, Jay Kanter.

I’m constantly inspired by them. They taught me to always lead with love and stop to appreciate the small wins.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’m developing a show right now with Amazon based on my life story — being Black, gay and adopted into a white, Jewish family in L.A. Every day, I’m hoping we hear good news on that. In the meantime, I’m hoping for a Season 2 of Adults and Overcompensating.

9 0 L A M AG . C O M

That list is quite long!

John Legend, Timothé e Chalamet, Ryan Gosling, Shawn Mendes, Austin Butler, Charlie Puth, John Stamos, Will Ferrell and Hugh Jackman (all ironically younger than me) have all inspired me with their talent, creativity and strong work ethic.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently, I’m working with some fantastic actors who will be singing in several new movies, including Millie Bobby Brown (for Just Picture It), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Here Comes the Flood), Melissa McCarthy (Margie Claus) and David Jonsson, who will be playing Sammy Davis Jr. in a film entitled Scandalous! co-starring Sydney Sweeney.

CO U R T E SY J D S L A J C H E R T; OW E N T H I E L E : LU C Y SA N D L E R ; E R I C V E T R O : K E N SAWY E R

WHAT’S NEXT?

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE

JONATHAN TUCKER AC TO R @ JO N ATHA N MTUCKER WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

Kingdom, because it gave us 40 episodes to excavate a world — mixed martial arts — that had never really been rendered with honesty on screen. But above all: my family — my wife, Tara; our twins, India and Hayes; and our two dogs, Mori and Rothko.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

Magic Johnson, who turned brilliance on the court into resilience and reinvention off it. Peter Guber, who has always understood that entertainment is as much about risk as it is about story. Quentin Tarantino, whose films feel like dispatches from the city’s subconscious. Eli Broad, who bet on culture as infrastructure. Raymond Chandler, who caught the shadows behind the sunshine. And Tom Bradley, whose steady hand helped hold the city together during times of profound change.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’m heading into production on a limited series for MGM+ called American Hostage.

L .A. RAMS RU NNING B AC K @ KY RE N.WIL L IAMS

but I admire the kind of person he is and how he continues to give back to the community.

WHICH OF YOUR PROJECTS

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY

OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

WORKING ON AND WHAT’S

MAKE YOU PROUDEST?

NEXT FOR YOU?

J O N AT H A N T U C K E R : P H OTO G R A P H E R : M AT T G E R E T Y; P H OTO A S S I STA N T: L I B BY M C N E I L ; KY R E N W I L L I A M S : LO S A N G E L E S R A M S .

KYREN WILLIAMS

My biggest accomplishment to this day is achieving my dream of becoming an NFL player. I have worked my whole life to be where I am right now.

WHICH MEN IN L.A. HAVE INSPIRED YOU?

[Former player and NFL analyst] Andrew Whitworth — I don’t know him personally,

I’m starting my own nonprofit organization — something that allows me to impact, inspire and motivate young kids not just in L.A. and St. Louis [my hometown], but all over the world.

I want them to know they can accomplish their dreams, that anything is possible no matter their situation or where they come from.

L A M AG . C O M 9 1

T R AC K E D D OW N

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was taken into custody Oct. 7.

A CATASTROPHIC SPARK CR D E PA E DR I TS T MTEKN TH EORFEJA UN STDI CHEE R E

WHAT MOTIVATED THIS ‘DESPONDENT’ FORMER PALISADES RESIDENT TO ALLEGEDLY START WHAT BECAME THE DEVASTATING AND DEADLY PALISADES FIRE? A Los Angeles investigation

BY M I C H E L E M C P H E E 9 2 L A M AG . C O M

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

C

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON NEW YEAR’S EVE, JONATHAN RINDERKNECHT MARCHED HIS SQUAT, PAUNCHY FRAME UP SKULL ROCK TRAILHEAD AS THE CHORUS OF A FRENCH RAP SONG BLARED IN HIS EARBUDS: J’ai pas dormi, j’ai qu’une barre; J’ai l’impression qu’j’suis nulle part. The song, “Un Zder, Un Thé,” by artist Josman was one of the 29-year-old’s favorites and in recent days he had listened to it on repeat. But on this night, the chorus resonated. The English translation of the refrain repeated throughout the rap, a song a federal agent would describe as one filled with “despair and bitterness,” was: I’ve not slept; I’ve only got one bar.

I feel like I’m nowhere.

Rinderknecht, a peripatetic loner who had become attached to ChatGPT, had spent the night of New Year’s Eve, driving for Uber, hoping that revelers ringing in 2025 would make working the holiday P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

worth it. Alas, it was a slow night. He had only had a couple of rides since logging on at 10 p.m. — two separate passengers, who would both later tell investigators their driver, a bearded guy with mousy brown hair, “appeared agitated and angry.” So, he gave up and dropped off his last fare at 11:34 p.m. on Palisades Drive.

Rinderknecht then pointed his vehicle eastbound to climb the same winding two-plus mile road that leads into Topanga State Park. He knew it well. He used to live with roommates in an ultraexclusive gated community perched on a hillside above the Pacific Palisades Highlands called The Enclave, where 88 elegant — and wildly expensive — L A M AG . C O M 9 3

homes enjoy commanding ocean views framed by the Santa Monica Mountains. He pulled over about a block away from his old house on Via La Costa and typed out a Facebook message to a former roommate.

No answer.

So, he climbed out of his car, cued up Josman’s YouTube video again, one filled with images of the rapper setting fires, and began to climb alone, comforted by the familiar music as he hiked deeper into the darkness, his lonely path lit only by the thin waxing moon overhead. He walked along the trail’s concrete switchbacks, past drainage ditches, until he reached the Temescal Ridge Trail. There he took a narrow, scrubby dirt path to a small clearing.

After a breakup in 2023, Rinderknecht began spending a lot of time there, the former roommate he couldn’t reach would later tell investigators. It was a soothing spot for the avowed vegan who had taken to posting apocalyptic stories about climate change on his Facebook page, using the name “Jon Rinder,” including a piece by ProPublica illustrated by a raging blaze that began with the words “Wildfires rage in the West.” His social media also showed he was a big fan of Kamala Harris and had even posted a story highlighting an interview from when the Brentwood resident sat in the U.S. Senate and had declared that “meat is destroying the planet.”

This clearing is where he came to settle his mind, to sit on a hollowed-out stump that over the years had become a collecting point for spiritual tokens and figurines, like little Buddhas. Locals called the spot “Hidden Buddha.”

At 11:47 p.m., Rinderknecht spun around in a 360-degree circle, filming his go-to hideaway twice, videos that would become a macabre before memory.

Then, according to court records, he pulled out a long green barbecue-style lighter and held its open flame to the tough, leathery leaves of a chaparral brush until it sparked. A breeze fueled his handiwork. The ATF says he stayed and watched, flames 9 4 L A M AG . C O M

“PEOPLE DO EVIL THINGS. EVIL PEOPLE DO EVIL THINGS.” —KENNY COOPER, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE ATF LOS ANGELES FIELD DIVISION

THE SOULS LOST RANDALL MIOD, 55 ELIZABETH MORGAN, 79 CHARLES MORTIMER, 84 BETTY O’MEARA, 94 ANNETTE ROSSILLI, 85 MARK SHTERENBERG, 80 ARTHUR SIMONEAU, 69 RORY SYKES, 32 JEFFREY TAKEYAMA, 69 DIANA WEBB, 82 HAK WONG, 69 THERE REMAINS ONE UNIDENTIFIED PERSON FROM PACIFIC PALISADES DOZENS OF PETS LOST

likely dancing in the irises of his dazed brown eyes.

At 12:12 a.m. on New Year’s Day, an environmental sensing camera operated by the University of California San Diego set to monitor wildfire activity in the hills, detected the first glow of what would be dubbed the Lachman fire.

It didn’t take long for the orange hue in the hills to grow.

W I T H I N M I N U T E S , L A F D Fire Station 69 rigs were racing from their house on Sunset Boulevard up the same steep hilly Palisades Drive thoroughfare toward the glow. Once there, firefighters jumped off the engines to lug gear and long hoses up the dirt path and toward the source. The blaze, firefighters would soon learn, had been started roughly 30 feet south of the Hidden Buddha’s namesake stump. By 12:28 a.m., according to Watch Duty, a nonprofit app created for real-time fire watching as an aid to first responders, the deliberately sparked blaze had spread across heavy brush to engulf three to four acres of the hillside, threatening a half dozen

H I D D E N B U D D H A C L E A R I N G : D E PA R T M E N T O F J U ST I C E

SCENE OF THE CRIME

Federal prosecutors say Rinderkencht hiked to this clearing that locals call Hidden Buddha and held an open flame to dried brush just after midnight on Jan. 1. The fire he allegedly set reignited seven days later, exploding into the deadly Palisades fire.

homes in its vicinity. LAFD bosses on scene sounded an alarm to summon reinforcements, which would bring another five fire trucks to the location, Watch Duty reported. The scene had become worrisome as an ember cast rained down tiny ignitors in the brush that had been dried out by drought.

That night, the LAFD’s choppers were temporarily grounded, so the county’s LACoFD’s Copter 22 flew overhead making water drops. Ground crews spread into isolated areas hunting for hot spots.

Other firefighters desperately dug control lines to stop the fire’s destructive path. About an hour later, the fire had spread to roughly nine acres, and firefighters were assigned to what is known as “structural defense,” essentially acting as preventative sentries around homes. In this case, houses in The Enclave from the southeast end of Via Pacifica up to Via La Costa, making sure that if the fire got any closer, they could get people out.

Luckily, evacuations would not be necessary. By 2:23 a.m., flames were limited to some fire-resistant topography. By 3 a.m. the LAFD had a trio of its own choppers in the air making drops alongside Copter 22, which brought the Lachman fire into containment roughly 40 minutes later. But firefighters continued to work. Michael Silvester, a staff writer for Watch Duty, reported on the app: “Firefighters completed the hose line around the perimeter of the fire and it is fully contained. Some resources will be released as the mop up operation continues to ensure no flare ups.” Members would stay on scene to continue to douse the fire. As they packed up, the crews intentionally left fire hoses on site, in case they needed to be redeployed.

During this quixotic battle, it’s unlikely anyone took notice of the chubby, nervous Uber driver with the messy hair lurking in the backdrop of the fire scene with other looky-loos. As he watched the firefighters work, he captured four short iPhone videos of first responders mitigating the crime prosecutors now say he had “maliciously” just committed.

In a single bout of what Bill Essayli, the acting U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District, called “recklessness,” Rinderknecht, now an accused arsonist, had just sparked “one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen,” the prosecutor said.

SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES LOST: 5,419 MULTIFAMILY HOMES LOST: 135 OTHER STRUCTURES AND BUSINESSES LOST: 1,273 10TH DEADLIEST AND THIRD MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE IN CALIFORNIA HISTORY THE EATON AND PALISADES FIRES ARE NOW THE COSTLIEST WILDFIRES IN GLOBAL HISTORY

No one knew it that night, but the Lachman fire’s threat was far from over. Seven days later, ferocious Santa Ana winds would blow into the mountain passes and reignite this scene. Rapacious flames spread from Hidden Buddha, cut a straight, windfueled, fast-moving path though The Enclave, which was largely spared, and then began to devour the Pacific Palisades Highlands neighborhood, which was not. Soon, much of the tightknit community was on fire — celebrity compounds and modest homes on the Alphabet streets, all incinerated. Residents were forced to flee vehicles they were desperately driving toward the Pacific Ocean and bolt for their lives.

More than 35,000 residents of that neighborhood and neighboring Malibu were forced to leave behind everything but the clothes on their backs: Priceless art, family heirlooms — even pets. Twelve human souls didn’t make it out.

Whether or not the suspected arsonist — one with no prior criminal history — and his raging fury at climate change and meat consumption had embraced the ideologies of a larger ecoterrorism movement remains unclear. A Florida federal prosecutor would come to describe him as a man with “a despondent view of the world.”

Kenny Cooper, the ATF’s special agent in charge of the Los Angeles field office, had his own explanation.

“People do evil things. Evil people do evil things.”

L A M AG . C O M 9 5

F I V E A N D A H A L F months before the fire — on July 11 — Rinderknecht sat down and typed a prompt ty into ChatGPT. The underemployed man whose girlfriend of three years had dumped him a year earlier, according to court records, wanted to create an image that encapsulated his misery. He has been spending a lot of time with the AI bot, federal prosecutors now say, and ChatGPT had become good at visually recreating his thoughts. Like these: “A dystopian painting divided into distinct parts that blend together seamlessly. On the far left, there is a burning forest. Next to it, a crowd of people is running away from the fire, leading to the middle. In the middle, hundreds of thousands of people in poverty are trying to get past a gigantic gate with a big dollar sign on it. On the other side of the gate and the entire wall is a conglomerate of the richest people. They are chilling, watching the world burn down, and watching the people struggle. They are laughing, enjoying themselves, and dancing. The scene is detailed and impactful, highlighting the stark contrast and the direct connection between the different parts of the world.”

The AI result was frighteningly on point. In nine separate generated images, fire raged. There was no mention of the Pacific Palisades in the accused arsonist’s instructions, but the resemblance in the art is unmistakable. One of the images showed a mountain range ablaze behind a clearing like the Hidden Buddha, a single van in a field surrounded by people fleeing flames.

On a recent visit to Skull Rock Trailhead, a firegutted van sat abandoned at the side of the road, dusty with debris ash.

I T D I D N ’ T TA K E L O N G for investigators to turn their attention to Rinderknecht. After all, he was hardly a criminal mastermind. Investigators grappling with the Eaton fire, which was equally as devastating to the historic neighborhood of Altadena, and even more deadly, taking the lives of 19 people, had a clear apparent culprit: faulty power lines. But blame for the origins of the Palisades fire could not be as easily determined. There was talk of a hiker’s cigarette and teenagers ringing in the New Year with fireworks, which were theories tested and dismissed by a team of ATF agents that were brought in to sift through the rubble. “We literally had agents, with our partners, on their hands and knees crawling through fire debris,” Cooper, the ATF SAC, told reporters. “We collected more than 13,000 items of evidence, including fire debris, digital data, DNA samples.” Their hard work was pointing toward at least one suspect, Jonathan Rinderknecht, and on Jan. 24, ATF agents brought him in for questioning.

By then, the ATF had obtained a warrant to pore through the contents of his cellphone and knew it had pinged off cell towers near the origin site of 9 6 L A M AG . C O M

TIMELINE OF TERROR Jan. 1, 2025 Federal prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht “maliciously” sparks the Lachman fire in Topanga State Park, which smolders for 7 days and leads to the deadly and devastating Palisades fire on Jan 7.

Jan. 18 LASD deputies stop a decommissioned fire truck with California plates emblazoned with the name Roaring River Fire Department, a fake fire company. It is driven by convicted arsonist Dustin Nehl and his wife, Jennifer, who had worked with the National Weather Service. The Oregon couple is wearing bunker gear and carrying radios tuned to first responder channels.

Jan. 19 The FBI issues a BOLO — Be on the Lookout — for an accused domestic terrorist named Josephine Sunshine Overaker. The FBI calls her the leader of an ecoterrorist group called The Family that famously burned down wealthy enclaves, including a ski resort in Vail, Colorado in 1998.

Agents soon arrested more than a dozen of her alleged co-conspirators but Overaker got away.

She has been the subject of an international FBI manhunt since.

F R O M TO P : D E PA R T M E N T O F J U ST I C E ; J O N R I N D E R FAC E B O O K ; F B I ; CO U R T E SY L . A . CO U N T Y S H E R I F F ’ S D E PA R T M E N T

the Lachman fire. Agents also learned that he had apparently set out to “create evidence regarding a more innocent explanation for the cause of the fire,” the ATF wrote in an affidavit. He recorded himself calling 911 as he descended from Hidden Buddha on New Years Day and consulted ChatGPT with the question: “Are you at fault if a fire is lift [sic] because of your cigarettes?” a digital paper trail he could later use to suggest that perhaps the fire was an accident. Either way, ChatGPT responded with a one-word answer: “Yes.” In addition, agents had spoken to someone from the neighborhood who remembered standing in the fire’s chaos in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day chatting with a guy who said he had been at a house party when he spotted the flames and called 911. That guy was identified as Rinderknecht and, naturally, there was no house party. Investigators had interviewed his Uber passengers, the ones who recalled him being anxious and angry that night. There were photos of his car at the scene — twice. He had returned to the scene like a textbook arsonist, with the ATF noting in the affidavit that “arsonists sometimes like to watch firefighters respond to the fires that they set.”

As agents recounted this evidence to Rinderknecht that January day — while more than 35,000 people remained displaced and funerals were being carried out for the dead — investigators noted that his “carotid ON THE CASE

AI image prosecutors say was generated by Rinderkencht’s instructions to ChatGPT; Rinderkencht’s Facebook page, which federal prosecutors say was under one of his aliases, “Jon Rinder,” and was rife with apocalyptic stories; the FBI has been hunting this fugitive who it describes as a member of the domestic terrorist group “The Family,” a radical arm of the Earth and Animal Liberation fronts; decommissioned fire truck with a fake company name that L.A. County prosecutors say the Nehls drove into the Palisades fire zone on Jan. 18.

“I FEEL RAGE. WE ALL FEEL RAGE.” —PACIFIC PALISADES RESIDENT JON BROWN, WHOSE HOME IN A FAMED OCEANFRONT MOBILE PARK BURNED

TIMELINE OF TERROR (CONTINUED) Jan. 24 Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announces charges against the Nehls for impersonating firefighters, a misdemeanor. Their criminal case continues to wind its way through the Los Angeles court system, state prosectors say.

Jan. 24 ATF agents investigating the cause of the Palisades fire bring Rinderknecht in for questioning.

Investigators note in a search warrant affidavit that his “carotid artery would pulsate,” when he is asked about how the fire started.

Oct. 7 Nearly nine months to the day after the Palisades fire exploded, Rinderknecht is arrested in Melbourne, Florida.

The ATF says he was living with his sister and her family, who were forced to move out after Rinderknecht threatened to burn her house down and shoot her husband, ATF officials allege.

artery would pulsate and become visible,” whenever he was asked how the fire started or who started it.

A search of his car’s glove compartment turned up another clue: the lighter the ATF says he admitted carrying to Hidden Buddha was stashed inside. Still, he wasn’t arrested on that day. Investigators wanted to watch him, several sources tell Los Angeles. They were not convinced he was working alone.

Jonathan Rinderknecht wasn’t the only one being eyeballed by investigators. Days before he was brought in for questioning, a convicted arsonist from Oregon named Dustin Nehl and his wife, Jennifer, who had done consulting work for the National Weather Service as a “wind ambassador,” running a program that helped incarcerated juveniles process climate change by writing rap songs, had been arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies.

The couple were in a decommissioned fire truck they bought at an auction crudely emblazoned with the name of a nonexistent company — Roaring River Fire Department — that they drove into the Palisades fire burn zone. They were wearing bunker gear and carrying radios tuned to the channels used by first responders. Their case is continuing to wind its way through the Los Angeles Superior Court system.

A day after the Nehls’ Jan. 18 arrest, the FBI issued a BOLO, Be on the Lookout, for a long soughtafter fugitive, also from Oregon, on social media. Her name iss Josephine Sunshine Overaker. The FBI calls her the leader of an (CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 1 0 3 ) L A M AG . C O M 9 7

What’s happening with Corky’s in Sherman Oaks?

Truddy and Martin Cable Jr.’s reception at his dad’s restaurant in 1966.

Bottom: Herb Alpert.

A:

For more than six decades, the Van Nuys Boulevard coffee shop was ridden hard and put away wet. The Googie-style building suffered from structural and seismic issues and was thoroughly worn out. Along with Coffee Dan’s and Bob’s Big Boy, the all-night restaurant was an icon on L.A.’s famous car cruising strip, fueling generations of midnight hot-rodders, after-church breakfasters and moms caring for the Valley’s baby boomers. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth when the Armet & Davis-designed landmark closed in 2020.

After a yearslong restoration, the original architecture reemerges this month — to house the fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-A. “Ninetyseven percent of these buildings have gone,” says Alan Hess, author of Googie Redux and a consulting architect 1 0 4 L A M AG . C O M

on the project. “It is truly a miracle for us to be able to restore this. It’s going to be a true example of midcentury modern architecture and not a half-remembered Happy Days sort of diner pastiche.”

Hess’ team uncovered forgotten

clerestory windows, mosaic tile and spider legs hidden under later additions.

Craftsmen deconstructed numbered rock walls before rebuilding, poured new terrazzo floors around surviving sections and re-created much of designer

Helen Fong’s dynamic modernist interior (with zigzag booths!) from photos and drawings. “We had to scrape down the catenary curve fascia to see what the earliest color paint was,” says Hess. “In every detail, this is the original look. This is the real thing.” Hess is nearly overwhelmed by the beauty he’s helping bring back. “It’s an architectural composition of glass, concrete and ornament that would make Charles and Ray Eames weep.

It’s so well-done.”

CHRIS’ PICK

Musical Delight HERB ALPERT ROCKS THE DOLBY ● IF YOU’VE EVER

flipped through a used-record bin, you’ve no doubt encountered a young lady covered in dessert toppings beckoning from the neon green 1965 album Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. The 90-yearold trumpet player is an icon of American music, and on Nov. 14 and 15, you can hear the legend play all his original hits at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Long before he had his star on Hollywood Boulevard or first performed songs like “Spanish Flea” and “The Lonely Bull,” local boy Alpert was blowing his horn around L.A. His Tijuana Brass act was white-hot and launched him into worldwide fame in jazz and easy listening music. He co-founded A&M Records, married singer Lani Hall, opened Vibrato nightclub in Bel-Air and donated millions to the arts.

All that, and he still sounds exactly like the records he cut 60 years ago.

— CHRIS NICHOLS

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THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING How the back-to-back champion Dodgers clinched the Series and united a city Plus

PLANNING FOR A THREE-PEAT

‘L.A. RISING’

Robert Vargas’ mural of four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani in Little Tokyo

DECEMBER 2025 L A M AG .CO M

S C A N TO A N IM AT E !

THE DODGER D

G

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

HOW THE BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS BUILT A TEAM FUELED BY

5 4 L A M AG . C O M

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

AP CTREDIT

DYNASTY

DOMENIC PRIORE

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

GLOBAL STARS AND BROUGHT A CITY TOGETHER

By

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

L A M AG . C O M 5 5

AFTER SEVEN GAMES DURING WHICH LOS ANGELES

W H AT A Y E A R !

Will Smith and Freddie Freeman (shown here earlier in the season) hit game-winning home runs in the World Series. Clayton Kershaw at the World Series victory celebration Nov. 3 at Dodger Stadium.

“I was a Dodger for life, and today I get to say I’m a champion for life.”

5 6 L A M AG . C O M

— CLAYTON KERSHAWP H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

collectively held its breath, the roars of joy when the Dodgers clinched the World Series in Toronto on Nov. 1 reverberated around the city. Fireworks filled the skies and digital billboards on freeways instantly flashed bright blue lights. The Short Stop in Echo Park, just a half-mile from Dodger Stadium, roared with approval. Seemingly every second patron of 33 Taps restaurant and bar in Silver Lake sported Shohei Ohtani jerseys, Philippe’s Downtown swarmed with World Series buzz and the iconic Bob’s Big Boy statue in Burbank was given a Dodger makeover. Despite joyous street celebrations that stretched to the far corners of L.A., the Los Angeles Police Department made just seven arrests; the city was blissed out with controlled nirvana.

It was a good year for baseball. The 2025 October (and November) Classic, which featured two extra-inning games, including the 11-inning finale, garnered the best TV ratings for a World Series since 2017. The games were invigorated by close plays at home plate, spectacular catches (Andy Pages’ wipeout of left fielder Kiké Hernandez to save Game 7, anyone?) and heroic moments, like Yoshinobu Yamamoto willing himself to pitch the season’s final three innings after having pitched six innings the night before.

A record 4 million fans crowded into Dodger Stadium this year, and a big reason for the excitement was the global makeup of a team nestled within a multicultural city. The Dodgers have players not only from Japan (Ohtani, Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki) but from Cuba (Andy Pages), the Dominican Republic (Teoscar Hernández), Venezuela (Miguel Rojas and Edgardo Henriquez), Puerto Rico (Kiké Hernández) and South Korea (Hyeseong Kim).

Fans on the Eastside have long been among the Dodgers’ most vocal supporters. When Fernando Valenzuela was a rookie phenom in 1981, people showed up in dynamic numbers to watch a pitcher from a small village in Sonora, Mexico, dominate the best hitters in baseball. And just as Fernandomania packed Chavez Ravine in the 1980s, so the Ohtani Effect is again making Dodger Stadium the center of the baseball universe, and not just for local fans. The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board reported a 91.7% increase in Japanese visitors to Los Angeles in 2024, a surge largely attributed to the Dodgers signing the former Japanese League star as a free agent (for 10 years and $700 million when his contract with the Los Angeles Angels ended) in 2023. Further, the board noted, 80% to 90% of Japanese tourists visit Dodger Stadium at least once during their stay.

Major League Baseball itself took note the instant the Dodgers signed Ohtani, sending the team to Seoul to start the 2024 season and Tokyo to begin play this year, turning Opening Day into an international event that sold out every game.

Ohtani’s fame is well earned. In leading the Dodgers to the first back-to-back World Series championships this century, he has accomplished feats no other baseball player has approached.

Long touted as the new Babe Ruth for his ability to both hit and pitch, last year he ran circles around Ruth’s skill set, stealing 59 bases and hitting 54 home runs to become the only member in baseball’s “50/50 Club.” He’s been voted the National League’s Most Valuable Player in each of the past two seasons (to go with two American League MVPs with the Angels), and in the 18-inning third game of this year’s World Series, he hit two doubles and two home runs before Toronto manager John Schneider waved the white flag and ordered his pitchers to intentionally walk the Dodger star the next five times he came to bat. Four games earlier, Ohtani had homered three times and struck out 10 batters over six scoreless innings

F U L L HOUSE

Dodger Stadium welcomes the World Series; Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates the title; back-to-back trophies; Shohei Ohtani breaks out his home run trot.

“WE DID IT TOGETHER! I LOVE THE DODGERS! I LOVE LOS ANGELES!”

PAG C RED E I 5TS 4 -T5K 5 : HAEPR E P HAOTO/A N D H ESRHEL E Y L A N D I S ; PAG E 5 6 : TO P TO B OT TO M : T R E N T KA N E M A K I ( 2 ) ; I RV I N R I V E R A ; PAG E 57 : F R O M TO P : T R E N T KA N E M A K I , I RV I N R I V E R A ( 2 ) ; T R E N T KA N E M A K I

—WORLD SERIES MVP YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO

as he hit and pitched the Dodgers to the World Series in a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers.

At Dodger Stadium, the results are obvious. Eastside families who have been fans for generations are seated next to Japanese American fans, many sporting Ohtani jerseys.

Some might not speak each other’s language, but Dodger baseball has become their interpreter.

For 1988 World Series Most Valuable Player and current Dodger broadcaster Orel Hershiser, comparisons between the 2025 team and those in the ’80s on which he starred alongside Valenzuela don’t use a wide enough lens.

“The current team that won L A M AG . C O M 5 7

W I N N I NG WAYS

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

> THE DODGERS HAVE CELEBRATED NINE WORLD SERIES TITLES — EIGHT IN LOS ANGELES 1955

1963

2024

LOSING TEAM:

LOSING TEAM: New York Yankees

LOSING TEAM: New York Yankees

Series — and their sixth against the Yankees, the Dodgers finally break through to win their only baseball championship in Brooklyn. Series MVP Johnny Podres shuts out the Yanks, 2-0, in Game 7 at Yankee Stadium.

» Pitchers Sandy Koufax, Don

» Freddie Freeman belts four

Drysdale and Johnny Podres throttle Yankee hitters as the team sweeps its former tormentors, winning Game 4 at Dodger Stadium in just the ballpark’s second season. It’s the only time the Dodgers have celebrated a championship on their home field.

homers in the first four games and knocks in 12 runs over the five-game Series to earn MVP honors. A fan’s banner in Yankee Stadium calls out the pain in the Big Apple: “Freddie, Please Stop.”

1988 1959

1965

LOSING TEAM:

LOSING TEAM:

in their new city, the Dodgers, playing home games in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, bring L.A. its first World Series trophy. Pitcher Larry Sherry earns a win or save in every Dodger victory, including the deciding Game 6.

in Minneapolis, earning his second World Series MVP Award in three years. He retires the following season at age 30, citing chronic arthritis in his pitching arm.

Chicago White Sox » In just the second season

Minnesota Twins » Koufax spins a shutout in Game 7

1981 LOSING TEAM:

New York Yankees » The dawn of Fernandomania: Fernando Valenzuela caps his astounding rookie season with a victory in Game 3, and the Dodgers get revenge for World Series losses to the Yankees in 1978 and ’79.

L.A. sweeps the final four games, including Game 6 in New York.

5 8 L A M AG . C O M

LOSING TEAM: Oakland A’s » “In a year that has been so improb-

able, the impossible has happened!” is Vin Scully’s call of the two-run, ninth-inning homer by Kirk Gibson, who limps out of the Dodger dugout to pinch hit in his only at-bat of the Series. Orel Hershiser, who pitches the team to two victories, including the Game 5 finale, is MVP.

2020 LOSING TEAM: Tampa Bay Rays

2025 LOSING TEAM: Toronto Blue Jays

» Yoshinobu Yamamoto earns wins in three of the four Dodger victories, pitching the final three innings in Game 7 after going six innings the night before. “To tell Dave Roberts you’re still OK to go out there takes a lot of bravery,” Hershiser, now a team broadcaster, tells Los Angeles.

“It takes a lot of strength. It takes a lot of understanding yourself.

And I think you’ve got to be slightly crazy.”

— BILL EDELSTEIN AND DOMENIC PRIORE

» In a pandemic-shortened season, baseball holds all World Series games in Arlington, Texas, and lets less than 12,000 fans attend each contest to ensure social distancing. Clayton Kershaw pitches the Dodgers to victory in Games 1 and 5, and Corey Seager, who hits .400 for the six-game Series, is voted MVP. Dodger third baseman Justin Turner leaves Game 6 in the eighth inning after testing positive for COVID.

CO U R T E SY LO S A N G E L E S D O D G E R S

New York Yankees » Playing in their eighth World

N ATA L I A O P R Z A D E K ( 3 ) ; I RV I N R I V E R A ; L AU R E L L E W I S

back-to-back World Championships is probably one of the most, if not the most talented team that the Dodgers have ever put on the field,” he tells Los Angeles. “So comparing it strictly to the ’80s is unfair. Comparing it to the history of the whole Dodger organization is probably a fairer question. And to think there had been no Dodger teams that had won back-to-backs — these guys have a huge boost on their résumé.”

As an organization, the Dodgers have been innovators, leading the Major Leagues in building a fan base that engages all parts of the community. Famously, in Brooklyn under Branch Rickey, the Dodgers broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947 with the debut of Jackie Robinson.

The next year, they brought in Roy Campanella, now both in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Don Newcombe, who became the ace of the pitching staff in 1955, when the Dodgers won their first World Series.

In 1958, their inaugural season in Los Angeles, they became the first team to hire a full-time Spanish language announcer, René Cárdenas.

Jaime Jarrín joined Cárdenas in 1959 and continued calling games until 2022. In 1998, he was elected to the broadcast wing of the Hall of Fame.

The Dodgers have been the first team to bring top players from Asia to the Big Leagues, signing South Korean pitching star Chan Ho Park in 1994 and Japanese righthander Hideo Nomo in 1995. Both became All-Stars. The Dodgers success in the Far East has likely made it easier for other Asian stars — including Kaz Ishii, Takashi Saito, Hiroki Kuroda and Kenta Maeda — to feel comfortable in Los Angeles.

Where the Los Angeles Dodgers haven’t been trendsetters is in holding victory parades. There were no official public celebrations immediately following the team’s World Series championships in 1959, ’63 or ’65. And while the 1981 and ’88 winners finally got the chance to be feted by fans, the team fell on hard times during the 1990s and 2000s, often missing the playoffs entirely and rarely advancing out of the first

W E L C O M E T O D O D G E RT OW N

Nearly 250,000 fans pack Downtown streets to celebrate the Dodgers’ second consecutive World Series title. Above: The Dodger blue 1957 Chevy Bel Air lowrider convertible that Ice Cube drove to deliver the World Series trophy to celebrants inside Dodger Stadium.

L A M AG . C O M 5 9

IT’S A SLICE OF BLUE HEAVEN ALL OVER LOS ANGELES > CELEBRATING THE DODGERS HAS BECOME A MARQUEE EVENT

“[THIS MIGHT BE] THE MOST TALENTED TEAM THE DODGERS HAVE EVER PUT ON THE FIELD.” —BROADCASTER AND 1988 WORLD SERIES MVP OREL HERSHISER

perennial contender on a shoestring budget, and gave him the resources to go a step further. The result has been five National League pennants since 2017 and three World Series titles since the start of the decade.

And two parades in the past two seasons.

This year’s celebration was held Nov. 3, two days after the team left Toronto with a gleaming new trophy. With roughly a quarter of a million Angelenos lining the streets Downtown, Dodger players and their families, along with team executives and staff, packed onto seven double-decker buses for a 45-minute love-in with fans that crawled west along Temple Street from Broadway, turned south on Grand, west on 7th and north on Figueroa, before making its way to 6 0 L A M AG . C O M

F R O M TO P, L E F T TO R I G H T, : C H R I S N I C H O L S ; I RV I N R I V E R A ( 3 ) ; C H R I S N I C H O L S ( 2 ) ; I RV I N R I V E R A (4 ) ; C H R I S N I C H O L S ( 2 ) ; I RV I N R I V E R A ; C H R I S N I C H O L S

round when they did make the cut.

But things began to change for the Dodgers when Guggenheim Baseball Management (led by Mark Walter and Stan Kasten, but whose best-known face is Lakers superstar Magic Johnson) bought the team from Frank McCourt for $2 billion in 2012. Since then, the Dodgers have won the National League West division every year but one. In 2014, they hired Andrew Friedman, who built the Tampa Bay Rays into a

I RV I N R I V E R A

F R O M TO P, L E F T TO R I G H T, : C H R I S N I C H O L S ; I RV I N R I V E R A ( 3 ) ; C H R I S N I C H O L S ( 2 ) ; I RV I N R I V E R A (4 ) ; C H R I S N I C H O L S ( 2 ) ; I RV I N R I V E R A ; C H R I S N I C H O L S

WW

Dodger Stadium, where more than 50,000 fans were waiting.

Inside, team members put on another show — one of affection for the city. From Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Will Smith to Teoscar Hernández, Miguel Rojas, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, who grew up in Southern California, the Dodgers let fans know what it feels like to be lucky enough to play baseball in Los Angeles. Kiké Hernandez got the crowd roaring with a raucously salty speech, and Clayton Kershaw, retiring after a Hall of Fame career, said that he’s proud to be “a Dodger for life.” Ohtani and Yamamoto both spoke in English to the fans, and Yamamoto added a few words of Spanish, ultimately telling the crowd, “We did it together! I love the Dodgers! I love Los Angeles!”

A few hours later, the crowd had departed and the last of the accolades finally stopped echoing within the mid-century modern grandeur of Dodger Stadium, the third oldest ballpark in the land — and a place where all of L.A. is revealed: Views from the left field reserved section include the Griffith Park Observatory and the Hollywood sign, the Santa Monica Mountains and a sliver of ocean coastline near Playa del Rey. A walk around the top deck affords a view from San Clemente to San Pedro and the whole Westside. A look back behind home plate serves up City Hall and Downtown. Watching the game, you’re treated to a wide-open view of the San Gabriel Mountains, and when the sun sets and the city starts to twinkle, it’s hard to imagine a prettier place on earth.

One fan who took a morning flight to L.A. from Ohio to see the final Wild Card game this year said it best; “I know the Reds are gonna lose. I just want to be here.”

In a Dodger season that started in Japan in the middle of March and ended with a World Series championship in November in Canada, perhaps Los Angeles itself was the real star of the show.

T E A M BU I L DE R

Andrew Friedman waves to the crowd at the Dodger Stadium World Series victory celebration.

L O O K I NG A H E A D

THINKING THREE-PEAT

> ANDREW FRIEDMAN AIMS TO BUILD AN EVEN BETTER BALLCLUB

O

BY BILL EDELSTEIN

N THE NIGHT THE LAKERS had just beaten the Celtics in the NBA Finals for the second time in three years, Lakers General Manager Jerry West was moving quickly through the winners’ locker room. A reporter stepped in to congratulate him. “Not now,” West said before hurrying off. “I’m working on something.”

It’s a response Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman can relate to. “While we’ve been focused on playing deep into October, the other 28 teams have had a head start on preparing for the offseason,” Friedman tells Los Angeles after helping to deliver the Dodgers’ second straight World Series title. “So as much as we want to enjoy the moment, we also have to get right back at it.”

The organization didn’t get to be where it is today by thinking small. Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts all came to L.A. in offseason signings or, in Betts’ case, a trade. The Dodgers had the highest payroll in baseball in 2025 — and for the 12th straight year topped the sport in attendance, drawing more than 4 million fans to Chavez Ravine for the first time in franchise history.

“We feel an immense responsibility to our incredible fans to deliver a team that they connect with and that is capable of bringing them home a championship,” Friedman says.

Although Friedman didn’t mention names on the team’s free agent shopping list, the Dodgers have been cited as a potential landing spot for four-time All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker, considered the premier player available this offseason. Former Mets closer Edwin Diaz is the top bullpen arm on the market. And with the Detroit Tigers willing to trade back-to-back American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers not being interested. A well-armed team has been a Friedman trademark.

“We’ve learned over the years how valuable it can be to give our starters extra rest — not just for performance, but for keeping guys strong through October,” says the exec, who also notes that talent from the farm system might be ready to contribute at the Major League level next season.

Overall, most of the current champs are under contract next year, though Kiké Hernandez and Miguel Rojas — who authored the double play that ended Game 6 of the World Series — are free agents. Both are believed to want to stay in L.A., and the Dodgers are likely to want to retain them. Yet the team has its eyes on the big picture.

“Everyone here, from the front office to player development to the clubhouse, is focused on finding ways to get a little better each year,” says Friedman, who has had the Dodgers in the World Series in five of the past nine seasons. “Our overarching goal has been to make this the Golden Era of Dodger baseball.”

L A M AG . C O M 6 1

C R E D I TS T K H E R E A N D H E R E

6 8 L A M AG . C O M

P H O T O G R A P H E D BY F I R S T L A S T NA M E T K

Assisting The Steal HOW NBA INSIDERS HELPED PROFESSIONAL GAMBLERS GAIN

I N S I D E I N F O R M AT I O N O N L E A G U E G A M E S T O G E T E A S Y S C O R E S

BY MICHELE MCPHEE

L A M AG . C O M 6 9

was a monumental one for the Los Angeles Lakers. Especially for the team’s standout player, LeBron James, the power forward fans affectionately call “King James.”

On a historic night, Feb. 7, in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, James shattered a record once thought to be unbreakable: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA career scoring record.

The moment arrived with his signature step-back jumper in the third quarter, giving James his 38,388th point and securing his place as the league’s all-time leading scorer.

Crypto.com Arena erupted in a thunderous standing ovation. The crowd was packed with James’ wife and kids, celebrities, athletes and musicians, all bearing witness to history. Denzel Washington, Woody Harrelson, Andy Garcia, Magic Johnson, Jay-Z, Bad Bunny, Floyd Mayweather and Usher were among the high-profile spectators spotted in the crowd, sitting near the man whose long-held record was about to be shattered — Abdul-Jabbar himself.

In the minutes after the historymaking basket, the game was briefly paused for a powerful and symbolic ceremony. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Abdul-Jabbar joined James at center court, where the elder statesman of the NBA held the ball aloft before passing it to James, a gesture that represented the official changing of the guard. An emotional James thanked Abdul-Jabbar and the fans, while Abdul-Jabbar praised the new scoring king. Although the Lakers lost the game that night, the outcome was overshadowed by the magical moment.

In the crowd that night was a longtime friend of James, a former teammate back when the King played for the Cleveland Cavaliers: Damon Jones. Jones had become a familiar face to anyone associated with the Lakers. He rode the team bus, wore Lakers gear and was usually on court for pregame practice, firing off passes to James on the court.

But Jones wasn’t on the team’s payroll 7 0 L A M AG . C O M

and didn’t have any sort of official title.

Federal prosecutors now say he was acting as “an unofficial assistant coach” for the Lakers during the 2022-23 NBA season. Jones was basically just a guy with a lot of time on his hands, whom James enjoyed having around. And as far as anyone knows today, the superstar NBA player had no idea what Jones was up to — using his access to inside information as part of a sprawling illegal betting scheme, one of many that was laid out by federal prosecutors in recent months.

When James set that scoring record, he was on the verge of inking a contract that would pay him more than $46 million for the 2023-24 season. On top of that, he had signed with a slew of companies for another $80 million in endorsement deals. He was worth more than $120 million that year — tops in the NBA. His pal Jones, on the other hand, was broke. Dead broke in fact, according to a review of records from federal bankruptcy court, where he had filed

Lakers locker room insider Damon Jones is charged with giving gamblers privileged information about the injury status of a team star believed to be LeBron James. twice, once in 2013 and once in 2015.

Making matters worse for Jones, the court dismissed both attempts to wipe away his debts. Despite having played professional ball as an NBA journeyman for a decade — earning an estimated $20 million in his career from 1999 to 2009, and later serving as an assistant coach — Jones said he had nothing left. In 2023, Jones and his wife were months away from getting booted out of their luxury apartment in Houston for not paying their rent. He claimed his assets were nonexistent, and listed the couple’s Yorkie dog as a valuable worth $1. They owed money to everyone: the IRS, American Express and banks. His unusual access to the Lakers gleaned him some valuable information about their players, including his friend James, who was on his way to becoming the richest player in the league.

It was information federal prosecutors now say Jones would use to try to dig himself out of debt.

A P P H OTO

T

HE MO N TH OF F EB RUA RY 2 02 3

I

N THE YEARS SINCE A

landmark Supreme Court ruling in May 2018 allowed states to legalize sports betting, the NBA, as a league, saw an opportunity. Months later, in July of that year, the league announced an official gambling partner: MGM Resorts International, which gives the casino conglomerate access to official NBA data on its betting platform — purportedly to detect fraud. More deals were struck with betting companies like DraftKings.

What does the NBA get out of these partnerships? A piece of the action.

Of course, there are some rules. For one, these betting outfits generally prohibit users from wagering based on access to prerelease, confidential information or other nonpublic information.

The terms of use and house rules also prohibit individuals from using others to place wagers on their behalf, otherwise known as straw betting. But a slew of scandals show that rules, at least to those who see an opportunity — or might need access to quick cash — were made to be broken.

As part of the partnership with betting platforms, NBA teams are required to report to the NBA commissioner information concerning player injuries, illnesses and rest for all NBA games. On each game day, the NBA disseminates an injury report for each NBA team playing that day. The report identifies players as falling within one of the following categories: “available,” “probable,” “questionable,” “doubtful” and “out.”

The injury reports are updated multiple times throughout each game day, federal prosecutors explain in the indictment naming Jones.

What is not supposed to happen, however, is a big-name player like LeBron James having a hanger-on in the locker room who just happens to hear that the Lakers star has a sore ankle.

Which is what prosecutors say happened with Jones, describing in a federal indictment unsealed in January that he used the “virtue of his relationship” with “Player 3,” who multiple sources confirm is James, as insider information on the Lakers, which he then “sold or attempted to sell for profit.”

One such event took place on Feb. 9,

FULL COURT PRESS The NBA-Mafia scandal is playing out on both coasts

BY LAUREN CONLIN

T

HE MARBLE HALLS OF THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF New York Courthouse were filled with quiet tension and the faint smell of espresso and cologne as members of a New York Mafia family huddled together beneath the cold fluorescent lights, praying their patriarch would be freed from the brutal Brooklyn lockup known as the Metropolitan Detention Center (Diddy’s former home and home to Luigi Mangione). Inside Courtroom 2A, Angelo Ruggiero Jr., a reputed member of the Gambino crime family, sat by his defense attorney, James Froccaro, shaking his head as U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo denied his $5 million bond offer. The hearing, part of the FBI’s sprawling Operation Royal Flush probe into mob-run poker and sports betting schemes, left Ruggiero’s family in tears. His wife sobbed quietly as the ruling was read, then louder in the hallway moments later.

Prosecutors told the judge Ruggiero’s extensive criminal history (including prior witness-tampering and murder conspiracy convictions while behind bars) made him too great a risk for release. The government described him as a “repeat offender with deep mob ties,” warning that no sum of money could guarantee his compliance. His defense attorney argued that Ruggiero’s prior witness-tampering conviction was “practically entrapment,” explaining that while serving time in the early 2000s, he had been intentionally housed with a known government informant. Naturally, his client wasn’t pleased to discover that a “rat” had become his new cellmate. “Did they expect him to give him a kiss?” Froccaro quipped, drawing a few nervous chuckles from the gallery.

Moments later, in the same courtroom, Curtis Meeks, a former boxer-turnedalleged high-stakes poker operator, entered his plea of not guilty. Meeks, whose $250,000 bond was transferred from Texas, wore all black and looked calm.

The judge noted the defendant’s significant income could disqualify him from using a public defender. Meeks awkwardly explained that he had a $15 million dollar judgement from another case that sent him into financial ruin.

The broader indictment reads like something out of a Scorsese film: more than 30 defendants are alleged to have participated in elaborate underground poker games that include rigged card shuffling machines and marked cards.

Losers with uncollected debts are subject to threats of violence. Federal prosecutors allege the operation funneled gambling proceeds through shell companies, crypto accounts and even overseas betting fronts. But the most sensational thread is the alleged link to NBA athletes as “face cards” to lure in wealthy marks, with investigators suggesting the ring catered to, and sometimes exploited, well-known pros. With imminent hearings for NBA players and accused mobsters alike, the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse is about to become ground zero for one of the wildest legal dramas New York has seen in years.

L A M AG . C O M 7 1

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups is accused of luring high rollers to poker games rigged by the Mafia, and of giving gamblers inside info on an NBA game.

7 2 L A M AG . C O M

wasn’t, in fact, injured. He played in the Jan. 15, 2024, game and the Lakers won.

Fairley, who had bet a hundred grand on the game, was pissed and demanded that Jones repay him the $2,500 that he had given him for the tip, according to federal prosecutors. The money was paid through an intermediary, via a peer-to-peer mobile payment platform, accompanied by the message: “fee,” prosecutors say.

All of this became public after a bombshell announcement by federal prosecutors in October. Jones is now charged with wire fraud and money laundering for what investigators call his “significant wagers” and those of others based on the information he gleaned hanging out with the Lakers as an unofficial coach. His name is listed on two separate indictments among a list that shockingly includes high-profile NBA staff and talent: Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. Others listed in the cases include recognizable wise guys from New York City’s organized crime landscape.

“The defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, using private locker room and medical information to enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” stated United States Attorney for New York City’s Eastern District Joseph Nocella. “This was a sophisticated

conspiracy involving athletes, coaches and intermediaries who exploited confidential information for profit. Insider betting schemes erode the integrity of American sports, and this Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.”

There is no question that the NBA is alarmed. The fact that current and former players stand accused of working alongside mob bosses on both coasts, charged with throwing games for profit and ripping off “whales” (aka high rollers) at rigged poker games, has raised questions about the legitimacy of league games played across the country.

Is the game rigged? And is basketball the only game on the line for sports fans?

T

HE NBA IS NOT

the only professional sport that has been hit with allegations of being rife with cheaters.

In early November, Major League Baseball saw accusations that two of its current players, Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz (aka Emmanuel Clase) and Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera (aka Luis Ortiz), both pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians, were rigging pitches for profit. They were both arrested and are

F R O M L E F T: A P P H OTO/A M A N DA LO M A N ; A P P H OTO

2023 — just two days after the fanfare inside the Lakers’ house the night “The Chosen One,” King James, broke the scoring record. That night, Jones, federal prosecutors allege, texted a friend that James was going to sit out the game against the Milwaukee Bucks with a sore ankle. It was valuable information to bettors who could place wagers against the Lakers, who were less likely to cover the point spread without James playing.

In a text message cited by prosecutors, Jones wrote to a bettor: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!” He stressed that it should be a “big bet” so that “Djones could eat too.”

The Lakers, without their superstar, went on to lose the game. And “Djones” would eat that night with a cut of a bettor’s proceeds.

Months later, Jones fed information again, according to the indictment.

This time he texted a guy from St. Louis whom prosecutors name as Erik “Spook” Earnest, someone the FBI calls a middleman between accused NBA cheaters and the betting outfits. Earnest, according to an indictment, then reached out to another man prosecutors describe as a “sports betting consultant,” named Marves Fairley, texting: “Hit me asap got one for u dude say he got some info.”

That night, however, would prove to be a problem for gamblers. Despite Jones’ claims about Anthony Davis, the player

TIME OUT

The Trail Blazers have placed coach Chauncey Billups on leave from the team, pending results from the government’s investigation.

now charged with wire fraud. Within weeks of announcing the NBA-related arrests, once again, U.S. Attorney Nocella was talking about dishonesty in professional sports. “Professional athletes, like Luis Leandro Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz hold a position of trust — not only with their teammates and their professional leagues, but with fans who believe in fair play,” he said. “As alleged, the defendants sold that trust to gamblers by fixing pitches.”

The bigger question is not only who, but why? The answer might be in a player’s own gambling debts, which could prompt them to make alleged side deals with mobsters to throw games to make themselves whole with bookies. These allegations were brought to light in 2024, when Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was accused of betting on NBA games, including against his own team, and faking injuries to rig bets placed on him. One game was cited by federal prosecutors, who were alerted because of the unusual betting activity around Porter involving prop bets, which are centered on an individual player’s performance in a game.

In early 2024, Porter had “amassed large gambling debts” with enforcers working for the New York City Mafia. Gangsters offered him a way out, according to prosecutors. Porter was “encouraged to clear those debts by withdrawing from certain games prematurely.” In other words, he was taking a dive, federal prosecutors say.

Investigators cited a Raptors game on Jan. 22, 2024, where Porter “sustained a purported eye injury during a game.”

He was evaluated and diagnosed with a corneal abrasion but was not placed on the NBA injury list — which is one of the tools used by the NBA’s betting partners.

Four days later, he told his bookie that he would be “removing himself early from the game,” and then played only four minutes during which he scored zero points before crybabying to his coaches about an injured eye.

This went on for another two months, until Porter got a visit from the feds in April and panicked. He texted his Brooklyn bookie that he “might just get hit w a rico,” referring to a racketeering charge, and then asked if everyone in their group chat had

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is accused of faking an injury to help gamblers win a proposition bet on him. “delete[d] all the stuff ” from their personal cell phones. That same month, the NBA announced Porter had committed a “cardinal sin” of betting against his own team and ousted him from playing basketball professionally for life.

Porter pleaded guilty three months later, telling a federal judge that he had sought inpatient treatment for gambling addiction since his arrest. The disgraced ex-pro baller told the judge that he committed his crimes in “order to get out from under large gambling [debts] accumulated over time.” He said he knew what he did “was wrong and unlawful,” and added that he was “deeply sorry.” Porter remains free on $250,000 bail and is slated to be sentenced this month.

His high-profile bust, however, would soon be eclipsed by an even bigger

scandal when federal prosecutors announced the arrests of Jones, Billups, Rozier and others connected to similar behavior this fall.

NBA Commissioner Silver called the players’ alleged conduct “deeply disturbing” and promised fans he is dedicated to bringing integrity back to the sport.

That statement wasn’t enough for many federal lawmakers from either side of the aisle. Right now, separate, bipartisan, congressional investigations overseen by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Commerce Committee are underway. In a letter to Silver, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz demanded that the league explain how the NBA plans to reinstate the integrity of the game and keep it free from “the influence of organized crime or gambling-related activity,” which legislators say is crucial lest American fans just begin to “assume that all sports are corrupt.”

The letter to the league stated in part: “Americans love basketball because it is fast-paced and unpredictable. A star player can catch fire, a single foul can shift the energy on the court, and a last-minute buzzer beater can decide it all. That volatility is the sport’s magic, and precisely why allegations that current and former National Basketball Association (NBA) players and coaches compromised the game’s integrity are so troubling.” The letter specifically mentions the allegations against Damon Jones and that he was tipping off injury reports on a prominent player that they wrote is “widely understood to be LeBron James.”

In November, Jones had little to say during back-to-back arraignments in Brooklyn federal court. Instead, he let his taxpayer-funded federal public defender do all the talking as he pleaded not guilty to the charges that could send him to prison for decades. He’s also apparently still broke, as his mother and stepfather put up their Texas home as collateral for his $200,000 bail, which will allow him to remain free as he awaits trial.

His friend LeBron James hasn’t spoken out about the allegations, but people close to the Lakers star have quietly told sports reporters the player had no idea that he was being used as a pawn by his longtime friend.

L A M AG . C O M 7 3

7 4 L A M AG . C O M

CALIFORNIA POLITIC S

Authenticity Under Fire Gavin Newsom, Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla stay real in the crucible of 2025

BY AL E X ANDR A K A ZAR IAN

I L L U S T R A T I O N BY S H E L BY + S A N DY

JIMMY KIMMEL, GAVIN NEWSOM AND ADAM CAROLLA EACH REPRESENT A DISTINCTLY CALIFORNIA WAY OF SEEING THE WORLD. BUT TWO EVENTS THIS YEAR, THE LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES IN JANUARY AND CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION IN UTAH IN SEPTEMBER, PUSHED THOSE PERSPECTIVES INTO SHARPER FOCUS — AND WEAVED THEIR VOICES INTO A SINGLE DISCORDANT HARMONY OF AUTHENTICITY. Fire Season In most places, fire is a tragic accident. In Los Angeles, it’s a season tucked between “awards” and “pilot.” It arrives like a harsh winter, expected but never welcome, and familiar enough that locals know to dress for it. We keep masks and go-bags the way others keep umbrellas and snowshoes. We measure years by which canyons burned and which celebrity couple fled with their pets. Year after year, the hills ignite, the

power goes out, the ash falls like black snow and the city pretends to be surprised all over again.

In January, the Palisades and Eaton fires weren’t just blazes, they were nightmare scenarios, erupting simultaneously on opposite flanks of Los Angeles County.

The Palisades fire surged through the Santa Monica mountains toward Pacific Palisades and Malibu. Meanwhile, the Eaton fire ignited northeast of Altadena

in the San Gabriel mountains, then roared into foothill communities under blistering winds, swallowing entire blocks of midcentury homes in neighborhoods that once thought themselves too ordinary to glow.

On screens across the country, the burning hillsides mimicked the timeless Hollywood magic of looking beautiful while dying.

The Empath On Jan. 13, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel returned to his Hollywood stage after a week dealing with evacuation and disruption. He opened with a trembling confession: that it had been “a very scary, very stressful, very strange week here in L.A.” His gratitude poured out toward firefighters “who carried the skyline on their shoulders,” and he joked about singed studio lighting before pausing, visibly shaken.

The man who’d built a second career out of skewering Donald Trump put his knives away for the night. It was vintage Kimmel but stripped of armor. In a city that worships poise and cool, his willingness to experience all feelings became its own kind of heroism. The laugh lines had always been there, but through the smoke they felt like lifelines.

L A M AG . C O M 7 5

The Optimist

millennium. The Man Show premiered on Comedy Central in 1999, at the tail end of While Kimmel was comforting viewers, the grunge era, when deadpan, sarcasm Gov. Gavin Newsom was getting ready and cynicism were L.A.’s holy trinity. for his close-up. On Jan. 7, as winds tore Kimmel and Carolla sat in leather chairs through the Palisades, he stood before chugging beers while bikini-clad models reporters at the fresh fire line, ash catching on trampolines bookended commercial alarmingly in his perfectly coiffed hair, and breaks. They closed each episode with a declared a state of emergency. Five days toast to “our forefathers and their maglater, on Jan. 12, he signed Executive Order nificent sons.”

N-4-25, which tweaks requirements under The joke, they insisted, was on toxic the California Environmental Quality Act masculinity itself. It was an ode to a vanand the California Coastal Act, streamlinishing breed of guy — beer in one hand, ing permitting for rebuilding, and ensures remote in the other, a world-weary, Al protections against rental price-gouging.

Bundy-esque shrug about everything else.

“Victims who have lost their homes and It was bawdy, politically incorrect and, businesses must be able to rebuild quickly depending on whom you asked, either and without roadblocks,” was his decree. a parody of sexism or an enthusiastic To him, the blaze wasn’t just destruction; participant in it. What’s often forgotit was a test of the state’s image — an ten is that the show was a time capsule opportunity to prove that even in ashes, of a world before every joke would be California still sells the future. archived and litigated.

For Carolla, the blue-collar philosopher The Cynic trying to reason with a world gone soft, Enter Adam Carolla. On the morning the format was liberation. His “everyman” of Jan. 13, displaced by evacuation, he act wasn’t an invention; it was authentic. released his podcast episode “L.A. Fire He truly is the curmudDept. Needs Less Equity geon who sees through and More Water.” From a everything and enjoys Burbank hotel room not telling you so while yellfar from his signature ing at the clouds. garage, his voice carried Kimmel, by contrast, the familiar gravel of disIf Newsom’s evolved. On The Man belief. He railed against Show, he shared the same “environmental lunatics” authenticity is reverence for a cold beer running the state, mocked strategic and and a cheap laugh. But as the city’s “woke disaster the show faded and the response” and sighed that Kimmel’s is world changed, Kimmel Los Angeles “turns its sentimental, did something rare for an ashes into headlines faster adult in Hollywood: He Carolla’s is than it clears the brush.” grew up, publicly. When It was a sermon from oppositional.

Donald Trump entered the Church of Fed-Up. politics, Kimmel found If Kimmel gave the fires his antagonist. The dude meaning and Newsom bro who once co-hosted girls on tramgave them management, Carolla gave polines became the country’s late-night them context: proof that the same city that conscience, skewering Trump with a blend burns every year still refuses to learn why. of sarcasm and moral outrage. His monoThree voices, three archetypes: the logues were part stand-up, part sermon — empath, the optimist, the cynic. Each a reinvention no one saw coming. (More speaking their truth through the sunniest on that later.) days and the darkest smoke. Each bringing In a strange way, both men have stayed a version of that signature L.A. style. loyal to the same impulse. Kimmel’s authenticity comes from vulnerability in The Man Show Generation a culture that mistakes emotion for weakThe nation was introduced to Jimmy ness. Carolla’s comes from defiance, refusKimmel and Adam Carolla as two friends ing to feel at all. They’re mirror images riffing on masculinity at the turn of the 7 6 L A M AG . C O M

of the same Los Angeles archetype: the alpha-male leading man who exudes machismo yet flirts with emotion while his ego screams at him to quash it.

And so, when the 2025 fires came, Kimmel reached for compassion; Carolla reached for complaint.

And yet, after all these years, they still call each other friends, which might be the most surprising punch line either of them has delivered. In an age when friendship is filtered through politics, theirs endures like an old photograph. They’re relics of pre-cancellation toxic masculinity with heart — and proof that affection can survive ideology.

Gavin Newsom: The San Frangeleno If Adam Carolla is the guy yelling at traffic on the 405 and Jimmy Kimmel is the guy making fun of it from behind a desk, Gavin Newsom is the man promising to fix it.

Newsom has never been from Los Angeles, but he’s always looked like he should be. San Francisco’s golden boy. The wine merchant’s son who dined with the Gettys was born of fog and privilege, not smog and palm trees. He built his fortune through PlumpJack, the winery, café and brand that made Napa feel sexy again.

He built his legend by marrying same-sex couples in San Francisco City Hall, defying federal law and defining his city’s liberal conscience.

In West Hollywood, he became the straight-boy savior of gay marriage. He was the rare politician whose courage came with natural lighting. Drag queens toasted him at The Abbey and activists wore his name like merch. To a city that worships the performative act done sincerely, he was an instant archetype: the Optimist. The man who believes in progress and knows how it can be branded, filmed and broadcast without making it any less real.

Los Angeles is full of people who moved here to become themselves, and it feels like Newsom would be that kind of Angeleno.

He’s the political equivalent of an actor from the Midwest who saw the skyline once and knew that grit and determination could make his dreams come true. And in a town where everyone is selling their version of the future, he’s often sold the one we vote for.

In 2013, then-Lt. Gov. Newsom walked into Carolla’s Glendale studio for an inter-

A D O B E STO C K

view. It was the early age of “long-form” podcasting, and Newsom, still very much San Francisco’s polished prince, sat across from Carolla, the Valley’s reigning curmudgeon. What followed survives as a sort of Golden State odd-couple bit: the fog meets the smog.

Carolla came out swinging, asking why “the streets are still covered in tents.”

Newsom, as composed then as now, countered with stats about behavioral health and compassion initiatives, each syllable dripping with civic optimism. When he mentioned “multitiered responses to homelessness,” Carolla cut him off with a laugh: “You sound like you’re reading off a yoga mat.” The room cracked up. Newsom grinned and didn’t flinch.

For 40 minutes they sparred. Carolla played the blue-collar foreman, Newsom the Silicon Valley optimist. Somewhere between punch lines and policy, they found a rhythm. They were the contractor who builds decks and the aristocrat who builds narratives, circling the same dream with different tools.

By the end, they were laughing, even

friendly. They shone as two sides of the same Gold Coast coin, talking over each other yet ending in applause.

By 2024, Newsom realized the value of L.A.’s favorite side gig and teamed up with NFL legend Marshawn Lynch and sports agent Doug Hendrickson on Politickin’.

The weekly podcast is a collision of politics, pop culture and personal stories. It was Newsom’s first real immersion into the kind of conversation Carolla had long claimed as his domain.

In March, he launched his solo podcast, This Is Gavin Newsom. Playing like a confessional, it turns California’s crises into a serialized audio diary.

Today, as Newsom spars with Trump on social media, trading barbs with the timing of a late-night comic, the San Franciscan has embraced the Angeleno archetype in full. He’s now a man who understands that, in California, governance is its own genre of entertainment.

Where other politicians stumble online, he lands his lines. Every post is framed like a punch line, every rebuttal like a wellrehearsed callback.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Conversion Jimmy Kimmel used to make fun of sincerity for a living with his best friend. Now he makes a living presenting it.

Somewhere between The Man Show’s altar of beer-chugging and his first tearful monologue about gun violence, Kimmel became Los Angeles’ late-night moral weather vane. He’s the man who turns personal heartbreak into a national teachable moment — part confessor, part comedian, part suburban dad with a platform.

When Kimmel stood before his studio audience in 2017, his voice shaking as he described his newborn son’s open-heart surgery, the moment shattered every latenight rule. Hosts were supposed to joke, not cry. But Kimmel did both. He laughed through the tremor, turned pain into persuasion and redefined what counted as a punch line. “It’s not partisan to care about people,” he said. The clip went viral, of course: Raw sincerity in the land of fake tans is a sight to behold.

Most recently, Kimmel found himself squarely inside the cancel culture he and Carolla once (CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 8 6 ) L A M AG . C O M 7 7

Is Christmas Tree Lane coming back to Altadena?

A C E N T U RY OF CHRISTMAS

Twenty thousand people came to see the lights when this long exposure was captured in 1935.

A:

Yes! Almost a year after the Eaton fire turned charming and quirky Altadena into a fiery hellscape, the town — once dubbed the “Christmas tree capital of the world” — resurrects its most beloved tradition.

Last January’s wildfire killed 19 people, destroyed more than 9,000 structures and turned 14,000 acres of the bucolic green community into ash.

“There’s so much trepidation and uncertainty, and my kids were very affected by losing everything,” says astrophysicist and Christmas Tree Lane Association volunteer Warren Skidmore, who is rebuilding his home.

“It’s kind of like getting back to normal and it’s quite healing.”

Miraculously, the mile of historic deodar trees decorated with lights, as well as the vehicles and supplies of the 8 8 L A M AG . C O M

organization, survived the flames. “Our trees did get a little scorched, but none of them burned to the ground,” says Mikayla Arevalo of the association, which has spent the past year repairing the wiring, bulbs, pulleys and winches that power

the display.

Nearly 150 years ago, town founder Fred Woodbury had more than 400 trees planted along what is today Santa Rosa Avenue. In 1920, department store owner Fred Nash sold his neighbors on the idea of lighting them

up at Christmastime and a tradition was born. Over the past century, trees were felled by fungus and Santa Ana winds, and during World War II and the energy crisis of 1973, the street went dark. But the festival, which sprouted a street fair in recent years, is back on Dec. 6.

“It’s our Christmas miracle that nothing got damaged,” says Arevalo. “We thought it was gone but it’s still standing, and our joy for it survived.”

CHRIS’ PICK

The Show Goes On THE PALM SPRINGS PLAZA THEATRE RETURNS AFTER A DECADE DARK ● PALM SPRINGS has long been known for its midcentury architecture, but one of its most forgotten landmarks is hiding right in the middle of town. The Plaza Theatre was built in 1936 and opened with a Greta Garbo world premiere. This month, it reemerges from a decade of darkness as one of the desert’s premiere showcases for musical and comedy acts sure to resonate with LGBT and vintage-loving audiences: John Waters! Lily Tomlin!

Alaska from RuPaul’s Drag Race!

The landmark is tucked behind a courtyard, but once inside, audiences will be wowed by the meticulous restoration of a rare “atmospheric”-style theater, where the inside looks like the outside. “The ceiling is a twinkle-light night sky sunset effect,” says Katie Horak of Architectural Resources Group, the L.A. firm that oversaw the restoration. “It’s like you’re sitting outside in a Spanish courtyard watching a live performance.” palmspringsplaza theatre.com — CHRIS NICHOLS

The Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs

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