Josh Flagg, the Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles star, has spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com about the impact of the Palisades wildfires on celebrities and other residents across Los Angeles.
The catastrophic fires have destroyed numerous multimillion-dollar homes owned by celebrities, claimed 24 lives and scorched more than 40,000 acres.
By Tuesday morning, evacuation orders remained in effect for approximately 88,000 people.
Several famous figures have also faced criticism over their social media responses to the disaster. Meghan Markle was accused of being a “disaster tourist,” while Mandy Moore drew backlash after sharing a GoFundMe campaign connected to members of her family.
Although he did not refer to anyone by name, Josh, 39, made his position clear as public scrutiny intensified.
“I would say everybody’s equal. Everybody’s having a hard time,” the reality television star told DailyMail.com on Tuesday.
Josh Flagg spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com about the Los Angeles wildfires, celebrity victims and his efforts to help clients find new homes
Meghan Markle faced criticism and was branded a “disaster tourist” by filmmaker Justine Bateman after her visit with wildfire victims was described as a “photo op”
Mandy Moore was criticized by followers after requesting GoFundMe donations for relatives who lost their home
Moore shared details of a fundraiser for her brother-in-law Griffin Goldsmith and his wife Kit, organized by Matthew Koma, Hilary Duff’s husband
Flagg went on to point out that celebrity status does not always mean financial security.
“There’s plenty of celebrities out there that don’t have tons of money. They’re just famous people,” he said.
“Of course, if somebody is privileged enough to have a second home, their life is going to be easier than somebody that doesn’t have a second home.
“But there are plenty of celebrities that don’t have a lot of money and have one primary residence that lost their home. And I can guarantee you, it’s just as heart-wrenching for somebody who’s worth a billion dollars as for somebody who’s worth a hundred dollars. It doesn’t really matter.”
He added: “Everybody’s entitled to feel how they feel. Of course, some people will be hit harder than others, but there’s no reason to make a celebrity or somebody with a ton of money feel like they’re less important.
“Everybody is equally as important in this world.”
One example close to Flagg is Candy Spelling. The $23 million Malibu beach house she shared with her late husband, television producer Aaron Spelling, was destroyed in the wildfires.
“I’m in shock and processing this massive loss for our family. I am beyond grateful for the memories. It was truly a wonderful gift to have,” Candy told TMZ.
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Candy Spelling, pictured with Josh Flagg, lost the $23 million Malibu beach house she shared with her late husband, television producer Aaron Spelling
Candy, pictured with Tori Spelling, Josh Flagg and Andrew Beyer, described the destruction as a “massive loss” while expressing gratitude for the memories
Candy’s home, shown in brown, stood on La Costa Beach and had been owned by the Spelling family for 47 years
Candy’s close friend Josh told DailyMail.com: “It was a really special house. But at least everybody’s safe”
Flagg said Candy is understandably “sad,” but noted that she still has another Los Angeles residence: a $35 million penthouse in Century City that she bought more than a decade ago.
“She’s obviously sad. I mean, she’s had that house forever and Aaron bought it, but bought the property a million years ago and it was a really special house.
“But at least everybody’s safe. That’s Candy’s beach house. She doesn’t stay there. She has her house in the city,” the real estate broker explained.
On January 10, Candy’s daughter, Tori Spelling, revealed on social media that she and her five children had evacuated after spending “days of watching destruction.”
Flagg has also left Los Angeles temporarily, working from his New York City property, where he typically spends one week each month. His immediate priority, however, is helping wildfire victims secure replacement homes.
“Right now I’m trying to move everybody into houses that lost their home, whether it be a lease or it be a sale for some of my more fortunate clients that can afford to buy another house instead of pay rent or choosing to go that option,” he said.
To assist those displaced by the fires, Flagg has been calling on his clients—particularly those with second homes—to see whether they can offer help.
“There’s so many houses on the market that are so overpriced and are moving so quickly that there’s no inventory,” Flagg said.
At least 24 people have died in the Palisades and Eaton fires, which destroyed more than 12,000 structures across Southern California
Josh Flagg, pictured with co-stars Tracy Tutor and Josh Altman, told DailyMail.com that he is focused on finding homes for fire victims and “can’t even think” about season 16 of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles
“So, I’ve gone through my list of clients and asked a whole bunch of them to do favors, and I’ve been able to place about 15 people so far in the last week.”
Several months after season 15 of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles concluded in September, the high-profile agent said he is not yet able to reveal details about the show’s potential next season.
The previous season featured fellow agents Josh Altman and Tracy Tutor. Flagg, who has been part of the series for 20 years, said he would “of course” be interested in returning—“as long as the show continues on.”
