Zooey Deschanel shared a heartfelt tribute to her childhood home as she revealed it burned down in the Los Angeles wildfires.
The New Girl star, 45, shared her loss as she posted a series of images via Instagram on Friday, January 17.
Among the photos was an image of her childhood home in Pacific Palisades when it was still standing, while another photo taken from the same viewpoint showed it reduced to ash and rubble following the January wildfires that ravaged the area.
Other photos showed Zooey’s family, including her sister and Bones star Emily Deschanel, 48, inside and outside the house over the years making memories.
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“My childhood home. A marvel of 1920s Spanish revival architecture. Full of too many incredible memories to count, it was one of the oldest homes in the Palisades and so spectacularly beautiful,” Zoeey captioned the post. It was not a mansion but it was cozy and lovely and unique and perfect to me.”
The actress reflected on how meaningful her home was to her in the poignant caption.
“One of my friends growing up called it “The Church” because the 14 foot ceilings with stained glass windows in the living room cast colorful shadows at the end of the day. And to me it was holy, a sanctuary where we felt most safe. The Christmas dinners, Easter egg hunts, trick or treating, weddings, birthdays, baby showers… we celebrated the best moments of our lives there,” Zooey wrote. “The family photos that lined the hallways, the artwork, the piano I learned to play on, the wedding china, the furniture my great great grandfather built… the reminders of generations past: All have vanished into thin air.”
She continued: “I know we are not alone. Along with another beautiful LA neighborhood, Alta Dena, the streets of my childhood in Pacific Palisades have been all but erased as we knew them. So many people have lost so much.”
Zoeey went on to pay tribute to those who have supported herself, her family and community. She also gave a special shoutout to the firefighters who had been working tirelessly on the frontline, describing them as “true heroes.”
“To all the people who have shown up for us and our community and Los Angeles in general: Thank you. To the firefighters who have been working around the clock to keep everyone safe: You are our true heroes,” Zoeey added. “To the friends who have been so wonderful to think of us during this time: you have texted and called, come to visit, you have made us meals, you have sent clothes to my parents who left with nothing, you have distracted us with humor and you have cried with us when we needed. Your kindness is the salve that has made this bearable. To the strangers who have lifted our spirits with kind gestures: you are the true meaning of community.”
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She concluded, “Thank you all for showing us the goodness in your hearts. You have no idea how much it means to us.”
More than 12,000 structures are estimated to have been destroyed in the wildfires ravaging parts of Los Angeles including the exclusive Pacific Palisades area, Malibu, Santa Monica and the Hollywood Hills. Celebrities such as Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Paris Hilton and Miles Teller are among those whose houses went up in flames.
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
