Popular talk show host Ricki Lake, 56, has shared an update with her fans following the heartbreaking loss of her Malibu home in the Pacific Palisades fire earlier this month. On Saturday, January 25, the actress and former talk show host expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support she has received from friends and various brands in the aftermath of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
“It’s so weird to be in a place of need. I am such an independent person, I’ve been taking care of my own since [I was] 18 years old,” Lake said in an Instagram reel.
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“I don’t come from money, I don’t come from any handout or nepotism,” she added. “I just built this life for myself and my husband and my kids. It’s just so weird to have it be gone in one event.”
She created the video in order to give thanks to those who helped her and showed support to her family.
“I can’t even wrap my head around what happened and where we fell short … it’s a very strange time to be alive,” she said. “I really am grateful to everyone who reached out to me.” Since the tragedy, she has been staying with a friend.
“Keep us in your thoughts please and all of us who are going through this nightmare of having to rebuild our lives. I am going to be okay. I am one of the lucky ones in that I do have insurance. It doesn’t replace what was lost, but we are going to create a new magical spot.”
“I will continue to stay in touch. I’m doing these TikToks where I’m drunk. I am self medicating, I’ll keep it real — I’m doing it for fun, just to kind of lighten the load because its really heavy when I put my head down at night. It’s just really, really a lot to take in.”
“So anyway, thank you all. I hope you have a safe and enjoyable weekend.”
On January 8, Ricki Lake revealed in an emotional Instagram post that her Malibu home, where she married her husband Ross Burningham in January 2022, was tragically destroyed in the Los Angeles fires. She described the property as their “heaven on earth” and “the place where we planned to grow old together.”
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In the weeks following the disaster, Lake has shared how she tried to save the home and has continued to reflect on cherished memories.
Ricki Lake, born September 21, 1968, in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, is a versatile actress, talk show host, and producer who rose to fame with her breakout role in John Waters’ 1988 cult classic Hairspray. Her portrayal of Tracy Turnblad marked the beginning of a successful entertainment career.
Lake further established herself as a household name with The Ricki Lake Show, a pioneering daytime talk show that aired from 1993 to 2004. Known for its fresh and relatable approach, the show tackled a variety of topics and earned Lake a Daytime Emmy Award. She later hosted a revamped version of the show in 2012.
Beyond television, Lake has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including Cry-Baby, China Beach, and King of Queens. She is also an advocate for women’s health, producing documentaries such as The Business of Being Born, which examines childbirth in America.