RHOBH Star Bozoma Saint John Confirms Her Entire Home Is ‘Gone’ amid L.A. Fires: ‘An Unimaginable Loss’
The reality star confirmed that the house she “prayed for” was completely destroyed by the wildfires currently raging across Los Angeles
Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities’ luxury mansions to breaking travel news.
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Bozoma “Boz” Saint John has lost the Malibu home she “prayed for” to the wildfires in Los Angeles.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills newcomer, 47, confirmed that the ongoing natural disaster has destroyed her dream home, where she lived with her 15-year-old daughter Lael. In a Jan. 9 Instagram post that included photos of her house, she further explained why this is an unimaginable loss for her and her daughter.
“This is the house I wanted. The house I prayed for. The house I worked in blood, sweat, and tears for,” Saint John wrote in the caption. “The house that I put a keypad instead of a keyhole in the front door because I wanted all my family and friends to have a code and use the house whenever they wanted.”
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She continued, “This is the house where I found peace after battling with racist neighbors and a community that made me have to buy it in a trust within a trust so no one would know that a widowed, single Black woman with a teenager was buying on the exclusively-held beach.”
The reality star — who lost her husband of 10 years to cancer in 2013 — emphasized how her house served as a haven that her family could also call home.
“This was my EFF YOU I’m here house. The house that I built a movie room dedicated to my sister so she could see her films in her own sanctuary. This is the house where I finally felt like I could choose to spend time … when I wanted to and how I wanted to.”
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At the end of her caption, Saint John confirmed that the fires engulfed the entire property.
“It is gone,” she said. “This is an unimaginable loss. I grieve with the rest of Los Angeles as it burns … and even though I’ve found even words to write here, there’s nothing that I could say in this moment to describe this feeling. I ask for your prayer for Lael and I. God bless you.”
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Saint John’s famous friends offered words of sympathy in the comments section, including Andy Cohen, who wrote, “I am so sorry. This is unimaginable.”
“You are one of the strongest, most inspiring women I know, and you will do as you always do. We got you, and you are not alone. My heart is broken for you and all of our friends,” wrote Rachel Zoe.
Echoing the others, Sophia Bush added, “Oh Boz, I am so so sorry. Covering you both in love.”
Many celebrities and over 80,000 displaced residents have been affected by the multiple fires currently burning in Los Angeles. In addition to Saint John, Billy Crystal, Ricki Lake, Cameron Mathison, and Paris Hilton have all confirmed their homes are gone.
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At least 130,000 residents have been issued mandatory evacuation orders since the Palisades Fire first ignited on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 7, amid severe winds and dry conditions.
The fires have already claimed lives, though the exact toll is currently unknown, according to officials.