Jeremy Clarkson has hit out after social media users claimed that the suffering of celebrities in the devastating California wildfires “doesn’t matter”.
Numerous A-listers have been impacted by the crisis, which has encompassed the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, where many celebrities live. Several have lost their homes, including Paris Hilton and When Harry Met Sally star Billy Crystal. Thousands of acres of land has been destroyed, with several people dead.
“I know there are social media socialists saying, ‘They’re rich so it doesn’t matter‘ But that’s nonsense,” wrote the 64-year-old Clarkson’s Farm star in a column for The Sun.
“It doesn’t matter how much money you have, it always hurts to lose your photograph albums and your pets and your lifetime collection of fridge magnets.”
Follow our latest coverage of the California wildfires here
Clarkson continued: “My heart, and I really mean this, goes out to everyone affected.”
However, he claimed that people in California are “obsessed with letting nature take its course and not interfering” and are “also obsessed, over there, with showing off”.
Thinking about the future, Clarkson said homes should be built with “expensive building materials that don’t catch fire quite so easily”.
Jennifer Garner spoke out this week about a church friend who had been killed in the fires. Former child actor Rory Callum Skyes is said to have died in his Malibu home, with his mother unable to get help or access water as the blaze raged.
Some celebrities have drawn criticism in the wake of the fires, including Jamie Lee Curtis, who sparked backlash after comparing the wildfires to scenes scene in Gaza. Meanwhile, EastEnders star Patsy Palmer asked victims of the catastrophe to “meditate”.
Mandy Moore was criticised by some social media users for sharing a GoFundMe page for her in-laws after their home was destroyed.
In a blunt response to the criticism, Moore wrote: “And people questioning whether we’re helping out our own family or attributing some arbitrary amount of money google says someone has is NOT helpful or empathetic. Of course we are.
“Our buddy Matt started this GoFundMe and I’m sharing because people have asked how they can help them. We just lost most of our life in a fire too. Kindly F OFF. no one is forcing you to do anything.”
