Nicolas Cage says he is “currently a little bit homeless” after a massive sinkhole ravaged his Malibu estate.
The actor, 62, made the admission Saturday at L.A. Comic Con when a fan asked about his Halloween plans. Cage explained that the September disaster at his $10.5 million beachfront property has left him living out of hotels and unable to host trick-or-treaters.
“I’m currently a little bit homeless,” he said. “Something happened to my house in Malibu so I’m just sort of living in hotels so I don’t have normal trick or treaters I would like to enjoy tonight.”
The “National Treasure” star did have alternate plans for the holiday. He told the crowd he would be taking his 4-year-old daughter, August, trick-or-treating in Santa Monica, California. After putting her to bed, he planned to watch Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic “The Shining.”
Cage’s property sustained catastrophic damage when heavy rain and severe coastal erosion caused the ground to give way. Photos taken on Sept. 8 show a deep crater where the driveway once stood, with asphalt and concrete cracked open and collapsed.
The destruction extended beyond Cage’s own boundaries. Leading up to the enclosed garage, the sinkhole swallowed various items including a construction site port-a-potty and what appeared to be fragmented panels from a privacy fence. Neighbors were forced to evacuate their homes as the massive hole spread.
City officials moved aggressively to restrict access. Seven homes on the street were marked unsafe for occupancy due to “hazardous conditions,” while an additional 24 homes were red-tagged because of a lack of “safe vehicular access.” In total, 31 properties were deemed unsafe.
A statement posted on the City of Malibu’s website explained that all 31 properties had been marked unsafe due to “the loss of access for Fire and Sheriff’s personnel to respond to medical, fire or law enforcement emergencies.” The city added that “the collapse of a beachfront driveway extended into the roadway, blocking resident and emergency access.”
Cage has not surrendered his property without a fight. Records show he rushed to file three permits within days of the sinkhole forming. He was granted an emergency building permit allowing him to pack sandbags against the beach and the exterior of the home for wave protection and to prevent further coastal erosion. Additional permits were approved for asphalt debris removal related to the sinkhole, plus shoring installation and excavation to collect soil samples.
The disaster struck Malibu’s celebrity enclave in early September, when relentless storms battered the Southern California coastline. The wealthy seaside community, long favored by Hollywood A-listers, has faced mounting threats from climate-driven erosion and extreme weather.
Cage purchased the lavish beachfront spread for $10.5 million, a property that now sits precariously beside the crater that consumed its driveway. The sinkhole has made the residence uninhabitable and thrown the Oscar winner’s domestic life into temporary disarray.
The actor’s candor about his housing situation drew attention at the fan convention, where he appeared despite the upheaval. His lighthearted description of being “a little bit homeless” belied the serious structural damage and the broader emergency response that the incident triggered across his neighborhood.
Cage continues to pursue permits and protective measures for the damaged estate while residing in temporary accommodations.