Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage’s $10.5 million (Rs 99.56 crore) beachfront mansion in Malibu was hit by a sinkhole on Tuesday after part of the property’s driveway collapsed. The collapse created a massive hole in front of the 4,000-square-foot coastal home. Photos from the scene showed large sections of asphalt and concrete breaking apart and falling into the crater.
Debris, portions of a privacy fence and a portable toilet were also reportedly swallowed by the collapse, while several large pieces of concrete could be seen inside the hole.
The incident reportedly took place amid heavy rain, high surf and suspected coastal erosion along the Southern California coastline. The mansion was also affected during a coastal flooding advisory in the Los Angeles area following the lingering effects of Marie, which had previously been a hurricane before weakening into a tropical storm.
Although Marie did not make landfall, the storm brought rain and generated dangerous waves along the Southern California coast over the holiday weekend.
The driveway collapse also led to a gas leak shortly before 6 am local time, bringing authorities and utility workers to the scene. SoCalGas said the leak was brought under control several hours later. As a precaution, the utility temporarily shut off natural gas service.
Malibu officials also restricted access to five homes on the street on Tuesday. The private neighbourhood is located between the Pacific Ocean and the iconic Pacific Coast Highway.
Property records indicate that the mansion was sold in 2024. According to the New York Times, the previous owner said at the time of the sale that Cage was the buyer.
Cage, 62, continues to remain active in Hollywood. He recently starred in the Amazon series “Spider-Noir” and is set to portray NFL coach and commentator John Madden in an upcoming biographical film later this year.
With more than 100 films to his credit, Cage won the Academy Award for Best Actor for “Leaving Las Vegas”. He is also known for popular films such as Face/Off, Con Air, Gone in 60 Seconds, National Treasure and Moonstruck. The actor married his fifth wife, Riko Shibata, in 2021.
