Heartbroken Australian TV star’s house is burnt to the ground as he shares horrifying images of his home reduced to ash: ‘All of our belongings that we’ve ever acquired in our lives are gone’
Australia’s Next Top Model star Didier Cohen has been left heartbroken after his lavish Malibu mansion – and all his belongings – burned to the ground in the Los Angeles fires.
The American-born model, 39, shared a gallery of heartbreaking photos on Instagram, showing the burning rubble of the site where his multi-million dollar property once stood.
One confronting photo captured a raging fire that brutally tore his property to the ground, and another showed the ash remains from where the large property once stood.
A devastated Cohen and his partner Isabela Aznar captioned the gallery with some heartbreaking words: “Our house burned down today. All the possessions we ever acquired in our lives are gone, except for one suitcase.
‘We worked so hard and invested so much time, money, energy and love into creating our dream home.
‘Consciously building a new start together only to see it all burn down after a month. A huge loss today.”
Australia’s Next Top Model star Didier Cohen has been left heartbroken after his lavish Malibu home – and all his belongings – burned to the ground in the Los Angeles fires. Pictured with his partner Isabela Aznar
He added that “devastated” didn’t even begin to describe how he and his partner felt.
“Destroyed” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Time to rebuild our lives from scratch. It feels surreal. So many people, animals, neighbors, friends, family, loved ones, the country, have lost so much.
“We’ve had to evacuate where we’re staying multiple times now because LA is on fire and we’re still trying to figure out what comes next.
“Please be patient as we navigate this very uncharted territory and grief. Please don’t expect a response.
“We know there are lessons to be learned from this and we will do the work to rebuild the city, but for now we are taking time to grieve.
‘Here are a few photos of the most beautiful house we were fortunate enough to call home briefly to commemorate it, and some photos of what remains.
If you feel like supporting us during this time, we’ve created a gofundme link that you can find in our bios. We would be so grateful. Prayers for everyone and everything affected by these fires.”
“Rest in peace in my old home in Malibu. Keep the prayers coming. It’s been so horrible the last 24 hours.”
The American-born model, 39, shared a gallery of heartbreaking photos on Instagram showing the burning rubble of where his multi-million dollar property once stood. In the photo: the former building in Malibu (left) and the burning rubble (right)
One confronting photo captured a raging fire that brutally tore his property to the ground, and another showed the ash remains from where the large property once stood.
Cohen added that his father’s nearby home was also destroyed.
‘He almost lost his life. It’s hard here.’
Cohen then assured fans that his family was still in good health, despite the tremendous hardships.
“We are safe and trying to stay positive. We are at my mother’s for now and there is another fire. Thanks for checking in and sending good energy.”
The Los Angeles-born reality star added that he was finding it difficult to stay positive and wasn’t sure what “lesson” to take from this.
‘Terrible things are happening. It can all be gone in an instant and what you do with what you have at that moment is super important.”
Many of Cohen’s followers quickly took to the comments section to show their support.
A devastated Cohen and his partner Isabela Aznar captioned the gallery with some heartbreaking words
‘Our house burned down today. All the possessions we ever acquired in our lives are gone, except for one suitcase. We worked so hard and invested so much time, money, energy and love into creating our dream home.”
“Sending love and strength bro. There’s a beautiful rainbow bridge coming your way,” one person wrote.
The massive fire in the Pacific Palisades forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, some of whom abandoned their cars and fled on foot to safety as roads were blocked.
The reality star shared a series of harrowing clips on his Instagram Story on Wednesday showing the fires getting closer to his property.
One clip showed Didier walking into his front yard, wearing a sweater and with the hood pulled over his shaved head.
“Um, not good,” he said as he took in the terrifying scene.
“There are fires all over our house. It’s clearly across the street. Houses are already flooded.’
The model followed the clip and two hours later showed it leaving his garage, now wearing a breathing mask.
“It’s getting really difficult, I can’t see anything now,” he said in the video.
“Rest in peace in my old home in Malibu. Keep the prayers coming. Things have gone the same way in the past 24 hours: my father’s entire house has burned down.’
Firefighters battling the blaze, which is burning through about five football fields a minute, warned they were running low on water and supplies as evacuation warnings spread to Malibu and Calabasas.
Residents were warned that the worst is yet to come as the raging wildfire rages through more than 2,900 hectares of land in Los Angeles at an extraordinary pace.
Pacific Palisades, where houses have already been reduced to rubble, is a celebrity enclave that is home to the likes of Chris Pratt, Reese Witherspoon and Miles Teller.
Cohen first rose to fame as a judge on Channel Seven’s reality show Beauty and the Geek.
He then enjoyed a stint on The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.
Cohen then joined Australia’s Next Top Model as a mentor for two seasons.