Jennifer Meyer discusses impact of L.A. wildfires on West Side

For Jennifer Meyer, Los Angeles' West Side is more than just a place on a map or a desirable vacation spot.

“I was born and raised here. I grew up in Malibu. I lived in Malibu by myself until I was 17. We had a house there until five years ago. I live in the Palisades. I currently live in In Brentwood. My family lives here. We're here from Brentwood to Palisades and have been here for 85 years. It’s all my heart and my family’s heart,” said the daughter of A-list jewelry designer and veteran Hollywood executive Ron Meyer, who was born in Westwood. Settled in Malibu. “This place means everything to me.”

Watching the destructive Palisades Fire, which has burned 23,000 acres in the region and destroyed more than 1,200 residential and commercial structures, reduce to ash over the past week was “unfathomable” for Meyer of. “I have nothing to say,” she said. “I can't even understand what's going on here.”

Despite the emotional weight of speaking out amid the tragic wildfires, Meyer held back tears multiple times during the interview and agreed to speak with hollywood reporter Because what area for her. It's also where she works, as her brick-and-mortar boutique is located in Rick Caruso's posh Palisades Village, which survived the fire and she's quick to talk about There is a shift away from what has been spared to how to help those less fortunate.

“Listen, Caruso is a force of nature, he's awesome,” Meyer said. His jewelry designs appear on a who's who of A-listers including Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lawrence and Selena Gomez. There are many others. “He protects his people and he protects our stores. It's a beautiful thing, but the focus now should be on the families who have lost everything. How do we help them rebuild? How can we provide these children with what they need everything?”

Meyers, who has spent his entire life on the Pacific Coast Highway or in the surrounding mountains, knows all about fire and the threat of losing everything.

“I've been evacuated many times over the years. I'll never forget the 1993 Malibu fire. I've seen many similar fires in my life, but this was unprecedented,” Meyer recalled. “A lot of my best friends have been affected and lost everything. So have teachers at my kids' schools. No one took anything, it all happened so fast. No one thought, let me pack up my car and look See what I can get.”

Meyer himself evacuated Brentwood with his children and fiancé later this week when the Palisades Fire spread and threatened Mandeville Canyon and the hills surrounding Highway 405. “I'm lucky that my ex-husband (Tobey Maguire) and I are best friends, so we all went to his place,” she recalled. “I have a text chain all over Brentwood and everyone near me is sharing updates. There's so much love and people offering help and comfort, like, 'Can I bring you something?' ” 'What can I do for you?'”

She said it's not unusual for communities to come together in this way, especially on the West Side. “There’s no place like it. It’s cheers – Everyone knows your name. This is a hometown. Malibu and the Palisade are literally a small hometown. The customers are repeat customers, coming back again and again. You walk down the street and you see your friends, your best friends, your children's friends. It's a feeling of home. “

While real estate prices dominate headlines and face criticism on social media platforms, Meyer said there's a deeper humanity to this conversation. “You'll hear these stories of people who have lived there for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years. This is their childhood home, their parents' home. People don't leave. ”

Learning that his corner of the world had been essentially razed to the ground brought Meyer to tears again. “I'm excited because I've seen all the videos, but driving from PCH to Malibu is…” she said, her voice cracking. “You can't beat it anywhere in the world. It brings a sense of calm. There's an ocean feel in the air. It also brings me to this place mentally. I had the best time at PCH , had the worst day at PCH. There is no place like this. Thinking we were going down PCH, Carbon Beach would be gone, and La Costa Beach would be gone. I can’t fathom it.”

She found comfort in turning her attention to the city's resilience.

“I know Los Angeles is strong and I know we're going to come together and we're going to rebuild. I just know it, I feel it, and I can't wait. I'm going to do whatever I can to be a part of it. I know the Palisades Everyone in the village does what they can to help the community in any way that we know how to do, and I think people are really compassionate about each other and really love each other because of it,” Meyer said. he said, then paused to gather his thoughts and offer his final parting thoughts. “God bless Los Angeles.”