Actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry has shared an Instagram post hitting out at the actions of insurance companies amid the ongoing LA wildfires.
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The fires, which started in the Palisades area of Los Angeles in California on January 7, have destroyed thousands of buildings and left many more without power, and at least 25 people have died.
Perry took to social media to share his outrage. He wrote: “Watching a daughter use a garden hose to try and protect her 90-year-old parents’ home because their insurance was canceled was just gut-wrenching to me.
“Does anyone else find it appalling that insurance companies can take billions of dollars out of communities for years and then, all of a sudden, be allowed to cancel millions of policies for the very people they became rich on?”
He continued: “People who have paid premiums all of their lives are left with nothing because of pure greed.
“As I am in the process of trying to figure out what steps to take to do all I can to help as many as I can, I am keeping everyone in my prayers.”
The post came after a piece was published by the Los Angeles Times, reporting that some home insurance companies (including State Farm General, the largest in California) decided not to renew thousands of policies last year in some of the neighbourhoods that have been affected by the wildfires. For others, the companies jacked their prices up, making them unaffordable and leaving residents without protection.
The wildfires have seen many famous faces have to evacuate their homes, with some losing them completely – including Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia, Paris Hilton (who has since launched a fund to help displaced families), and Mel Gibson, who said his house burned down whilst he was away recording a podcast with Joe Rogan.
Many in the entertainment world have reacted to the horrifying events. Yesterday, Charli XCX urged clothing brands to donate to those affected by the fires.
A benefit concert for victims of the fires has been announced. Dubbed FireAid, it has been described as an “evening of music and solidarity”, per Billboard, and will take place at LA’s Intuit Dome on January 30.