The new owner of Matthew Perry’s Pacific Palisades home, the mansion where he died, is breathing a sigh of relief after the property narrowly escaped the devastating fires that swept through parts of Los Angeles this week, Realtor.com reports.
Anita Verma-Lallian, a real estate developer and CEO of Camelback Productions, bought the four-bedroom, five-bathroom home for $8.55 million in an off-market deal nearly a year after the “Friends” star’s overdose death in October 2023. .
She had intended the property to serve as a vacation retreat for her Scottsdale, Arizona-based family. But just a few days after celebrating the New Year there, disaster struck. The fires ravaged the wealthy enclave, leaving Verma-Lallian in a state of anguish, while live maps showed her path engulfed in flames.
Unable to turn back, she turned to national news and updates from neighbors, feeling helpless.
“I just felt so helpless not knowing what was going on and not being able to do anything,” she told the media. “We didn’t even have access to local news; we were watching the national news, but we couldn’t tell what had happened to the house.”
Miraculously, the property emerged largely unscathed, with only minor damage to the backyard thanks to the quick action of local residents.
“One of our friends was able to go to the house and they confirmed that our house is OK,” Verma-Lallian said. “There were some small fires in the backyard that they were able to put water on and contain, and we’re just hoping they stay under control. But for now, our house is fine.”
Verma-Lallian praised her new community, expressing gratitude for their support.
“The community has been amazing, very welcoming; we have met most of them and they went out of their way to make us feel welcome. The neighbors have been checking the property for us and they’ve been sending updates on everything that’s going on, which has been so helpful.”
The fires were a sobering reality check for Verma-Lallian, who didn’t consider the Pacific Palisades a high-risk area for them. “There really haven’t been many fires in the Pacific Palisades that we were aware of,” she said.
“Malibu seemed like a higher risk… I never would have imagined that would happen. It’s been crazy and there’s been a lot of emotion.”
Security cameras showed flames creeping dangerously close to the home’s pool, with firefighters battling the blaze just steps away. When the cameras lost service, Verma-Lallian was left in the dark.
“We saw firefighters put out some of the fires successfully – but then we lost service and had no idea what was going on.”
Although relieved that the house is still standing, uncertainty remains. Authorities have warned it could be up to a week before residents are allowed back into the area to fully assess the damage.
“We don’t know for sure when we can come back,” Verma-Lallian said. “As soon as we can, we’ll get on a plane and go back there.”
Despite the horrific experience, Verma-Lallian is inspired by the resilience and generosity of her neighbors.
“The amount of support we have received from each other has been incredible. “People have been checking each other’s houses and sending messages updating them,” she said.
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Image Source : nypost.com