A huge sinkhole has opened outside Nicolas Cage’s Malibu mansion after part of its driveway collapsed, rupturing a gas line and prompting an emergency response on Tuesday, September 8.
The incident was reported at about 5.45am on Sea Level Drive in western Malibu, where the beachfront property sits between the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Coast Highway. Los Angeles County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies closed the private road while Southern California Gas crews worked to contain the leak.
SoCalGas said the flow had been safely stopped several hours later. Gas supplies were temporarily shut off along an 85ft (26-metre) section of the street as a precaution while engineers assessed the threat from further coastal erosion.
Malibu officials said the collapse was linked to high tides and powerful surf, with the area also facing rain and flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Marie. The storm had weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm and did not make landfall, but brought heavy rain and dangerous waves to the Southern California coast over the holiday weekend.
The city initially prohibited entry to five homes after red-tagging the properties, meaning residents were barred from entering. Later on Tuesday, Malibu declared a local emergency and ordered evacuations from more than 30 beachfront properties as the expanding sinkhole restricted access for residents and emergency services.
A temporary American Red Cross shelter was established at Malibu High School for people affected by the evacuation. Authorities warned that the situation could deteriorate further as high tides and additional rain were forecast.
Property records show the house was sold in 2024, while its previous owner told The New York Times at the time that Cage was the buyer. Representatives for the actor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Cage, 62, has appeared in more than 100 films and won the Oscar for best actor for Leaving Las Vegas. He recently starred in the Amazon series Spider-Noir and is due to portray former NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden in an upcoming biographical film.
