A sinkhole opened up in front of a coastal mansion in Malibu believed to be owned by Nicolas Cage, causing the driveway to collapse on Tuesday morning. The incident led to a gas leak around 6 a.m. local time, which prompted authorities and a utility company to respond. SoCalGas confirmed that the gas leak was contained after several hours, but as a precaution against coastal erosion, they temporarily shut off natural gas services for a section of the street.
The sinkhole, measuring approximately 7.5 to nine meters in depth and 18 meters in width, extends into the roadway. By Wednesday, officials declared a local emergency and issued an evacuation order for 31 properties in the affected area. Despite requests for comment, representatives for Cage did not provide an immediate response. Property records indicate that the mansion was sold in 2024, with the prior owner revealing Cage as the buyer to the New York Times.
The mansion sustained damage during a coastal flooding advisory in the Los Angeles area due to the residual effects of Hurricane Marie, which had reverted to a tropical storm. Although the storm did not directly hit the coast, it brought rain and stirred up hazardous waves along Southern California’s coastline during the holiday weekend.
The City of Malibu, in a statement on Wednesday, stated that the sinkhole incident is part of broader regional coastal conditions. They are actively monitoring coastal erosion along Pacific Coast Highway in the Palisades Fire burn area, Point Dume State Beach, and other vulnerable coastal points.
Situated between the ocean and the renowned Pacific Coast Highway, the private neighborhood where the mansion is located faced the sinkhole incident. Nicolas Cage, aged 62, recently starred in the Amazon series “Spider-Noir” and is set to portray John Madden in an upcoming biographical film about the NFL coach and commentator. With a prolific career spanning over 100 films, Cage won an Oscar for his role in “Leaving Las Vegas.”
