Ricki Lake issued a vote of thanks to all those who helped her in the wake of her home being decimated by the Los Angeles wildfires.
The talk show host-cum-actress took to Instagram Live on Saturday, January 25, to speak about the support she received upon losing her and her husband, Ross Burningham's house in the Pacific Palisades fire earlier this month.
"It's so weird to be in a place of need. I am such an independent person, I've been taking care of my own since [I was] 18 years old," she said in the Instagram Live clip. "I don't come from money, I don't come from any handout or nepotism," she added. "I just built this life for myself and my husband and my kids. It's just so weird to have it be gone in one event."
The 56-year-old and her now-husband, Burningham took the plunge into married life in January 2022, having gotten engaged in February 2021. They held their wedding ceremony at the same house that burnt down earlier this month. While not much is known about Ricki Lake's husband, given that he stays out of the spotlight, it is known that he has four kids from a previous relationship.
His LinkedIn states says that he works as a lawyer at the Gunderson Dettmer law firm, having earned his bachelor’s and master’s in accounting from Brigham Young University. He eventually earned a Juris Doctor degree from BYU Law School.
Ricki Lake takes to Instagram to express her woes as she loses the house she wanted to "grow old" in
On her livestream, Ricki Lake thanked those who "showed up and offered" a hand to her family during their time of need, revealing that they have been staying with a friend since January 7. She also thanked brands like Kroma Wellness, Héilo Skin Care, Ped Shoes, Hårklinikken and more.
"I can't even wrap my head around what happened and where we fell short ... it's a very strange time to be alive," she said. "I really am grateful to everyone who reached out to me. Keep us in your thoughts please and all of us who are going through this nightmare of having to rebuild our lives," Lake added. "I am going to be okay. I am one of the lucky ones in that I do have insurance. It doesn't replace what was lost, but we are going to create a new magical spot."
Ricki Lake also revealed that even amid the devastation, she got new followers. She urged them to "go back and look" and what her home was like before it was destroyed in the inferno.
"I will continue to stay in touch," Lake told fans and loved ones. "I'm doing these TikToks where I'm drunk. I am self medicating, I'll keep it real — I'm doing it for fun, just to kind of lighten the load because its really heavy when I put my head down at night. It's just really, really a lot to take in. So anyway, thank you all. I hope you have a safe and enjoyable weekend," she concluded.
Ricki Lake previously referred to her and her husband's Malibu home as "heaven on earth" and "the place where we planned to grow old together." She also described the loss as "immeasurable." In the weeks since, the actress has been vocal about her struggles of being stranded without a home that was once her “sanctuary.”
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