A sinkhole opened up in front of a coastal mansion in Malibu reportedly owned by Nicolas Cage, causing the driveway to collapse. The incident led to a gas leak early Tuesday morning, with emergency services and utility workers quickly responding to the scene. SoCalGas managed to control the leak after a few hours but decided to turn off natural gas services in the area temporarily due to concerns about coastal erosion.
Authorities estimated the sinkhole to be between 7.5 to nine meters deep and 18 meters wide, extending into the roadway. As a safety measure, officials declared a local emergency and ordered the evacuation of 31 properties in the vicinity. The property was sold in 2024, with Cage believed to be the current owner as per previous owner statements to the New York Times.
The mansion sustained damage during a coastal flooding advisory in the Los Angeles area caused by the remnants of Hurricane Marie, which later transitioned into a tropical storm. Despite not directly hitting land, the storm brought heavy rain and hazardous waves to Southern California over the weekend.
The City of Malibu highlighted that the sinkhole incident is part of broader coastal challenges in the region, including monitoring erosion along the Pacific Coast Highway and other vulnerable coastal areas. The exclusive neighborhood where the mansion is located lies between the ocean and the famous highway.
Nicolas Cage, 62, recently featured in the Amazon series “Spider-Noir” and is set to portray John Madden in an upcoming biopic about the NFL figure. With a career spanning over 100 films, Cage won an Oscar for his role in “Leaving Las Vegas.”