California coastal home damaged in Malibu

9-by-9-meter cavity opens amid ground erosion

A massive sinkhole, estimated at 9 meters by 9 meters, opens up in the driveway of actor Nicolas Cage's home on the Malibu coast in California.
A massive sinkhole, estimated at 9 meters by 9 meters, opens up in the driveway of actor Nicolas Cage's home on the Malibu coast in California.

Actor Nicolas Cage, familiar to Korean audiences from films such as "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Face/Off," has seen a massive sinkhole open up in the driveway of his home.

According to the Associated Press and other outlets, a large sinkhole formed in the driveway of Cage's residence on the Malibu coast in California on Tuesday (local time). The cavity was estimated at 9 meters by 9 meters.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department cited severe coastal erosion as the cause of the collapse.

A coastal flood advisory had recently been in effect across the Los Angeles area in the wake of tropical storm Mari.

The driveway collapsed just before 6 a.m. that day, and a gas leak during the incident prompted a response from authorities and a gas utility crew.

The city of Malibu designated five homes near the collapsed driveway as a hazard zone and barred access to them that day.

As the sinkhole continued to grow, the city declared a local state of emergency that evening over public safety concerns and ordered residents of about 24 coastal homes to evacuate. A temporary shelter was set up at nearby Malibu High School.

Authorities believe the situation is likely to worsen given forecasts of high tides and rain.

The city of Malibu said on its official social media account, "We are preparing for the strong storms, high surf, heavy rain, landslides and coastal erosion that a powerful El Nino event can bring across the Southern California coastline."

Cage reportedly bought the home in 2024 for $10.5 million. The modern-style house, measuring roughly 370 square meters, was reportedly vacant and undergoing construction work at the time of the incident.

Cage, 62, recently appeared in the Amazon series "Spider-Noir" and is set to play NFL coach and commentator John Madden in a biopic due for release later this year.

Cage, who has appeared in more than 100 films including "The Rock," "Face/Off" and "Adaptation," won the Academy Award for best actor at the 68th ceremony in 1996 for director Mike Figgis's "Leaving Las Vegas."


jshan@heraldcorp.com