In an emotional and raw moment, The Young and the Restless star Eric Braeden, known for his iconic role as Victor Newman, returned to the site of his Los Angeles home for the first time since it was destroyed in the devastating wildfires that swept through the area. The actor’s deep connection to the property, where he had lived for 45 years, was palpable as he surveyed the destruction.
Braeden, accompanied by Entertainment Tonight, was given a first look at the remains of his home in daylight. The scene was heart-wrenching—a once-familiar space now reduced to charred rubble. Among the wreckage, Braeden noted a weight-lifting bench in his garage, badly damaged by the flames. As he processed the enormity of the loss, the actor couldn’t hold back tears, his emotions overwhelming as he reflected on the home he had cherished for decades.
“I didn’t think it would hit me this hard,” Braeden admitted, his voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t want my family to see it.” The actor, who had lived through the hardships of World War II in Germany, compared the destruction to the constant bombings he experienced as a child. “You’ve got to rebuild,” he said, evoking a spirit of resilience despite the overwhelming devastation. “We rebuilt after the war. We’ll rebuild now.”
The sense of loss was profound for Braeden, who shared how deeply the images of people losing their homes in the media had affected him in the past—but now, as someone who has experienced it firsthand, he understood the grief in an entirely new way. “It’s such a feeling of loss,” he said, his eyes reflecting the weight of the moment.
Amid the devastation, Braeden also found a moment of pride in his son, Christian Gudegast, who was in London for the premiere of Den of Thieves on January 10. Wearing a bomber jacket emblazoned with the film’s title, Braeden expressed his pride in his son’s success. “I’m proud of my boy,” he said, revealing that the achievements of his children were what mattered most to him in life. “What they do is more important than anything I’ve done.”
As for the moments before the fire, Braeden recalled how the family didn’t initially believe the flames would reach their home. They packed only the essentials—passports, family photos, important papers—and grabbed what they could in the final hour before fleeing.
Braeden’s emotional journey to the site of his former home comes at a time when many in the entertainment world are grappling with similar losses. His co-star, Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea), also lost her new home in the fires, as did The Bold and the Beautiful’s Jennifer Gareis (Donna) and General Hospital’s Cameron Mathison (Drew). Mathison, who also experienced this tragedy, has taken to social media to warn fans about fraudulent GoFundMe campaigns seeking to take advantage of the situation.
As the community continues to recover from the destruction, Soap Hub extends its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families during this heartbreaking time. We wish for healing, peace, and safety for all those navigating the chaos left behind by these tragic events.
