Ricki Lake Says It’s 'Exhausting and Paralyzing' to Think About Building a New Home After She Lost Hers in the L.A. Fires

Ricki Lake is reflecting on the loss of her Malibu home that tragically burned down in the L.A. fires.

The former talk show host, 56, posted an Instagram on Monday, Jan. 20, commemorating several memories at her Southern California home and what she declared was her “sanctuary.” 

 “❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹My home in Malibu was a sanctuary, a hub for so many friends and loved ones,” she wrote in the caption. 

“Too many gatherings to count. Endless areas on the property to hang, dance and play. It is exhausting and paralyzing right now to try and wrap my head around how I will do it all again…..,” she wrote, before adding, “but I will. 🙏❤️💔.”

The Hairspray star included several images of the home’s landscaping during daytime, sunset and nighttime. Along with photos of the home itself, Lake added pictures of her husband, Ross Burningham — with whom she married at the now-destroyed home in January 2022.

Lake’s pictures of Burningham, 57, included some of him by her side and others of Burningham with their friends as they all enjoyed the sunshine and pool in the couple’s backyard.

Lake also added a sweet image beside friends Pamela Adlon, Rosie O’Donnell and Robin Ruzan, smiling in each other’s arms at sunset.

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The TV star included photos of her dog, Mama, enjoying the fireplace with Lake as well as a beautiful bright sunset. 

In addition to Lake’s personal photos, she also shared two images of her for her photoshoot with Romper, in which she posed in glamorous ensembles around her home’s greenery. 

Before revealing how difficult it is for Lake to comprehend the idea of rebuilding her home, she explained on Wednesday, Jan. 8, that she lost her Malibu property in the Pacific Palisades fire.

"It’s all gone. 💔," she announced on Instagram. "I can’t believe I am typing these words," she continued, after noting that one of her friends made "a valiant and brave effort" to save the home.

"Ross and I lost our dream home. This description ‘dream home’ doesn’t suffice," she wrote, calling the home their "heaven on earth" and "the place where we planned to grow old together."

"We never took our heavenly spot on the bluff overlooking our beloved malibu for granted, not even for one second," she added. She described the loss as "immeasurable" before concluding, "For now, I grieve. 💔💔💔.”

On Thursday, Jan. 9, she detailed how she bravely fought to save the home from the fires. She shared a step-by-step video that showed how smoke and flames gradually approached her property before it was destroyed.

“1/7/25 The day we lost our home. 😭💔timeline of our efforts to save our beloved home in Malibu,” she wrote in her caption. “11:24 am early signs of smoke in Temescal Canyon 11:54 am setting up our fire defense system.”

"4:10 pm Ross hosing down our neighbors palm tree (baller move) 6:17 pm Ross attempting to siphon gas for the fire defense system motor. (Even bigger baller move, though it didn’t work.) 😩 6:55 do we stay or do we go?”

"We finally surrendered our efforts and left our home at 8:02 pm," Lake said in a second video. She then concluded the post by saying she was "praying" they had "a home to go home to” once they returned.

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