The release of a new Netflix series produced by the Duchess of Sussex will be postponed due to the devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, the streaming platform has announced.
Firefighters scrambled on Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have killed at least 16 people in California as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week.
Eight-part series Love, Meghan, which will see the actress share cooking, gardening and hosting tips, will premiere on March 4 instead of January 15.
The release of With Love, Meghan has been moved from its previously announced January premiere date to March 4 "as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,” says Meghan.
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— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) January 12, 2025
“I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,” Meghan said in a statement to Tudum, the official companion site to Netflix.
A description of the series on Tudum’s website said: “Produced by Meghan, With Love, Meghan blends practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old.
“Meghan shares personal tips and tricks, embracing playfulness over perfection, and highlights how easy it can be to create beauty, even in the unexpected.
“She and her guests roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden, and beyond, and invite you to do the same.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hugged residents and spoke to emergency crews at a meal distribution site for people affected by the fires on Friday.
Harry and Meghan live in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, 90 miles from Los Angeles.
It is believed the couple have donated clothing, children’s items and other essential supplies for people affected by the fires.
On Sunday morning, Jason Oppenheim, star of US reality programme Selling Sunset, said landlords have been taking advantage of people displaced by the fires, which began on Tuesday just north of central LA, and have burned more than 12,000 structures.
Since offering to represent those who have lost their homes for free, the reality star said Oppenheim Group agents have “received dozens and dozens of calls from people who have lost their homes in the fires”.
“We’re having landlords taking advantage of the situation”, he told BBC One programme Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.
“I had a client, we sent him to a house that was asking 13,000 dollars (£10,600) a month.
“He offered 20,000 dollars (£16,400) a month, and he offered to pay six months up front. And the landlord said, “No, I want 23,000 dollars (18,800) a month’.
“You know, there are price-gouging laws in California that are just being ignored right now.
“And this isn’t the time to be taking advantage of situations, and it’s also illegal to take advantage of a natural disaster.”
Actors Mel Gibson, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Billy Crystal, Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg are among the Hollywood stars who have lost their homes.
US reality star Paris Hilton launched an emergency fund to support families who have been displaced, starting it with a personal donation of 100,000 dollars (£82,000) after she watched her Malibu home “burn to the ground on live TV”.
The Hills stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, talk show host Ricki Lake, and songwriter Diane Warren have also lost properties, with reports that Sir Anthony Hopkins’ home burned to the ground in the Pacific Palisades fire.
Grammy-nominated musician Halsey said she was evacuated from a home she had recently moved into.
US actress Jennifer Garner was among the stars volunteering, providing food relief for evacuees and the emergency services, working alongside World Central Kitchen founder chef Jose Andres at one of the charity’s pop-up locations around California.
Standing amid the rubble of her home town of 25 years, an emotional Garner told US outlet MSNBC: “I did lose a friend, and for our church it’s really tender, so I don’t feel like I should talk about her yet.
“I did lose a friend who did not get out in time.”
A British-born former child star who was blind and had cerebral palsy also “died needlessly” in the Los Angeles wildfires, according to his mother Shelley Sykes, who told Australian TV channel Network 10 he had died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
After members of the Kardashian family were reportedly evacuated from their homes, matriarch Kris Jenner said her family approached their favourite Armenian restaurant to “feed a few fire houses”.
Kim Kardashian said she had “spoken to many firefighters who are up all night long using every ounce of their strength to save our community”.
Entertainment company LiveNation said a charity concert, FireAid, will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, “dedicated to rebuilding communities devastated by wildfires and supporting efforts to prevent future fire disasters throughout southern California”.
The event is billed as an “evening of music and solidarity” and will take place on January 30, with performers yet to be announced.
The fires have thrown Hollywood’s awards season into disarray, with the Critics Choice Awards and Producers Guild Awards nominations among the events postponed.
