Comedian Jeff Dye has been one of the latest entertainers to flee Los Angeles in an exodus of celebrities fleeing California's liberal policies, citing a specific catalyst: Governor Gavin Newsom's handling of wildfires that ravaged parts of LA earlier this year.
The 42-year-old comedian revealed his decision to buy a house in Texas during a recent appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience," stating that Newsom's leadership has left him "scares the s**t out of me." Dye expressed concern over the state and city governments' response to the devastating fires, describing it as "not competent."
Los Angeles experienced two major wildfires this January, with the Palisades Fire burning 6,837 buildings and killing 12 people, while the Eaton Fire decimated 9,414 buildings and claimed 18 lives. The blazes left at least 29 deaths and over 55,000 acres scorched.
Critics of Newsom's administration have pointed to issues with water supply problems and firefighting resources being stretched or compromised during the fires. Many residents and local officials have expressed frustration over the slow recovery, citing bureaucratic challenges, significant delays with permitting, insurance disputes, and infrastructure concerns.
Dye also criticized celebrities who had declared they would leave the United States if President Donald Trump was elected for a second term, saying some people do move but others don't back up their threats. When asked about O'Donnell and DeGeneres' moves to Ireland and England, respectively, Dye said it's "dumb that they left because now they just can't vote."
The comedian's departure is part of a growing trend of celebrities abandoning Los Angeles in favor of more conservative states like Texas.
The 42-year-old comedian revealed his decision to buy a house in Texas during a recent appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience," stating that Newsom's leadership has left him "scares the s**t out of me." Dye expressed concern over the state and city governments' response to the devastating fires, describing it as "not competent."
Los Angeles experienced two major wildfires this January, with the Palisades Fire burning 6,837 buildings and killing 12 people, while the Eaton Fire decimated 9,414 buildings and claimed 18 lives. The blazes left at least 29 deaths and over 55,000 acres scorched.
Critics of Newsom's administration have pointed to issues with water supply problems and firefighting resources being stretched or compromised during the fires. Many residents and local officials have expressed frustration over the slow recovery, citing bureaucratic challenges, significant delays with permitting, insurance disputes, and infrastructure concerns.
Dye also criticized celebrities who had declared they would leave the United States if President Donald Trump was elected for a second term, saying some people do move but others don't back up their threats. When asked about O'Donnell and DeGeneres' moves to Ireland and England, respectively, Dye said it's "dumb that they left because now they just can't vote."
The comedian's departure is part of a growing trend of celebrities abandoning Los Angeles in favor of more conservative states like Texas.
, especially when you consider that LA is already doing some crazy stuff with water and resources. Like, sure, Newsom's handling was a mess, but let's not forget that there's also a whole lot of climate change at play here 
. I mean, what's gonna happen to all the people who actually lived through those fires? Are they just gonna be forgotten because some rich guy like Dye decides he doesn't wanna live in California anymore 
? And honestly, I'm kinda glad that more people are speaking out about these issues, even if it is through a medium as frivolous as comedy 
.
. If these rich folks are so concerned about the state of California, why don't they just use their influence to make some real change? It's just a bunch of them running away from the problems and leaving everyone else to deal with it 
.
. It's like they think the rest of us will just magically fix everything for them 
.
. Where's their outrage about the real issues?
I mean, I get why people are leaving LA... wildfires can be super devastating and the response from gov'ts can be super slow. But at the same time, like, I don't think we should be surprised that celebrities are fleeing if they're really that scared of gov'ns handling things 
. And btw, can we talk about how many ppl moved out after Trump was elected in 2020? Like, didn't that scare 'em off then too? 
. I get why people would be upset, but come on, 12 deaths and 55k acres scorched? That's a lot of damage 
. i mean, 55k acres scorched? that's crazy 
. and its not like texas is all sunshine and rainbows either... they got their own problems 
, I feel so bad for Jeff Dye 
! Wildfires are literally the worst thing ever 
, and to have that much damage and loss of life... it's just heartbreaking 
. And yeah, Gov Gavin Newsom does need to do better with emergency response and planning 
. But let's not forget, LA has its own set of problems too 
... traffic, pollution, gentrification... the list goes on 
I'm not surprised he'd flee, though - who wouldn't want to leave when the fire department is all like "not competent"? 
Los Angeles can't even keep its own fires under control. And honestly, if you're gonna move because of a politician, shouldn't you just make sure you can vote first? It's like O'Donnell and DeGeneres left for Ireland and England because they were like "oh no, we don't like this new guy, let's go live in another country"... meanwhile, the rest of us are still stuck here with the wildfires. 
. O'Donnell and DeGeneres moving abroad? Yeah, that one doesn't add up... like you said, if they can't even be bothered to vote, what's the point 
. It's like, if you're gonna leave, own up to your words, you know? Dye's comments about O'Donnell and DeGeneres leaving for Ireland/England don't sit right with me either... like, they were all like "I'm outta here if Trump wins" but now they just chill in their new homes 
. Maybe some people are just getting a little too comfortable with their liberal lives and suddenly feel like "oh no, not me!" 
. Anyways, I think it's kinda cool that Texas is becoming the new Hollywood, though 
texas seems like a pretty solid choice for him tho 
I feel bad for the guy, he's just trying to protect himself and his family from what feels like a chaotic situation 