Billy Crystal Says He and Wife Janice 'Inch Forward' Day by Day After Losing Their Home in L.A. Wildfires (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Janice Crystal and Billy Crystal in October 2024.Photo:Michael Loccisano/WireImage

Michael Loccisano/WireImage

The actor, 76, and his wife,Janice Crystal,lost their Los Angeles homeless than two months ago, due to thedevastating wildfires that plagued the area.

“It’s a loaded life right now for us,” Crystal told PEOPLE exclusively atKeep Memory Alive’sThe Power of Love Galaon Feb. 22. “We will bemarried 55 yearsin June, we’ve been through all kinds of hard things, but this is the most difficult thing you could possibly imagine.”

“We’re doing okay, because we have great family support, our daughters have been magnificent, and every day you inch forward. That’s all I can tell you,” he continued.

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Billy Crystal at The Power of Love gala.Ethan Miller/Getty

Ethan Miller/Getty

Crystal previously confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE that his home in the Pacific Palisades burned down on Jan. 8.

He and his wife lived there for 46 years together and raised their children and grandchildren in the home. (The couple — who married in 1970 — are parents to two daughters:Jennifer Crystal Foley and Lindsay Crystal.)

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“Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. We ache for our friends and neighbors who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy,” Crystal said in his statement at the time.

“Every inch ofour house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this,” he continued, before adding that he and his family were “praying for the safety of the firefighters and first responders,” who eventually put the fires out.

Janice Crystal and Billy Crystal in August 2019.Charley Gallay/Getty

Charley Gallay/Getty

During The Power of Love Gala in Las Vegas, Crystal found time for some humor, as he attended the event to honor friendJimmy Kimmel.

While there, theWhen Harry Met Sallystar roasted the late-night talk show host and his family, stating, “They’re like a gang of golden retrievers looking for the ball you didn’t throw. The kind of people who not only fall for the ‘got your nose’ trick, [but] immediately call 911.”

“I’m really honored to be here to talk briefly about Jimmy, because that’s all the time that it really takes," Crystal added.

The gala, described as “a celebration of hope, compassion and the collective power to create lasting change,” plays “a vital cornerstone of Keep Memory Alive’s mission to fight brain diseases,” per itswebsite.

source: people.com