Driveway of coastal mansion owned by Nicolas Cage collapses

MALIBU, California (AP):

The driveway of a coastal mansion in Malibu owned by actor Nicolas Cage collapsed Tuesday morning, opening up a giant hole in front of the house.

The collapse caused a gas leak just before 6 a.m., prompting authorities and a utility to respond. Utility SoCalGas said the leak was under control several hours later, but it was temporarily shutting off natural gas service for an 85-foot (26-metre) section of the street as a precaution against coastal erosion.

Representatives for Cage did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Property records show the property was sold in 2024, and the prior owner told the New York Times at the time of the sale that Cage was the buyer.

The mansion was damaged during a Los Angeles-area coastal flooding advisory over lingering effects of Marie, which had been a hurricane before turning back into a tropical storm. While Marie did not make landfall, it brought rain and churned up dangerous waves along the Southern California coastline over the holiday weekend.

The city of Malibu prohibited entry to five homes on the street Tuesday, officials said in a statement. The private neighbourhood sits between the ocean and the iconic Pacific Coast Highway.

Cage, 62, recently starred in the Amazon series Spider-Noir. He’ll play John Madden in a biographical film about the NFL coach and commentator out later this year. He’s appeared in more than 100 films and won an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas.