In one of Los Angeles’ priciest zip codes, a $20 million mansion that once belonged to Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman is now at the center of a fight over what, exactly, counts as a livable home after a wildfire. The New York Times reports that Austin Beutner—former LA deputy mayor, ex–Los Angeles Times publisher, and onetime LAUSD chief—and his wife have sued their longtime insurer, Chubb, alleging it refused to fully pay to clean toxic contamination left by the 2025 Palisades Fire. Independent testing commissioned by the family found lead in the home’s walls at as much as 239 times the federal hazard threshold, according to the suit, which accuses Chubb and two consulting firms it hired of using “junk science” to downplay the danger.
Per the suit, one firm didn’t test for lead, arsenic, or other heavy metals, and recommended air filters, cleaning, and vacuuming; the family contends new walls, ceilings, and insulation is needed. Nearly a third of the 40,000-plus insurance claims filed in the wake of the Palisades Fire were for houses that survived but were saturated with smoke; at the time, there were no uniform standards for when a smoke-damaged home is safe. New California laws will eventually set those rules, but not retroactively. As Beutner tells the Times, “I’ll be fine either way. But there are thousands of others who have claims like mine who may not have the agency I do. They may not be able to afford the lawyers.” The deadline to file suit with insurers is this January.