I got in to expose this corrupt machine, and nothing has changed.
Pratt, who recently lost his mayoral bid, is suing Bass over alleged mismanagement of water resources during the deadly Palisades fire that destroyed thousands of homes. Kenneth Bass, the mayor's brother, filed the initial suit claiming physical injuries and emotional distress from losing his Malibu home in the fire.
- Spencer Pratt finished third in LA's mayoral race behind Karen Bass and Nithya Raman
- Kenneth Bass, the mayor's brother, lost his Malibu home in the Palisades fire
- The lawsuit names 18 defendants including LADWP, California state agencies, and Southern California Edison
- Pratt alleges the water department deliberately operated the reservoir system in a depleted state as a cost-saving measure
Reality TV star Spencer Pratt has joined a lawsuit against LA Mayor Karen Bass alongside her brother Kenneth Bass, alleging negligence in the Palisades fire response. The suit names multiple defendants including the LA Department of Water and Power and state agencies.
Spencer Pratt, the reality television personality who finished third in Los Angeles's recent mayoral race, has joined a lawsuit against Mayor Karen Bass, aligning himself with the mayor's own brother, Kenneth Bass, in alleging negligence over the city's response to the Palisades fire that destroyed thousands of homes across the region.
The lawsuit names eighteen defendants in total, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the state of California, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and Southern California Edison. Kenneth Bass and his wife, Cindy, filed the initial complaint last month, claiming they suffered both physical injuries and emotional distress after the fire consumed their Malibu home. Pratt announced his participation in the action on social media Saturday, writing that he was "proud to be teaming up" with the mayor's brother "in suing his sister for her reckless negligence that led to the destruction of our homes." He added a wry observation about family dynamics: "I hope their Thanksgiving dinner isn't too awks."
In his own separate lawsuit filed in January, Pratt had accused the water department of deliberately operating the city's reservoir system in a depleted state as a cost-cutting measure during the fires. The broader litigation now encompasses thousands of residents as plaintiffs. A spokesperson for Mayor Bass responded to the development by noting that the mayor had publicly acknowledged her brother's losses since January 2025, and that the City Attorney's Office would handle the city's defense against the claims.
Pratt's involvement in the lawsuit comes just days after he conceded the mayoral race. He had finished behind both Bass and council member Nithya Raman, ending a campaign in which he had positioned himself as an outsider intent on exposing what he called a corrupt municipal system. In a post-election statement on Instagram, he wrote that he had "spent a lot of time slaying everybody" and rejected suggestions that his candidacy was a publicity stunt. "I didn't get in this for political power," he wrote. "I got in to expose this corrupt machine, and nothing has changed."
The reality star's commitment to remaining in Los Angeles appears conditional on the outcome of his legal battles. During a conversation with podcaster Adam Carolla, recorded from his burned-out property in Pacific Palisades, Pratt stated plainly that he would only rebuild his home if he won the mayoral race. "If Karen Bass gets re-elected or Nithya gets elected, I will be done with trying to live in LA," he said. He added that if he prevails in his lawsuit against the state park system and the water department, he intends to take those damages and relocate his family to another part of the country where, as he put it, his children would not have to witness the disorder he associates with Los Angeles. "I'll take that money from the Newsom state park and the LADWP, and I'll go somewhere that my kids will not have to see naked zombies," he said, "and I can have the last American dream somewhere."
Last month, Pratt had threatened to leave the city entirely if he failed to make the ballot in the mayoral race. Now, with his electoral bid behind him, the lawsuit represents his remaining avenue for both financial recovery and, symbolically, accountability for what he views as governmental failures that contributed to the fire's destructive scope.
Citas Notables
I am proud to be teaming up with Karen Bass' brother in suing his sister for her reckless negligence that led to the destruction of our homes.— Spencer Pratt, on social media
If Karen Bass gets re-elected or Nithya gets elected, I will be done with trying to live in LA.— Spencer Pratt, in conversation with Adam Carolla
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does Spencer Pratt's involvement in this lawsuit matter? He lost the mayoral race—isn't this just sour grapes?
It matters because it shows how the fire has fractured the city's political and social fabric. Pratt went from candidate to litigant. But more importantly, his lawsuit echoes a real claim about water system management that thousands of other residents are also pursuing. The novelty is the messenger, not the message.
What's the actual allegation about the water system?
That the LA Department of Water and Power deliberately kept the reservoir drained as a cost-saving measure during the fire. Whether that's true or provable in court is a separate question, but it's the core grievance.
And Kenneth Bass—the mayor's brother—is suing his own sister?
Yes. He lost his Malibu home and suffered injuries. Family relationships don't exempt you from litigation when you believe someone's negligence harmed you. The mayor's office acknowledged his loss publicly, but that doesn't resolve the legal question of liability.
Pratt said he'd leave LA if he didn't win. Is that a real threat or performance?
Probably both. He's clearly performative—that's his nature. But he's also lost his home and his mayoral bid in the same year. The threat to leave is real enough that he's staking his future on winning the lawsuit. That's not nothing.
What happens next?
The case moves through discovery and litigation against eighteen defendants. Thousands of other residents are in the same suit. It will likely take years. Pratt's personal decision about staying or leaving will depend on how it resolves.