Billy Crystal Opens Up About Losing His Home, Best Friend and Faith

Billy Crystal says a series of painful losses has changed the way he views his relationship with God.

According to Fox News, during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the 78-year-old comedian reflected on losing his Pacific Palisades home in the January 2025 wildfires and the death of his longtime friend Rob Reiner.

The experiences have left Crystal questioning the faith he once spoke about openly.

Asked whether he had been talking with God following the tragedies, Crystal referred to his one-man show, "700 Sundays," in which he discussed conversations with God.

This time, his answer was much different.

“No, ’cause I don’t trust Him,” Crystal said.

“Too many bad things have happened,” he continued. “The Earth is in bad shape. This is a weird, scary time. So no, not anymore.”

Crystal and his wife, Janice, had lived in their Pacific Palisades home for 46 years. The house was where they raised their children and grandchildren, and Crystal had previously described it as a “magical place.”

After the wildfire destroyed the property, Crystal recalled returning to the site and being overwhelmed by what he found.

“I stepped onto the grounds and fell to my knees and I wailed,” he said during a benefit held weeks after the fire. Crystal compared the experience with the grief he felt as a teenager after learning that his father had died.

The destruction of the home later became part of Crystal’s new Broadway production, "860," named after the address of the house. The show recreates his home office onstage while examining his family, career, memories and the grief that followed the fire.

The production also addresses the death of Reiner, who was killed with his wife, Michele, in December 2025. Crystal said he had spent time with the couple at a holiday party the night before their deaths.

“We said goodbye,” Crystal recalled. “And then … what?!?”

Reiner’s death added another devastating loss to a year that had already profoundly affected Crystal.

Still, Crystal said his ability to find humor in difficult moments has helped him cope. When asked how he manages to find comedy during painful periods, he offered a simple explanation.