It was my first real outing since the wildfires, cautiously stepping outside despite the lingering toxic air. The city felt on the brink of chaos, with everyone processing the aftermath of devastation in their own way. Pure West Coast madness—a peculiar charm that keeps me here. Outside Kitson, journalists, activists, and concerned citizens crowded the sidewalks. The mood was tense but hopeful—angry voices yearning for a better California. I arrived in a black pleated leather skirt, tights, and a fuzzy jacket—preparing for the usual post-apocalyptic LA weather—only to be greeted by blazing sun and cranky cameramen bothered that I accidentally walked into their frame.
David Hernandez of Churches in Action and former Bellflower mayor Art Olivier took turns at the microphone, delivering sharp critiques of the Governor. They condemned his ineffective emergency responses, the worsening homelessness crisis, rising taxes, surging crime, and the ever-ballooning cost of living.
One skeptic in a Los Angeles Times hat aggressively started to confront the speakers, questioning their motives. I first heard about the recall from my friend Lindsay Stevens , a California native I met on the campaign trail with Jess. When I was forced to evacuate a few weeks ago, Lindsay let me stay at her new place in La Quinta- along with a few surprise guests. After housing six unmannered escapees who forgot to strip their beds, she was extra motivated to make this press conference a success.
Lindsay let me borrow her fully-charged phone to interview Randy Economy, former senior advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Outside Kitson, a table was set up to collect signatures. Lindsay urged me to catch Bravo star and real estate agent Matt Altman before he left. When I asked to photograph him with the blankets, he declined, preferring to stay under the radar. Refreshing—a celebrity doing a good deed for the cause and not the clout. You could hear the devastation in his voice as he spoke about friends who lost their homes in the Palisades.
But after a 5-minute interview, I was a fan. Midway through the conversation, my phone died. Post-rally, we headed to the Ivy, the quintessential Beverly Hills lunch spot, to celebrate collecting over signatures. Things quickly went off the rails. As I was eating a slice of salmon pizza, a woman at my table accused me of being an undercover fed, bursting into tears and claiming me taking a photo at lunch was part of an elaborate plot to ruin her life.
