Former Child Star Rory Callum Sykes Killed In L.A. Fires After His Mom Tried to Save Him
Amid the Los Angeles wildfires, Rory Callum Sykes—a child actor born blind and with cerebral palsy—died at age 32 after mom Shelley Sykes was unable to contact 911 and put out the fire herself.
The Los Angeles wildfires continue to cause devastation across California.
Former child actor Rory Callum Sykes is among the growing list of victims who have lost their lives in the fires. The Australian actor—who starred on the British TV show Kiddy Kapers—was 32.
“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires,” his mom Shelley Sykes shared on X Jan. 9. “I’m totally heart broken. British born Australian living in America, a wonderful son, a gift born on mine & his grandmas birthday 29 July 92, Rory Callum Sykes.”
Born blind and with cerebral palsy, Rory had difficulty walking, according to his mom, and lived in his own cottage on the family’s 17-acre Malibu property.
As embers rained down on their home, his mom tried to call 911 but was unable to connect to get help. “He died needlessly,” she told Australian outlet 10 News First. “He said ‘Mom, leave me,’ and no mom can leave their kid.”
“I couldn’t lift him,” she added. “I couldn’t move him.”
When emergency services finally did arrive, the hydrants had no water, and, as she put it on X, “the 50 brave fire fighters had no water all day.”
Throughout his life, Rory was known as a fighter. “He overcame so much with surgeries & therapies to regain his sight & to be able to learn to walk,” Shelley wrote. “Despite the pain, he still enthused about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica.”
“@rorysykes was a sought after inspirational speaker for @TonyRobbins when he was only 8 years old. @CallumsCure book first published by @simonschuster in Australia was about his courage.”
More recently, he and his mom had founded Happy Charity and he was “a true humanitarian,” his mom shared in her tribute. ” He saw him self as the number one fan of @Apple & @tim_cook & most importantly an avid @RuneScape gamer!”
As she wrote, “He will be incredibly missed.”
Read on for how the fires have impacted Hollywood and beyond…
Gwyneth Paltrow
The Iron Man actress took to social media to express her sadness about the tragedy that has fallen over her beloved city.
“We are in deep grief for so many of our close friends who have lost everything,” she wrote in her Jan. 9 Instagram post. “Thank you to those inquiring, we are currently safe. When the fires are out there will be more to say and everything to do.”
“The city of angels will need angels of all kind,” she continued. “Please everyone, stay safe and vigilant.”
Jamie Chung & Bryan Greenberg
The Once Upon a Time actress and the One Tree Hill actor are sharing resources after tragically losing their home in the Los Angeles fire.
“It was all a dream,” Bryan wrote on a Jan. 9 Instagram story, showing the rubble that was once their family home. “Thankfully the family is safe. Thank you to all the firefighters risking their lives. Stay safe out there.”
And in between posting helpful resources, Jamie shared a tragic video of their entire neighborhood.
“Damn. Our entire neighborhood is gone,” she wrote Jan. 9. “We are grateful to our brave firefighters and first responders and pray we don’t lose any more lives to these catastrophic fires. Stay safe and stay vigilant.”
Diane Warren
The Grammy winner shared one last view from her Los Angeles beachfront home before it was lost in the fire.
“This is the last pic I took of Leah’s rock from my beach house,” the songwriter, who confirmed her animals and rescue ranch were safe, wrote in her Jan. 9 Instagram post of the ocean view. “I’ve had this house for almost 30 years. It looks like it was lost in the fire last nite. There’s a rainbow shining on it which I’m taking as a sign of hope for all creatures who have been affected by this tragedy.”
Cary Elwes
The Princess Bride actor shared his and his wife Lisa Marie Kurbikoff’s Malibu home did not survive the fire in a heartfelt message to fans.
“Firstly, myself and my family are all safe, thank God,” he wrote in his Jan. 9 Instagram post. “Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire.”
“Our hearts go out to all the families impacted by this tragic event and we also wish to extend our gratitude to all the firefighters, first responders and law enforcement who worked so tirelessly through the night and are still at it,” he continued. “We want to thank everyone for their incredible outpouring of support. It really means a great deal to us.”
Ricki Lake
Sharing a video of the raging fires in the near distance, the former talk show host detailed her and husband Ross Burningham’s final efforts to save her Los Angeles home in a Jan. 9 Instagram post.
“We’re going down my street praying for these homes and these people and my house,” she said in a video, showing the fire in the near distance. “I don’t even know what I grabbed, I think I might have just said goodbye to my house.”
“Grateful to have made it out alive and uninjured,” she added in the caption. “Forever grateful to @kirbykotler_ our absolute angel. He did everything to try to save our precious property. No doubt had we stayed, we would not have survived.”
Leanne Ford
The HGTV host’s home, which she recently moved into, was lost in the wildfires.
“Three weeks ago we got keys to our new LA place in Rustic Canyon. We were excited (though me — a bit hesitant…) to start spending some time again in our favorite part of LA,” the interior designer wrote on Instagram Jan. 10 alongside photos of what remains of her house. “A beautiful historical and quirky artists’ home. We brought over so many of our favorite things to fill it with. It was to be a place to write, to create.”
“Three days ago we lost it,” she continued. “We are the lucky ones. We had a beautiful safe home in PA to escape back to. I’m in awe of the firemen and women choosing to run into the flames while we get to run out. I can only say — thank you.”
Mel Gibson
During an appearance on Elizabeth Vargas Reports January. 9, the Braveheart actor shared that his Malibu home was destroyed while he was away recording Joe Rogan’s podcast in Texas.
“Obviously, it’s kind of devastating. It’s emotional,” the 69-year-old said. “You live there for a long time, and you had all your stuff. I had my stuff there, and it’s all like, I’ve been relieved from the burden of my stuff, because it’s all in cinders.”
But when he returned home to discover that his home had been destroyed, he was relieved to find that, at least, his chickens survived, adding, “It was amazing.”
Miles Teller
The Top Gun Maverick star’s wife Keleigh Teller shared one last photo of what was their Los Angeles home before it was lost in the fire.
“To everyone reaching out I can’t thank you enough, your kind hearts have meant the world, I’ll never forget them,” the 32-year-old wrote in her Jan. 9 Instagram post. “Community has come out stronger than I could imagine, pacific palisades I love you beyond measure you are a little slice of heaven, we will come back stronger than ever.”
“If you’re in the LA area PLEASE get out if you can,” she continued. “I wish I grabbed my wedding dress .. wish I did a lot different but it doesn’t matter, stay safe, get out. there are no words. THANK YOU to the first responders fighting.”
Bella Hadid
On Jan. 9, the supermodel shared the childhood home she shared with sister Gigi Hadid and mom Yolanda Hadid had burned down in the Palisades Fire.
Mandy Moore
The This Is Us alum—who is mom to three kids with husband Taylor Goldsmith—shared an update on her family after having to evacuate their home.
“We were able to park and walk up our street to bear witness to all the loss,” she wrote on Instagram Jan. 9. “Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now. It’s not livable but mostly intact.”
However, she noted that the home studio, garage and back house were destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
“Every house on our street is gone. My in laws. My brother and sister in law- 6 weeks from welcoming their first baby. Our best friends,” she added. “Feeling weird survivors guilt. We love this community and will do everything we can to help rebuild and support.”
Milo Ventimiglia
Like his This Is Us costar, the actor’s Los Angeles home was destroyed by the fires. While visiting what remained of his property, he told CBS Evening News his heart felt “heavy.”
“You start thinking about all the memories,” he continued. “My heart just breaks.”
Jessica Simpson
Amid the outbreak of the Kenneth Fire on Jan. 9, the “Irresistible” singer shared an image of smoke rising from beyond her backyard. She wrote in the caption, “We stayed as long as we could.”
InstagramBozoma Saint John
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star revealed her dream home in Malibu, where she lived with her teenage daughter Laela, was totaled in the fires.
“This is an unimaginable loss,” she wrote on Instagram Jan. 9. “I grieve with the rest of Los Angeles as it burns… and even though I’ve found even words to write here, there’s nothing that I could say in this moment to describe this feeling.
Olivia Wilde
“My block was on fire tonight and the only reason we still have a home is thanks to the brave members of the @losngelesfiredepartment who worked on the ground and from the air to save us,” the Don’t Worry Darling director wrote on Instagram Story Jan. 8. “Thank you.”
Chrissy Teigen
The Cravings cookbook author started preparing in case of an evacuation, writing on Instagram Story Jan. 8, “This is surreal. I’m very scared. Packing.”
Jen Atkin
The hairstylist and her husband Mike Rosenthal safely evacuated along with their kids and pets, though she said their home was “gone.”
“Our whole area demolished,” she added on Instagram Stories Jan. 8, alongside a tearful selfie. “So many are displaced and feeling scared right now it’s almost too much to comprehend.”
Olivia Culpo
One day after the Sunset Fire set the Hollywood Hills ablaze, the Culpo Sisters star—who is married to San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey—wrote on Instagram Story Jan. 9, “I’m praying so hard for our community. My heart aches for everyone who has lost so much so fast. It’s just unimaginable.”
Tina Knowles
Beyoncé‘s mom shared on Jan. 9 that “my favorite place, my sanctuary , my sacred Happy Place” was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
“This is what I was looking at on my birthday this past weekend from my tiny little bungalow on the water in Malibu,” she captioned a video of the Pacific Ocean. “Now it is gone!!”
The entrepreneur added, “God Bless all the brave men and women in our fire department who risked their lives in dangerous conditions . We Thankyou for your dedication and bravery and for saving so many lives.”
Gwyneth Paltrow
“Our beloved Los Angeles,” the Oscar winner wrote on Instagram Jan. 9, amid the wildfires, “we are in deep grief for so many of our close friends who have lost everything.”
Noting that she was safe from the blazes, Gwyneth added, “When the fires are out there will be more to say and everything to do. The city of angels will need angels of all kinds. Please everyone, stay safe and vigilant.”
Melissa Rivers
The daughter of late Joan Rivers said her home burned down, though she was able to evacuate with necessities and a few treasured heirlooms.
“I grabbed my mom’s Emmy, a photo of my dad and a drawing my mother had done of me and my son,” she told CNN. “I went for a drawing of hers, rather than a photo. I know I can find the photos, but a drawing I can’t replace.”
Jhené Aiko
The “Bad Peace” singer shared on Jan. 8 that “me and my children’s home is gone.”
“Burned to the ground with all things inside,” she wrote on Instagram Story. “Thankful we still have eachother. Starting from scratch. My heart is so heavy,”
Alabama Barker & Landon Barker
Travis Barker‘s kids Landon and Alabama shared they were forced to leave their residences amid the devastation.
“Just evacuated from my home due to wild fires in Los Angeles, please be safe!!,” Alabama posted on Instagram Story Jan. 7. “They are saying the fires are spreading foodball field amounts in seconds.”
Jennifer Tilly
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and her husband Phil Laak evacuated to Commerce—a neighborhood southeast of Downtown Los Angeles—to escape the Palisades Fire. She wrote on InstagramJan. 8, “Phil and I had to evacuate to the Commerce Casino.”
Ricki Lake
The former talk show host shared on Jan. 8 that her house had been destroyed by the Palisades Fire. Sharing throwback photos of the property, she wrote on Instagram, “It’s all gone.”
“I lost our dream home,” she continued. “It was our heaven on earth. The place where we planned to grow old together. We never took our heavenly spot on the bluff overlooking our beloved malibu for granted, not even for one second.”
She added, “This loss is immeasurable. It’s the spot where we got married 3 years ago. I grieve along with all of those suffering during this apocalyptic event.”
President Joe Biden
“To the residents of Southern California: We are with you,” the POTUS wrote in a Jan. 8 Instagram post. “My team has provided 24/7 weather forecast support, sent 5 Air Tankers and 10 firefighting helicopters, prepositioned dozens of fire engines, approved grants to reimburse firefighting costs, and I’ve approved Governor Newsom’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration.”
He added in a separate Instagram post, “To the brave men and women who ran towards danger over the past 24 hours in Southern California, I want you to know your President, and the rest of the country, is with you.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom
A day after the Governor of California declared a state of emergency and warned residents to heed officials’ warnings, he thanked President Joe Biden for his support throughout the devastation. “Thank you @potus for your swift response,” he wrote to Instagram Jan. 8, “and aid to California as we work to battle these unprecedented wildfires.”
Cameron Mathison
The General Hospital actor shared that, while he and his family safely escaped the blaze, they sadly lost their house in the fires. He posted harrowing footage to Instagram Jan. 8 of burning rubble, writing, “This is what’s left of our beautiful home. Our home where our kids were raised and where they wanted to raise their own someday.”
Mira Sorvino
On Jan. 8, the Mighty Aphrodite star said she had evacuated from her home amid L.A. fires. “Welcome to the inferno,” she wrote on Instagram. “Praying that everyone gets out safe with their loved ones and pets- we wrangled our cats in a blackout but all well & accounted for.”
Candis Cayne
“I’m not sure if I’ll have Casa Cayne to come home too, in Altadena,” the Dirty Sexy Money actress shared on social media Jan. 9. “My beloved Altadena. I still don’t know if my house is gone, it doesn’t look good. Charlie and I are safe.”
ShutterstockMadelaine Petsch
The Riverdale alum shared in an Instagram Story that she had evacuated from her home. “I’m safe, praying for this city and the people in it,” she wrote. “please stay safe and keep a close eye on your phone.”
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