When Los Angeles wildfires forced evacuations earlier this year, actress Zoë Kravitz found refuge in pop icon Taylor Swift’s historic home. But as she revealed on Late Night with Seth Meyers this week, the generous offer quickly turned into an unexpected household disaster, all thanks to her mother’s pet snake.
How Taylor Swift’s home became a wildfire refuge
Zoë Kravitz, 36, told Meyers that Swift, 35, opened her 1930s Los Angeles property to her and her mother, Lisa Bonet, after the fires made it unsafe to remain in their own homes. They ended up staying for nearly two weeks, a gesture Kravitz said she deeply appreciated.
“Taylor has a very beautiful house from the ‘30s. It’s just something you want to preserve and take care of,” she explained. Her goal was to leave without any trace that they had been there.
The snake escape that changed everything
The plan fell apart on their last day. Bonet brought along her pet snake, Orpheus, during the evacuation. While washing her face in Swift’s bathroom, Bonet set the snake down for a moment, and it promptly discovered a small hole in the corner of the room.
“I was going to work, and my mom called me upstairs,” Kravitz recalled. “She’s crouched in the corner like, ‘I’m in a bit of a pickle.’”
The snake had slithered under a built-in banquette, disappearing deeper as they tried to retrieve it.
Damage control turned into actual damage
In an attempt to save Orpheus, Kravitz removed drawers, called Swift’s house manager, and even brought in a crowbar to dismantle part of the furniture. “We’re ripping up the tile, scratching the walls … we completely destroyed Taylor’s bathroom,” she admitted.
Kravitz offered to cover all repair costs, initially hoping Swift wouldn’t have to know about the damage until it was fixed.
But when she called to explain, Swift already knew. “‘Is it the fact that you almost lost a snake in the house and destroyed my bathroom?’” Swift reportedly said.
A friendship that has weathered wildfires and wildlife
Despite the incident, Kravitz and Swift remain close friends. Their bond grew during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when they spent time together in London. Kravitz has since been spotted supporting Swift’s Eras Tour, including at a London concert in August 2024 with then-fiancé Channing Tatum.
This anecdote adds another quirky chapter to Swift’s long history of celebrity friendships, proving that even in Hollywood, unexpected mishaps can happen — and sometimes, they involve a snake and a crowbar.
Why this story resonates
- Human side of celebrity life – It’s a reminder that even A-list stars have to deal with unpredictable pets and home accidents.
- Friendship under pressure – Not every friendship could survive property damage and an escaped snake.
- Emergency hospitality challenges – A real-life example of how kindness in a crisis can take unexpected turns.
