Karen Bass could not flee fast enough as she was quizzed about her older brother suing the City of Los Angeles after his luxury Malibu home was destroyed in the Palisades fire.
The mayor, who is seeking re-election, repeatedly refused to discuss the lawsuit and ducked into her blacked-out chauffer-Suburban when politely approached at World Cup soccer event on Thursday.
Bass was asked three time about the city being sued by her older sibling Kenneth Bass, 78, but refused to respond on each occasion.
“We’re not talking about that!” a rattled Bass assistant said as she tried to prevent her boss from being asked questions about the suit filed by her big brother and his wife, Cindy, 70.
“We’re focusing on this event.”
Bass, 72, was attending an event for her Kick it in the Park at Echo Park Lake near downtown LA to promote the screening of live World Cup soccer matches.
Her brother’s suit, filed in May, shows he and wife, Cindy, are joining a class action against the city over the deadly fire.
Their claims states that as well as their home being razed, they suffered smoke inhalation, severe emotional distress, mental anguish and annoyance.
Their home was se on 1.5 acres in Rambla Pacifico, Malibu, overlooking the iconic Malibu Pier and Surfrider Beach.
The couple sold the lot without the main home on May 1 last year for $2,000,000. The pool, a putting green an a guest home survived the fire.
They then purchased a modern five-bedroom, five-bathroom luxury mansion near Culver City in June for $6,100,000, with a $1.1 million mortgage, close to his home remodeling company ”The Kitchen Store.”
The complaint was filed on May 18 in LA County Superior Court, and seeks a trial by jury.
“The Palisades Fire has been a traumatic event for its victims, who through no fault of their own, went from homeowners to homeless in a matter of hours,” it states.
Part of the blame, according to the suit, is that the Santa Ynez Reservoir located in the Palisades was left empty – meaning there was reduced water supplies for firefighters to use.
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“Along with tens of thousands of victims in the Palisades Fire, Kenneth and Cindy Bass retained legal representation for counsel and advice a year ago in June 2025,” attorneys for the couple told The Post in a statement.
“As part of the mass tort legal process, Mr. and Mrs. Bass’ names were formally added as some of the nearly 40,000 victims who suffered losses. Their family connections are irrelevant, and as non-public citizens they are entitled to respectful privacy as they pursue their legal rights along with all represented victims.”
The lawsuit names the City of Los Angeles and the LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP), alongside a laundry list of other defendants. The original complaint also included Southern California Edison, the J. Paul Getty Trust, and various telecom and state park entities.
Mayor Bass, who has faced scathing criticism over her handling of the wildfires, revealed that her brother and his wife had lost their longtime Malibu residence.
“The loss that you’re going through, I share indirectly. It’s hit my family too,” she said two weeks after the fire.
Attorneys representing the city and DWP have denied any wrongdoing.
“Our office remains confident in the City’s overall position that it is not liable for these disastrous wildfires,” said Ivor Pine, a spokesperson for the City Attorney’s office, to L.A. Material.
