“This Is Us” star Milo Ventimiglia and his wife, Jarah Mariano, have welcomed their first child less than a month after losing two homes in the Palisades fire.
“Houseless, never homeless,” Mariano wrote Friday on Instagram, introducing the child to the world with a peek at the newborn with their dog Duke. “Welcome back Ke’ala Coral Ventimiglia 🌈 1.23.25”
Mariano announced the baby’s arrival on the same day that fire crews reached 100% containment for the Palisades fire and the simultaneous Eaton fire, which tore a path through Altadena and parts of Pasadena. The Palisades fire, fueled by hurricane-force winds, killed 12 people. It also scorched 23,448 acres in the Pacific Palisades area, Topanga and Malibu, and destroyed 6,800 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Accuweather estimates that the economic damage from those two massive fires, as well as others that ignited as they continued to burn, exceeds $250 billion.
The new mother said that she and her family’s home was evacuated on Jan. 7 and they lost that home and everything they owned in it. They also lost another home that was under construction.
“I was 38 weeks pregnant & I had done an evacuation only a few weeks prior during the Franklin Fire as well,” the model wrote in the post. “I take it as a gift that I was able to essentially do a practice run for what was inevitably to come. I’m also forever grateful that we were able to evacuate from the Palisades Fire in the daytime, when we could feel more prepared & not caught completely off guard in the middle of the night, for example.”
Mariano assured her 57,300 followers that their family is together, happy, healthy and safe, “which is truly all that matters.”
“We are deeply grateful to all of the heroes who help battle fires, as well as care for everyone affected by the aftermath for years to come. This will be an extended process of rebuilding and grieving for many, but we are feeling optimistic & inspired to welcome all of the exciting newness of our fresh start!” Mariano wrote. She also thanked friends, family, her birthing team, the Los Angeles community and others who supported her and her family.
“Your love & generosity means everything to us,” she said, adding, “Gentle reminder to all, to please allow us this time & space to nest with our newborn in such a delicate phase. We already have everything we need in abundance & will be back around with updates in our own time.”
Ventimiglia and Mariano wed in Hawaii in 2023 and Mariano announced her pregnancy in September 2024. Just over three months later, the couple was among the thousands of displaced Angelenos fleeing the blazes. Days after the fires ignited, Ventimiglia — whose “This Is Us” character died from smoke inhalation after a house fire — said he watched video of their house going up in flames on their security camera.
“You know, it’s not lost on me, life imitating art,” Ventimiglia told CBS News at the time. “We got good friends, and we got good people we’re working with and we’ll make do. Wife and baby and dog, most important.”
Times staff writers Clara Harter and Roger Vincent contributed to this report.
