Some of the biggest names in the entertainment and sports industry are also the biggest names on a list of about 2,000 Los Angeles residents accused of using excessive amounts of water amid the ongoing drought.
According to documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times from the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, several celebrities were issued "notices of exceedance" stating that they had surpassed 150 percent of their monthly water budget at least four times since the district issued new rules to combat the drought at the end of last year.
The excessive water usage notices were sent out in May and June, and according to the Times, among those recipients were Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Kevin Hart, Sylvester Stallone, and former NBA star Dwyane Wade.
Kim was also recently under fire after making number 7 on a list of celebrities that were ranked as the "biggest offenders" of private jet emissions. While occasionally sharing her views on climate change, the report stated that her jet expelled 4268.5 tonnes of carbon emissions over 57 flights so far this year.
Nearly 97 percent of Los Angeles is in a state of "severe drought" according to Drought.gov. This year has been deemed the fourth driest year in the last 128 years—with the first four months being the driest ever recorded, the Weather Channel reported in May.
On June 1, Las Virgenes declared a series of severe "stage 3" restrictions, limiting residents to one day a week for outdoor watering. That month, two properties listed under a trust that is associated with Kim received excessive water notices, showing that her Hidden Hills home exceeded its June water budget by roughly 232,000 gallons, the Times reported.
Her sister, Kourtney, was also slammed last month for being 245 percent over budget at her $8 million home in Calabasas.
The records showed actor and comedian Hart was about 519 percent over budget in June. Meanwhile, Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, exceeded their water budget by a whopping 1,400 percent in June—roughly 90,000 gallons of water over the allocated amount. In May, their property exceeded the budget by 489,000 gallons.
The couple released a statement saying they were "doing everything we can to rectify the situation and will continue to go to extensive lengths to resolve the issue."
Stallone also spoke out on his property's water usage, which reports say used about 230,000 gallons more than allowed.
Stallone's attorney, Marty Singer, said in a statement to the Times that the numbers "mischaracterize and misinterpret the situation regarding the water usage at my client's property," adding that the actor has roughly 500 trees, including fruit trees, that need water. "My client has been addressing the situation responsibly and proactively."
Mike McNutt, a spokesperson for Las Virgenes, told the Times that they are asking these celebrities to reduce their water usage as the city struggles to get a grip on the drought.
"People listen to you, people look at you, people value what you do," McNutt said. "We need you to step up to the plate, to be examples and to be leaders so that other people will follow."
Newsweek reached out to representatives for Kim Kardashian, Hart, Stallone, and Wade for additional comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. ... Read more
