Dennis Quaid said Los Angeles stopped feeling like home after he moved to Nashville in 2020 with his wife, Laura Savoie—blaming worsening city issues, taxes, and the January 2025 wildfires that pushed him and thousands of others out, while he kept hope that th
Dennis Quaid doesn’t talk about leaving Los Angeles like it was a whim. He describes it as a slow unraveling—one that finally snapped under pressure.
In 2020, Quaid relocated to Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Laura Savoie. Speaking to Fox News Digital at CMA Fest on Saturday, June 6, the actor said L.A. had stopped feeling like home. “It used to be such a great town and the ’90s was nice,” Quaid said of his former city. “And then it’s been kind of going downhill and I feel like people pay these taxes for no services is what it gets down to.”.
He pointed to the 2025 wildfires as a turning point that drove even more people out. Quaid argued the disaster brought long-ignored problems to the surface. “It exposed all those things that go on that should be taken care of,” he added. He described what he’s seen in the aftermath. saying. “People are angry and half-angry. and they’re half kind of feel like giving up. to tell you the truth. the actor insisted to Fox News Digital.”.
Even with all of that bitterness, Quaid said he hasn’t lost hope for the city he once loved. “I’m just one of thousands who have left. and I don’t know. I hope the town comes back. ” he said. “I really do. It used to be such a fantastic town. It was. It was a great community, too. And something’s happened. People need to be inspired there.”.
The wildfires in January 2025 added weight to his frustration. Munich Re, a global reinsurance firm, estimated that the Los Angeles disaster alone caused $53 billion in damages, claimed 30 lives, and ranked as the “costliest single natural hazard event” of the year.
Quaid’s own family was caught in that chaos. He had held onto his Brentwood home after moving to Nashville. but the fires forced him to evacuate along with thousands of others. The disaster destroyed more than 16,000 structures across the region. His house was left standing, with the fire stopping just 150 yards away.
After the danger eased, he returned to clear out his daughter’s belongings. Telling NBC News, “Our experience of reality can change in a moment. I can’t say enough about the firefighters and the first responders in this town.”
Quaid’s anger toward Los Angeles leadership has also been public. The Parent Trap star has not been shy about his criticism of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. He has openly criticized her handling of the fires and attended “They Let Us Burn” protests. He has also blamed local leadership for issues with preparedness, the relief response, water shortages and fire department budget cuts.
Still, his move to Nashville wasn’t only a reaction to L.A.’s crisis. Quaid performs with his band The Sharks and released a gospel album, Fallen, in 2023—making Music City a natural next step for the singer.
The gap between the Los Angeles he says he once loved and the Los Angeles he says he’s watched unravel hasn’t just been political or practical for Quaid. It’s personal. He left, he evacuated, and he’s still hoping—while trying to build a life somewhere that finally feels like it belongs to him.
Dennis Quaid Los Angeles Nashville CMA Fest Laura Savoie wildfires Brentwood Karen Bass The Sharks Fallen The Parent Trap