‘Luca’ Star Billy Crystal Opens Up About Losing His Faith After the Palisades Fire and Rob Reiner’s Death

Billy Crystal has always found a way to turn life’s hardest moments into something meaningful. In 2004, he debuted ‘700 Sundays’, his Tony-winning one-man show about losing his father when he was just 15, and it famously included the comedian’s own conversations with God.

The past 2 years, however, have tested him like never before. In January 2025, a massive, wind-driven wildfire tore through Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood, destroying more than 5,000 homes, including the one Crystal and his wife, Janice, had lived in since 1979.

The heartbreak didn’t end there. In December 2025, Crystal’s longtime friend and collaborator Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle, were found dead in their Brentwood home, a loss that shook Hollywood.

The 2 men had been close for decades, first meeting in 1975 on the set of ‘All in the Family’, where they were cast as best friends. Crystal later starred in Reiner’s beloved comedy ‘When Harry Met Sally’.

Now, Crystal is revealing just how deeply those losses have affected him. Speaking with correspondent Tracy Smith on ‘CBS Sunday Morning’, he was asked whether he still talks to God the way he once did.

“No, ’cause I don’t trust Him,” Crystal told CBS Sunday Morning. “Too many bad things have happened. The Earth is in bad shape. This is a weird, scary time. So no, not anymore.” The candid admission marks a striking shift from the spiritual dialogue that defined ‘700 Sundays’. It also offers a glimpse into the emotional weight Crystal has been carrying since 2025.

Crystal is channeling those experiences into a new one-man Broadway show, ‘860’. The title is the street address of the home he lost in the fire. He wasn’t sure what to call the show at first. Reiner helped settle it, singling out ‘860’ from Crystal’s list of potential titles and telling him it was the one.

In January 2025, a wildfire burned more than 5,000 homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, including the home of Billy Crystal. The fire took everything, but in the smoldering ruins of what was once his family home, Crystal found inspiration for his latest one-man stage show, "860." Crystal talks with @thattracysmith about bringing the story of his home to Broadway, sharing what he lost, and what he learned. https://t.co/6hTJszmsQx

— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) October 11, 2026

In the show, Crystal recounts the morning of the fire moment by moment, from the helicopters and sirens that woke him to the devastation that followed. True to form, he still finds humor even in the most harrowing details.

Crystal explained that pushing through dark times with humor is nothing new for him. He said that ‘860’ in particular has helped him heal, even though the scale of the fire and the Reiners’ deaths still feels too big to fully comprehend 10 months later.

Despite everything, Crystal remains hopeful. At 78, he said he feels good and optimistic about what life will bring, adding that getting through such painful events the way they have means they are doing OK.

Crystal has been open about the fire’s impact since the beginning. When the blaze first struck, he shared that he and Janice raised their children and grandchildren in the home and that every inch of it was filled with love.

Later, at the FireAid benefit concert in Los Angeles, he spoke movingly about returning to the remains of his house of 46 years. He also offered a message of resilience, promising that the community would laugh again.

With ‘860’, Crystal is once again inviting audiences into his most personal moments. Just as ‘700 Sundays’ helped him process the loss of his father, this new show is helping him work through the losses of his home and his dearest friend. His honesty about his faith may surprise some fans. But it also reflects the raw, heartfelt storytelling that has made Crystal one of comedy’s most beloved voices.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!