Spencer Pratt fired back at LA Mayor Karen Bass and her team after they accused him of profiting from the Palisades Fire and said his mayoral bid was a stunt to sell his upcoming book, “The Guy You Loved to Hate.” Pratt’s response points to the rubble of his home as the origin of his book deal and frames his campaign as a fight against a complacent and corrupt city machine. This piece covers the exchange, Pratt’s claims about who really benefited from the aftermath, and his declaration about running for mayor as a parent with nothing left to lose.
Karen Bass accused others of “profiting off” the Palisades Fire and said some were using the tragedy to push books and gain followers. Her comments, made when asked about a protest connected to Spencer Pratt and others, included this line: “I don’t think so. But again, I think there are people who are profiting off this, and that is what I find very despicable. Intentionally putting out misinformation. Intentionally profiting from social media, book deals, etc. I think that’s unfortunate. To me, I hope it’s about healing and moving forward and getting this community back. Every single Palisadian that wants to come back. That should be the focus.” Those words set the stage for Pratt’s blunt public reply.
The accusations escalated when Bass’ spokesman labeled Pratt a reality TV “villain” and suggested his campaign was timed to promote a book release. That spokesman said: “It’s no shock that in advance of his imminent book release, a reality TV ‘villain’ who once staged a fake divorce to boost ratings and spent the last summer spewing post-fire misinformation and disinformation to pump up his social media following, would now announce he’s running for Mayor.” The tone from Bass’ camp cast Pratt as opportunistic rather than a community defender.
Pratt responded by making the case that the book deal came because his family lost everything in the fire, not because he was angling for publicity. He told Bass directly: “Okay Karen Bass, you got me. I’m running for Mayor and I have a book coming out, but the only reason I have a book deal is because I’m standing in the rubble of my home, which you let burn to the ground. Two weeks after I lost every possession that my family ever owned, a publisher reached out to me and asked me if I would write a book. I wrote the book because I had nothing and needed to put food on the table for my kids.” That explanation reframes his motives around survival and family responsibility.
What follows in Pratt’s telling is a narrative about discovery and frustration. He says he investigated what caused his home to burn and found a “massive, corrupt machine” running the city that endangered residents. He claims he looked for leaders to fight for the community and found none willing to take a stand, which pushed him to run for mayor on the anniversary of the worst day of his life.
Pratt continued his message in a combative clip that called out the political class and media for selective outrage. He said: “The last year has been an incredibly eye-opening journey, mostly hard and heartbreaking as I waited for someone to stand up for my community. As the year was coming to a close, in the darkness of December, I saw that no one was willing to fight, and that’s when I decided that I needed to run for Mayor, and that I needed to announce this on the anniversary of the worst day of my life.
Karen Bass wants you to think that I’m running for Mayor because I want to sell more books. Right. Because coming after the machine is notoriously great for people in the entertainment industry.” That line was aimed at exposing perceived hypocrisy.
Pratt also named others who published or planned books after the fire and questioned why Bass didn’t call out those people. He cited journalists and city appointees who have connections to city officials and suggested uneven scrutiny by Bass. Pratt argues the focus should be on failures that allowed the fire to destroy homes, not on the survivors who speak up and seek accountability.
He made a pointed remark about a city employee who released a book after the disaster, noting pay and timing as a symbol of the disconnect between officials and victims. Pratt asked the obvious rhetorical question: why is the man paid by the city launching a for-profit book without comment from the mayor? That contrast is central to his argument that the city protects its insiders while ignoring ordinary residents.
Pratt framed his decision to run as a direct response to that kind of indifference and as proof he will challenge the status quo. He declared: “So all these dorks are allowed to write books, rewrite history, but the guy who lost everything due to your incompetence has to just shut up? Not happening, Karen. I have a family to look out for.” Those words aim to paint him as a fighter for families, not a publicity-seeker.
He closed the video with a short, defiant line aimed at Bass personally and at anyone who doubts his motives: “Karen Bass can say what she wants all day, but I’m not scared…. I have nothing to lose, and I have nothing to hide, and you can read it all in the book.” That sums up his approach—raw, personal, and confrontational against the municipal machine he says failed him and his neighbors.
Pratt has been a registered Republican since 2020 and addressed questions about his registration directly in a public statement. He said: “I’ve been in the public eye most of my life and there isn’t any dirt you can find on me that hasn’t already been aired. Seems like the only thing people don’t know is my voter registration, so here go: I registered Republican in 2020 and never changed it. And I wasn’t going to change it now just to check a different box. This is a non-partisan race — there will be no D or R next to my name. As Mayor, I will not serve either party. I will work with anyone who wants to help the City. No labels necessary.” His focus, he says, is accountability and results over party labels.
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