Comedian and actor Billy Crystal, 78, has opened up about how a devastating series of personal tragedies has affected his relationship with faith. In a candid interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Crystal explained that the destruction of his longtime Pacific Palisades home in the January 2025 wildfires and the tragic death of his close friend Rob Reiner left him struggling to trust God.
When asked by correspondent Tracy Smith whether he still speaks with God, Crystal drew a comparison to his earlier autobiographical one-man production, 700 Sundays, before offering a stark response regarding his current beliefs.
“No, because I don’t trust Him,” Crystal said. “Too many bad things have happened. The Earth is in bad shape. This is a weird, scary time. So no, not anymore.”
A Year of Devastating Personal Losses
Crystal’s remarks follow a harrowing period marked by displacement and grief. In early 2025, a massive wildfire swept through the Pacific Palisades, destroying the home where Crystal and his wife, Janice, had lived for 46 years. The property was where they raised their children and built decades of family memories, making its total loss exceptionally painful.
Reflecting on visiting the ruins of his former residence weeks after the disaster, Crystal shared a poignant memory. Speaking at a public benefit event, he recalled walking onto the scorched grounds, falling to his knees, and weeping uncontrollably for the first time since he was a teenager mourning the death of his father.
Months later, Crystal faced another devastating blow when his longtime friend and collaborator Rob Reiner and Reiner’s wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found murdered in their Brentwood home in December 2025. Crystal noted that he and Reiner had attended a holiday gathering together just the night before the tragedy occurred.
Channeling Grief Into Broadway’s ‘860’
The accumulation of these profound losses served as the creative foundation for Crystal’s new Broadway one-man show, titled 860 after the street address of his destroyed home. The production recreates his former home office on stage, allowing him to process memories of his family, his career, and the sudden absence of dear friends.
Crystal explained that performing the show has helped him navigate his emotions. While the grief remains immense, he emphasized that humor has continuously served as an essential tool for emotional survival.
“That’s what I do. You have to, man. You’ve gotta. It’s a healer,” Crystal said. Despite acknowledging the weight of his experiences, the veteran entertainer expressed resilience and an outlook toward the future.
“I’ve absorbed the biggest pains that people couldn’t go through – the loss of home, dearest of friends – and I’m OK,” Crystal shared. “I’m 78 now, and I feel really good, and I’m optimistic for what life is going to bring.”
