Spencer Pratt in Newspaper Spat Over Mayoral Eligibility

Spencer Pratt's candidacy in the Los Angeles mayor's race is colliding with a basic question: Does he actually live in LA? The answer turns out to have a California twist: The former reality TV star from The Hills did indeed live in the LA neighborhood of Pacific Palisades until his family's home burned in the massive wildfire of January 2025. Since then, he and wife Heidi Montag and their kids have been staying in his father's rental in Santa Barbara County. The problem, reports the Los Angeles Times, is that mayoral candidates had to be residents of the city and registered to vote there as of Jan. 3, 2026.

"I think this brings up the question as to whether Spencer Pratt can satisfy the residency requirement required under the charter to be elected mayor," Jessica Levinson, professor of law at Loyola Marymount University, tells the newspaper. Pratt is lashing out at the Times in response with a video posted to social media, notes CBS News. "They want to try and write a hit piece about me about my residence?" he says. "They want to attack me for not living in the Palisades while running for mayor. Hey, brain surgeon, my house burned down."

Pratt insists his charred Palisades lot remains his legal home and says he's moved an Airstream onto the property while he rebuilds. Voter and property records reviewed by the Times show he listed the Palisades address as his residence and the Santa Barbara rental as his mailing address. The city clerk won't say whether Pratt meets the requirement, and rival campaigns are declining to comment, with Levinson noting they risk looking like they're attacking a fire victim. A UCLA poll has Pratt running second to Mayor Karen Bass, though councilwoman Nithya Raman is close to him in third. The top two finishers in the June 2 primary advance to the general election.