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Ricki Lake Turns Post-Fire Upheaval Into Youth Mental-Health Advocacy

She is steering attention to Community Access by promoting a rentable Changing Minds film alongside an open 2026 youth competition through Jan. 31.

Overview

  • In a new People interview, Lake recounts losing her Malibu home in the January 2025 wildfires and describes 2025 as traumatizing while emphasizing that she is still healing and choosing optimism.
  • She and her husband, Ross Burningham, made an impulsive move to New York City, bringing them closer to her adult sons, Milo and Owen.
  • Lake says her commitment to mental health is personal, citing her late second husband Christian Evans’ bipolar disorder and death by suicide in 2017.
  • She has deepened her work with Community Access and is highlighting its Changing Minds Young Filmmaker Festival, a compilation of 10 shorts by creators ages 15–25 introduced by John Turturro.
  • The Changing Minds compilation is available to rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Google Play, and the 2026 competition is accepting submissions through Jan. 31.