Police rushed to the Los Angeles home of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay on Tuesday night after they received a call that a gunman had opened fire.
According to TMZ, officers arrived at his mansion around 8:40 pm and found no evidence of an active shooter, instead concluding that Gordon’s home had fallen victim to the worrying rise of ‘swatting’.
A concerning trend
Swatting is the practice of prank-calling the police and pretending that there is a threat at a person’s house, usually a celebrity or a person in the public eye, prompting large forces to descend on the scene.
The outlet reported that Gordon was not at home at the time, and the TV star is yet to speak out about the frightening incident.
He is not the first to fall victim to the hoax, with rapper Nicki Minaj having her LA home swatted in April, and Friends star Jennifer Aniston being swatted in September 2024.
Actor and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger had his LA house surrounded on Thanksgiving in 2024 when police received a prank call claiming that there was a bomb threat, which was later proved false.
Swatting became an all-consuming trend in 2013 in particular, when fake 911 calls were placed about the residences of Tom Cruise, Miley Cyrus, Kris Jenner, Clint Eastwood, Selena Gomez, Snoop Dogg and Jason Derulo, as well as a slew of others.
Gordon’s property portfolio
Gordon has found incredible success as a chef, thanks to his fiery personality on shows like Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen, as well as his Michelin stars and incredible culinary creations.
He has an estimated net worth of £170 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, and owns a slew of houses across the globe, including in LA.
The father of six purchased a property in London in 2002 for £7 million for his family to reside in, complete with monochrome tiling, an open-plan dining area and a stunning garden.
In 2015, he built a Cornwall home in 1920s style for £4.4 million, and spent six years on the project, adding a boathouse, a wine cellar, and a large pool for his children.
Their LA residence features a large dining room with quirky smiley face artwork on the wall and a bright blue chandelier to complete the eccentric space.
The Ramsay brood
Gordon revealed that despite his immense fortune, he will not be giving his children handouts.
“[My money is] definitely not going to them, and that’s not in a mean way; it’s to not spoil them,” he told The Telegraph. “The only thing I’ve agreed with Tana is they get a 25 per cent deposit on a flat, but not the whole flat,” he explained.
The 58-year-old shares his kids Megan, 26, twins Holly and Jack, 25, Matilda, 23, Oscar, six, and Jesse, one, with his wife, Tana.
Matilda, affectionally known as Tilly, is following in her father’s footsteps and currently studies at culinary school. She graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in Psychology and switched gears to a career in the kitchen shortly after.
“So I went on a different kind of uniform shopping yesterday…@gordongram took me to buy my first-ever chef whites as I am off to culinary school this September!!” she announced via Instagram in 2024, alongside a photo in her new uniform.
“I am so excited for this next chapter, and Dad and I had the most exciting day getting all my uniform and equipment. PS, I think this look is kind of a vibe,” she added.
To learn more about Gordon and Tana’s adorable son Oscar, see below…