Actor Tom Selleck has been accused by a California agency of unlawfully taking water from a public hydrant to supply his ranch as the state grapples with a devastating drought, court papers showed on Wednesday.
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The lawsuit – filed with Ventura County Superior Court on Monday, July 6 – states the former Friends star should not have taken the water because he resides in the Hidden Valley Municipal Water District, not the Calleguas district. A private investigator hired by the Calleguas district says Selleck has been stealing water in this manner for at least two years.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department also investigated and was unable to establish that a crime occurred, Capt. John Reilly said.
California communities have been ordered to cut water use compared with 2013 levels due to the relentless, four-year drought.
However, manager for resources Eric Bergh told Sky News the district would always act to protect its water supply.
The water district said in fall 2013 it saw a water truck fill up in Thousand Oaks seven times and deliver to “the Hidden Valley area where the Selleck property is located”, according to the lawsuit cited by Courthouse News Service. “The water that we have secured for them, that they have paid for, should remain in district boundaries”.
Other celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Cher and Kelly Osbourne, have taken to social media to highlight the need to conserve water.
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Representatives for Selleck have not responded to several requests for comment.
