In the early hours of Sunday, August 31, 2025, the Los Angeles home of acclaimed actress and producer Tracee Ellis Ross became the latest target in a troubling wave of celebrity burglaries sweeping the city. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, three intruders shattered a rear glass door to gain entry to Ross’s residence, making off with more than $100,000 worth of jewelry and luxury handbags. The break-in was discovered at approximately 12:30 a.m. by staff members who arrived to find the home ransacked, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.
Ross, best known for her starring roles in the hit television series Black-ish and Girlfriends, was not at home during the incident. Sources close to the actress confirmed she was out of town when the burglary occurred, a detail echoed by multiple outlets including The Los Angeles Times and E! News. This fortunate absence meant that no one was physically harmed during the break-in, but the loss of valuables and the violation of privacy have left a mark on the star’s household.
Police told NBC4 Investigates that the three burglars forced entry by smashing a rear glass door, then moved through the property, targeting high-value items. The stolen goods included an array of fine jewelry and designer handbags, with the total estimated value exceeding $100,000. Authorities quickly recovered security camera footage from the property and are actively reviewing it as part of their ongoing investigation. As of September 3, 2025, no arrests had been announced, and the LAPD has not released descriptions of the suspects.
Ross’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment from multiple media outlets, including E! News and NBC Los Angeles. Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact the LAPD, as detectives continue to canvass the area and analyze the recovered video. It remains unclear whether additional security footage from neighboring properties has been collected or if any of the stolen items have been tracked or recovered.
The burglary at Ross’s home is not an isolated event, but part of a disturbing trend that has seen a spike in high-profile home invasions across Los Angeles in recent months. According to The Los Angeles Times, just three weeks prior to the Ross incident, four people were arrested in a string of burglaries targeting upscale homes, including that of actor Brad Pitt. Pitt’s Los Feliz residence was broken into on June 25, 2025, while he was away promoting his film F1: The Movie. In that case, three burglars scaled a fence and entered the home through a window, echoing the forced-entry tactics seen in the Ross break-in.
The list of recent celebrity victims is long and growing. In July, an intruder attempted to break into the Hollywood Hills home of Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto while he was out of town for a game. Earlier this year, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s home was ransacked on Valentine’s Day after suspects smashed through glass to gain entry. In each of these cases, as with Ross’s, the intruders struck when the residents were away and used brute force to break through doors or windows.
Law enforcement officials have noted these similarities and are considering possible links between the cases. Investigators are reviewing security footage and following leads, looking for patterns in timing, method of entry, and the types of valuables targeted. As NBC Los Angeles reported, the LAPD has not ruled out the possibility that an organized group may be behind the recent spate of burglaries, though no concrete connections have been announced publicly.
The trend is not limited to Los Angeles. Recent years have seen celebrities across the United States and even abroad fall victim to increasingly brazen break-ins. For example, in June 2025, rapper Macklemore’s home was targeted when two men entered through a patio door after midnight and used bear mace against the family’s nanny, making off with clothing, jewelry, and shoes. In December 2024, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home was burglarized while he was in Texas, with his bedroom left ransacked and a window shattered. And in October 2024, a burglar broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle, home to Prince William and Kate Middleton, though the main residence was not breached.
These incidents have left many celebrities and their fans shaken. The sense of safety that comes with gated communities and private security is being challenged by determined criminals willing to take significant risks for high-value rewards. As Hilary Duff’s representative told E! News after her own 2017 break-in, “This is a scary and upsetting situation for anyone to go through, but Hilary is thankful that her family, her staff, her home and her pets are all safe.”
For Tracee Ellis Ross, the daughter of Motown legend Diana Ross and music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein, the burglary is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by even the most prominent figures. Ross, 52, has enjoyed a celebrated career, earning nine NAACP Image Awards and a Golden Globe for her role on Black-ish. Yet, like so many of her peers, she now finds herself coping with the aftermath of a personal violation that goes far beyond material loss.
As the investigation continues, authorities are urging residents—celebrity or not—to review their own security measures and remain vigilant, especially when away from home. The LAPD has emphasized the importance of working security systems, neighborhood watch programs, and timely reporting of suspicious activity. While the case remains open and detectives pursue new leads, the broader issue of home security in Los Angeles and other major cities is likely to remain front and center in the public conversation.
For now, Tracee Ellis Ross’s ordeal stands as one of the most high-profile reminders this summer that even the most secure-seeming homes are not immune to crime. The outcome of the investigation—and whether the stolen items will be recovered or the perpetrators brought to justice—remains to be seen.
