Los Angeles, August 2025 – Actress and filmmaker Zoë Kravitz recently shared an unforgettable tale involving a wildfire evacuation, a generous pop star, and one very curious pet snake that caused a surprising amount of chaos.
Appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Kravitz opened up about the time she and her mother, actress Lisa Bonet, stayed at Taylor Swift’s Los Angeles home earlier this year. The temporary move was prompted by the January wildfires, which forced residents of Topanga Canyon—including Bonet—to evacuate. Swift, known for her close-knit celebrity friendships and hospitality, offered her historic 1930s home as a safe haven.
“She was kind enough to let me stay,” Kravitz told Meyers. “My mom came with her essentials—including her pet snake, Orpheus.”
🏡 Peaceful Stay Turns Into Slithering Chaos
What started as a calm two-week stay quickly took a dramatic turn on the final day. As Kravitz was preparing to leave for work and trying to leave Swift’s home in pristine condition, she got a call from her mom upstairs.
“She says, ‘I’m in a little bit of a pickle,’” Kravitz recalled with a laugh. When she rushed upstairs, she found Bonet crouched awkwardly in the corner of the bathroom. Orpheus, the snake, had found a small hole near the floor and slithered out of sight—vanishing into the walls of Swift’s meticulously preserved home.
In a desperate attempt to retrieve the reptile, they ripped out bathroom tiles, dismantled cabinets, and even used a crowbar to remove parts of the built-in banquette. Despite their efforts, Orpheus had nearly disappeared inside the wall.
💸 “We Destroyed Her Bathroom”
“I just kept thinking, ‘I want to be a good guest… I don’t want Taylor to even know we were here,’” Kravitz said. “And here we were, totally destroying her bathroom.”
Though Kravitz offered to cover all the damage, Swift apparently had already heard what happened. “She was really cool about it,” Kravitz noted. “But yes, we completely wrecked her beautiful 1930s bathroom trying to get Orpheus out.”
🐍 From Disaster to a Deeper Bond
The incident, though chaotic, is just another chapter in the longstanding friendship between Swift and Kravitz. The two artists have collaborated creatively, spent time together during the pandemic lockdown in London, and continued to support each other’s work through the years.
Despite the mishap, there was no love lost—only a hilarious story and a bathroom in need of renovation. Kravitz summed it up perfectly: “It was the kind of situation you never expect—but I guess when you travel with a snake, you have to expect the unexpected.”
✅ Takeaway?
When you bring a pet snake into a pop icon’s historic home, even the best intentions can slip through the cracks.
