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The Unexpected Houseguest

Are Zoë Kravitz and Taylor Swift friends after bathroom incident during L.A deadly fires?


What started as a generous gesture quickly spiraled into a home-repair nightmare


Image© Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Image
Shirley GomezSenior Writer
AUGUST 13, 2025 3:51 PM EDT

Zoë Kravitz may have to wait a while before she gets another invite to Taylor Swift's home, and it's all thanks to a runaway snake and a very unlucky hole in the bathroom wall. 

While visiting "Late Night with Seth Meyers" on Tuesday, Aug. 12, the 36-year-old actress revealed the hilariously disastrous story that unfolded when Swift graciously offered her and her mom, Lisa Bonet, a safe place to stay during the Los Angeles wildfires. What started as a generous gesture quickly spiraled into a home-repair nightmare worthy of a sitcom.

 Zoe Kravitz seen in East Village on August 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Aeon/GC Images)© GC Images
Zoe Kravitz seen in East Village on August 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Aeon/GC Images)

The Unexpected Houseguest

When the fires forced Kravitz and Bonet to evacuate, Swift opened her doors for what ended up being a two-week stay. There was just one catch. Bonet wasn't arriving alone; she brought Orpheus, her pet snake, along for the ride.

"I wanted to be the perfect house guest," Kravitz told Meyers, recalling how she hoped Swift wouldn't even notice they'd been there. But on the final day before Kravitz had to leave for work, her mom called her upstairs with the tone that signals something went terribly wrong.

The Great Snake Escape

Bonet explained she'd been washing her face, set Orpheus down "for just a second," and the snake had vanished into "a little hole" in the corner of Swift's bathroom. The seemingly tiny gap led to a hidden space behind a built-in banquette with drawers at the bottom. As Kravitz pulled them out, she realized the snake was wriggling deeper out of reach.

That's when panic set in. "I was freaking out," Kravitz admitted. With the snake disappearing into the wall, she called Swift's house manager, who arrived with a crowbar. What followed was part wildlife rescue and part demolition projects.

 Zoe Kravitz is seen in East Village on August 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Aeon/GC Images)© GC Images
Zoe Kravitz is seen in East Village on August 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Aeon/GC Images)

A Bathroom Battle

In the frantic attempt to retrieve Orpheus, the team pried apart the banquette, scratched the walls, ripped up tiles, and left Swift's vintage bathroom in shambles. "We completely destroyed Taylor's bathroom," Kravitz confessed. She even offered to cover all repair costs and suggested not telling Swift until it was fixed.

Unfortunately, Swift already knew. When Kravitz finally called her to explain, the pop star cut right to the chase: "Is it the fact that you almost lost a snake in the house and destroyed my bathroom?"

Are The Still Friends?

Despite the reptilian drama, Kravitz and Swift's friendship appears to have survived. The two became close during the COVID-19 lockdown in London in 2020 and have been spotted supporting each other's work ever since. Just last year, Kravitz attended one of Swift's Eras Tour shows in London, alongside then-fiancé Channing Tatum.

 Taylor Swift is seen  in Soho on October 13, 2016 in New York City.  (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)© GC Images
Taylor Swift is seen in Soho on October 13, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

While it's unclear whether Orpheus is still welcome at Casa Swift, this snake story will live in celebrity friendship folklore.

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