Tom Selleck Accused Of Stealing Truckloads Of Water In Drought-Stricken California
Tom Selleck is being sued for stealing truckloads of water from a public hydrant and delivering them to his Hidden Valley ranch. Officials have known about Selleck’s water thefts for years, and issued cease-and-desist orders, but now that California is steeped in a severe drought, the police are getting serious.
In normal years, stealing water might seem like a minor nuisance. But after years of sparse rainfall and lakes and reservoirs drying up, drought-shaming has become a regular habit for many Californians. And Tom Selleck is likely in for a lot of shame.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit from Calleguas Municipal Water District alleges that Selleck filled his commercial water truck at least 12 times using a public hydrant at a construction site in Thousand Oaks. The trucks took the water to the Blue Bloods star’s 60-acre ranch.
The district spent $21,685.55 to hire a private investigator to obtain the evidence against Tom Selleck, famous for playing a private investigator on Magnum P.I. The suit is seeking an injunction, along with financial compensation for the investigator, court fees, and their attorney.
Selleck has not commented on the allegations yet, but Twitter users have.
Tom Selleck canoes down his driveway to answer water theft allegations. pic.twitter.com/nANX3pTjSU
— The Pixel Factor (@ThePixelFactor) July 8, 2015
Tom Selleck may have stolen public water during a drought, but in his defense, he needed it to water his mustache. — Jason Mack (@thejasonmack) July 8, 2015
I refuse to believe that Tom Selleck stole any water until at least 40 accusers come forward.
— Ham on Wry (@HeyZeus666) July 8, 2015
The Los Angeles Times reports that Tom Selleck and his wife, Jillie, who is also named in the complaint, have lived on the 60-acre ranch for about three decades. The couple started receiving cease-and-desist orders about the illegal water deliveries starting in November, 2013, which the district says were ignored.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the actor’s reputation. Californians are currently being asked to cut their water usage by 25 percent and drought shaming — where people chastise water guzzlers and photograph their malfeasance — is a growing trend. The hashtag #droughtshaming has become a regular means of venting drought-related grievances, although today it’s occupied by Tom Selleck.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Kardashians have also drawn fire for their excessive water use. So has Jennifer Lopez and Barbra Streisand.
Still, Tom Selleck’s water guzzling might turn into the biggest of all celebrity drought-shaming scandals.
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
