Bernie Ecclestone’s daughter, 36, vows to DITCH the USA for the Middle East amid ‘awful’ crime rate surge
Petra Ecclestone has revealed plans to relocate her family from Los Angeles to the Middle East, citing escalating concerns over gun crime and public safety in the American city.
The 36-year-old daughter of Formula One billionaire Bernie Ecclestone shared her decision during an interview at the Autosport Awards in London, where she described witnessing disturbing incidents in LA.
“The crime in America is awful, and we want a safe environment for the kids,” she told MailOnline. “It’s the gun crime and the shootings.”
The heiress recounted a particularly troubling incident whilst ice-skating with her children before Christmas, where a homeless person died next to them. She added that “seeing people smoke crack is not an environment we want to be in.”
The socialite recently returned to London after being evacuated from her £30million Brentwood home due to devastating wildfires that swept through Los Angeles last month.
More than 37,000 acres of land, 12,000 structures, and 16 lives were claimed by the catastrophic inferno since it began on the Santa Monica mountainside on January 7.
Though her home miraculously escaped the flames, Ecclestone revealed the fires had severely impacted her family.
“Things are really bad at the minute. We got evacuated, and that’s why we’re here [London] now,” she said. “They only allowed us into our home five days ago. My house is okay, but my kids’ schools got burnt down – it’s surreal.”
The family initially relocated to the Beverly Hilton Hotel before leaving the city entirely.
Ecclestone has been vocal about her support for Donald Trump, despite facing backlash in Los Angeles.
The heiress shared a clip of herself wearing a MAGA cap ahead of the recent election, declaring her unwavering support for the former president.
“I’m a huge Trump fan,” she stated at the Autosport Awards. “I just really like his way – I think he’s very honest. I think he’s a great politician and a good businessman.”
She believes Trump could address the issues plaguing Los Angeles: “At the moment, the place is full of homeless, and inflation is insane, so I really feel like he could make a huge difference.”
In a social media post, she urged followers to vote for Trump, stating: “Let’s protect our children, let’s make America great again, let’s make it safe. The crime here is appalling.”
Ecclestone has also revealed plans to adopt children in the near future, though she intends to raise them outside of the United States.
“For now, no, [I’m not having more children] but I would like to adopt in the near future. That’s something we’re thinking about,” she told MailOnline.
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The mother-of-four explained that any adopted children would come “[from] wherever we are living. I think there is enough children in the UK or America who need homes.”
With a permanent return to London ruled out for “personal reasons”, Ecclestone and her husband Sam Palmer are actively considering the Middle East as their new home.
“We’re thinking about it,” she said, reiterating her desire for a safer environment for her growing family.