Nick Nolte and Allstate Insurance Co. have tentatively settled a lawsuit filed against the insurer by the actor and his wife regarding the insurer’s handling of a claim involving damage to the couple’s Malibu property during the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
The 84-year-old “The Prince of Tides” actor and his wife, Clytie Lane, brought the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging breach of contract, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
On Monday, Nolte’s attorneys filed court papers with Judge Christopher Lui notifying him of a “conditional” settlement in the case with the expectation a request for dismissal will be brought by March 25. No terms were divulged.
On Nov. 8, 2018, the Nolte-Lane couple’s residential property and possessions were “either destroyed and/or substantially damaged” by the Woolsey Fire. One of the residential structures, known as the Rock House, received substantial smoke and heat damage and several other structures were burned to the ground, the suit stated.
“In addition, extraordinarily valuable and more importantly, deeply personal, film memorabilia that spanned the entire career of Mr. Nolte was destroyed,” according to the suit filed in October 2020.
The fire caused $3 million in damage to the structure and contents of the house, but the home was not destroyed, firefighters said at the time.
After the fire, Allstate “unreasonably delayed the handling, adjustment and resolution of the claim, and have taken unreasonable coverage and claim positions,” the suit alleged.
In its handling of the couple’s claim, Allstate, “wrongfully put its interests ahead of” those of Nolte and Lane, the suit stated.
Nolte and Lane provided Allstate copies of the couple’s consultants’ reports and findings that the insurer nonetheless disregarded and ignored, the suit alleged. Nolte and Lane also allege that Allstate misled them into the false belief that the insurer wanted to reach a settlement when the company’s actual intent was to dissuade them from suing.
In their court papers, Allstate attorneys denied any liability on the part of the insurer. The lawyers maintained that Nolte and his wife were negligent and that they “misrepresented, failed to disclose or concealed” information to the insurer.
The Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties burned nearly 100,000 acres. It killed three people, destroyed more than 1,640 structures and forced the evacuation of around 300,000 people.