‘Die Hard’ actor reveals ‘last straw’ that drove him from California to Florida
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that → reveal → Florida
While veteran actor, singer and filmmaker Robert Davi has long been an outspoken critic of California’s political leadership, its current policies and Hollywood’s cultural direction, he never really saw himself leaving the Golden State.
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himself → see → State
The 75-year-old character actor, known for playing iconic tough guys in films like “The Goonies” and “Die Hard,” as well as a James Bond villain in “License to Kill,” may have been born and raised in a tight-knit Italian family in Queens, New York but Los Angeles became his adopted home in 1977.
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Angeles → know → 1977
Like many others before and after him, he headed west to the Golden State when his on-screen career began to take off, and he grew accustomed to the California lifestyle.
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he → head → lifestyle
But for Davi, who has also been vocal about what he sees as a political blacklist in Hollywood because of his support for President Donald Trump, there were multiple breaking points that he said ultimately led him to sell his home and leave the state for Florida.
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he → see → Florida
This January will mark four years since he and his family joined other Californians who left for the Sunshine State.
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who → mark → State
The overwhelming influx of homelessness in all communities, the political corruption and the waste of money by the local education agencies in Los Angeles that’s not used for students but for administration costs, and most of that goes to the political party of their choice, and the mismanagement of the LA fires were all [contributing] factors,” Davi told Fox News Digital
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Davi → use → News
“When I first came to LA, I could go to CVS and it was fine.
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it → come → CVS
I could go to a store.
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I → go → store
Now they have gates, they have guards and items are behind lock and key because of the rampant crime,” Davi added, noting, “It’s about people coming in and the acceptable aspect of going into any store and ripping off what they want and not being stopped.”
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they → have → what
Still, like many who fall in love with California’s weather and relaxed lifestyle, Davi hung on to the home he loved, hoping what he saw as rising crime and political dysfunction might somehow improve.
But it was the Dec. 1, 2021, home invasion and killing of Jacqueline Avant — the wife of Grammy-winning music executive Clarence Avant — at her Beverly Hills home that became the last straw for Davi.
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that → fall → Davi
“Why did I leave California?
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I → leave → California
It was knowing this and watching this happen.
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this → know → this
It was the nail in my coffin,” Davi said.
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Davi → say → coffin
“California was seeping into this s—, the crime that was happening within communities and continually encroaching into communities … a home invasion and murder by a criminal that was let go three different times?”
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that → seep → criminal
A classically trained singer in both opera and traditional pop and jazz, Davi is known for performing the music of his idol, Frank Sinatra.
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Davi → train → idol
He is also closely associated with Hollywood’s music community, strongly supports teaching musical instruments in schools and was close to the late record producer and composer Quincy Jones.
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He → associate → producer
For Davi, the incident resonated deeply.
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incident → resonate → Davi
Within months, he and his family moved out of the state.
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he → move → state
Davi wondered about what he considers a key question: how did California and Hollywood, in particular, get so left-wing?
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California → wonder → ?
Davi recalled the days when Ronald Reagan was running for president, noting how hard those in Hollywood were on the actor-turned-politician at the time, but how conservatives didn’t have to hide their beliefs back then.
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conservatives → recall → beliefs
Davi played Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in the 2024 biopic “Reagan,” which was re-released in theaters on Sept. 25.
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which → play → Sept.
Conservatives were not afraid to talk.
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Conservatives → talk → ?
Johnny Carson was fair,” Davi said.
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Davi → say → ?
“You had conservatives that were big stars that spoke out and you had liberals.
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you → have → liberals
Since that time, liberalism has taken on another form,” he explained.
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he → take → form
Fox News Digital reached out to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office for comment.
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Digital → reach → comment
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