LOS ANGELES (Diya TV) — Reality TV personality Spencer Pratt sharply criticized Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman during his first appearance at a Los Angeles mayoral debate, accusing both leaders of failing Hollywood and mishandling public safety issues.
The debate, hosted on Wednesday by NBC4 Los Angeles at the Skirball Cultural Center in partnership withLoyola Marymount University, focused heavily on the future of film and television production in Southern California.
Pratt, best known for his role on the MTV reality series The Hills, used the forum to attack both of his political rivals while denying claims that he and Bass were politically aligned against Raman. Pratt forcefully pushed back against suggestions that he and Bass were working together politically to weaken Raman’s campaign.
“First off, Mayor Bass and I are definitely not working together,” Pratt said during the debate. “I blame this person for burning my house, my parents’ house, my town, and my neighbors down. I am not working with Mayor Bass.” He then shifted his criticism toward Raman, arguing that she would be a weaker political opponent than the incumbent mayor.
“If I wanna run against anybody, it would be the councilmember who is terrible,” Pratt said. “Mayor Bass has at least been a mayor for almost four years and has all the unions behind her.”
The comments quickly drew attention online as the Los Angeles mayoral race continues to gain momentum ahead of the upcoming election cycle.
A major topic during the debate centered on declining film and television production in Los Angeles. Candidates were asked how they would keep entertainment jobs in Southern California as more productions move to other states and countries offering larger tax incentives. Pratt blamed city leadership for Hollywood’s struggles.
“Absolutely not,” he said when asked whether current leaders were doing enough to support the entertainment industry. “Both of these people have been the reason why there’s no more Hollywood.”
Bass defended her record as mayor. She pointed to efforts to streamline permits and reduce filming costs at city locations, including the Griffith Observatory. Bass also highlighted her support for film tax credits during her time in Sacramento and said her administration recently created a film czar position to help coordinate entertainment industry policies.
“We are absolutely making headway because of policies that I put in place,” Bass said during the event.
Pratt argued that economic incentives alone would not solve Hollywood’s production problems. He linked the industry’s decline to homelessness and public safety concerns across Los Angeles.
“Even if they do these things, we’re still gonna have drug addicts all over the street,” Pratt said. “These two politicians have failed Hollywood a thousand times.”
He also claimed that some film producers told him they had to pay gang members to protect filming locations, though he did not provide evidence during the debate. The comments added another layer of tension to a campaign already focused on crime, homelessness, and economic recovery in Los Angeles.
Raman responded by emphasizing her personal connection to the entertainment industry. Her husband works as a writer-producer on shows including 30 Rock and Nobody Wants This. “We desperately need to keep Hollywood here,” Raman said.
The councilmember called for a long-term, uncapped film tax credit program that would encourage studios and production companies to invest more heavily in Los Angeles. Raman said the city’s leadership should aggressively advocate for stronger entertainment industry policies at the state level.
The debate highlighted growing concerns over the future of Hollywood in Los Angeles as cities and states across the country compete for film and television projects. Industry leaders have increasingly warned that California risks losing production jobs unless lawmakers expand incentives and improve business conditions.
