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Inside Tom Selleck and wife's bizarre scandal at 63-acre ranch - here's what happened

The Blue Bloods actor bought the property in 1988

Hannah Hargrave
US Deputy Editor
May 13, 2024
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Tom Selleck's California avocado farm is his pride and joy - but it's not without drama.

The 79-year-old star recently revealed his heartbreak over years of drought destroying his trees.

However, long before his confession, Tom was fighting tooth and nail to protect his avocado trees and oaks and landed himself in hot water while doing so. 

In 2015, Tom was accused of stealing water… and lots of it. 

Tom accused of stealing 

The Calleguas Municipal Water District in Ventura County, California, pointed the finger at the Blue Bloods star and claimed he had stolen approximately 1.4 million gallons of water over a two-year period. 

They said a tanker truck had been pilfering water from a local hydrant to water Tom's ranch during a severe, four-year drought. 

Tom Selleck and wife Jillie Mack red carpet© Getty Images
Tom and Jillie found themselves in hot water

The district took legal action against Tom and even spent $22,000 hiring a private investigator to find out if he had taken the water illegally over district boundaries. 

They claimed a white truck filled up at a Thousand Oaks hydrant on multiple occasions and delivered the water to his sprawling ranch. 

He and his wife, Jillie - who was also named in the complaint - were not supposed to be taking water from a hydrant in a different water district. 

Tom Selleck in Blue Bloods© Getty
Tom was accused of stealing water

At the time, a resources manager for the Calleguas Municipal Water District said: "Our 630,000 customers are ripping out their lawns, drastically cutting back on the water they use. The water that we have secured for them, that they have paid for, should remain in district boundaries."

Tom and Jillie eventually agreed to pay a settlement to the sum of more than $21,000.

Tom's heartbreak

Tom recently opened up about his life away from the cameras when he got candid about losing his 100-year-old trees to drought. 

In a conversation with People, he said: "That just breaks your heart…But with the rain we've had, the sick ones are getting better, and they're all sprouting a lot of healthy growth."

HOLLYWOOD - JUNE 01:  Hannah Selleck, Actor Tom Selleck and wife Jillie Mack arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Killers" held at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome on June 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California.  (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) © Jeff Kravitz
Tom with wife Jillie and daughter Hannah

He described his favorite activities on the ranch as reading the morning paper and driving around on his ATV to check on the wildflowers. "I've planted them for years and they bloom in cycles," he said. 

Will he be forced to move?

As the star wraps up his long-running role on Blue Bloods, he's already mulling over his future and his home. 

"You know, hopefully I keep working enough to hold onto the place," he told CBS about living on his farm.

Tom Selleck (center) stars as patriarch Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods© CBS
Blue Bloods is coming to an end

Correspondent Tracy Smith asked: "Seriously, that's an issue? If you stopped working?"

To which Tom wistfully responded: "That's always an issue. If I stopped working, yeah. Am I set for life? Yeah, but maybe not on a 63-acre ranch!"

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