Tom Selleck made a fortune throughout his career, but he still chooses to live life by modest means. Along with his career success, Selleck was apparently a joy to work with, the likes of Jennifer Aniston praised their time alongside the actor in projects like Friends.
However, like other celebs, Selleck could not escape controversy throughout his career. The source of this controversy took place under unlikely circumstances, given that he moved to his ranch during the '80s to live a quieter life. However, it seems like Selleck was doing things illegally in order to supply his ranch with water.
We'll take a look back at how it all went down, and how a settlement was finally reached between the two sides. Although Selleck wasn't found guilty, he still had to pay a certain fee. Let's take a look at how it all went down.
Speaking alongside People, Tom Selleck revealed he has dealt with lots of rumors throughout his career. Among them, included that he was gay. Another one was that Selleck had several homes around the world, which is not the case.
Selleck reveals, "Anywhere I go, somebody says, 'Don't you have a house in Boca Raton? Or New Jersey?' or wherever," he says with People. "The truth is, I've only got the one place."
The one place is quite significant as it sits on 65 acres of land, while the ranch house was built way back in 1926. People describes Selleck's ranch.
"On 65 acres of land, the property boasts a 1926 ranch house, a horse corral and a 20-acre working avocado farm; avocados are harvested in late spring."
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One would assume Selleck was into avocados, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
"It's hard to make a living, let alone a profit" from his crops. Still, the ultraprivate ranch, says the star, "has been a real blessing."
As for the avocados, "I don't eat 'em. Honestly, they make me gag. But it's just as well. I'll sell my portion."
Given the amount of privacy Selleck has, one would assume he was able to steer away from controversy on his ranch, but apparently that wasn't the case as the actor was caught up in a scandal over water.
According to the lawsuit, Tom Selleck was illegally using water from a hydrant that didn't belong to him. CBC writes, "Officials from the Calleguas Municipal Water District filed a legal complaint against Selleck on July 6, which said a hydrant in their district was tapped to supply his ranch, which is located in a nearby jurisdiction."
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The lawsuit got settled, and Selleck for formally given access to the water source. However, he still had to pay a penalty once the verdict came in, and that included a $22,000 fee to pay off the private investigator who monitoring the situation for months prior.
CBC revealed, "Selleck, who is most famous for playing a Hawaii private investigator in the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I., has agreed to pay the district's nearly $22,000 bill to hire a private investigator, officials said."
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According to the lawsuit, Selleck filled up several trucks from the hydrant between 2013 and 2015. The problem came to light in the midst of a drought. It was ultimately deemed that Selleck was in fact paying for the water.
Despite the lawsuit, Tom Selleck is happy with his life outside of the spotlight, on his ranch. In fact, Selleck revealed the ranch helps keep him sane, while it also allows for more family time given his schedule.
"I'm a fairly private person. And I've always treasured the balance between work and time with my family. It's always about them. My relationships and my ranch keep me sane."
Selleck has a lengthy history on his ranch, moving in way back in 1988. At that point, Selleck had quit Magnum P.I. with intention of living a quieter life outside of the spotlight.
"I knew intellectually what it would mean in terms of being a public person, but until you've lived it, there's no way to understand it," says Selleck. "I had a feeling of, 'I don't think I'm cut out for this.'"
Selleck's career did not slow down by any means, as he continues to thrive on Blue Bloods. However, it is clear that the actor decided to do things his way.