In August 2025, a heartwarming claim (archived) circulated online that "Batman" actor Christian Bale would build 12 homes in a $22 million village in Palmdale, California, that aimed to keep siblings in the foster care system together.
One Reddit post with more than 20,000 reactions at the time of this writing read, "Christian Bale created Together California in Palmdale, a $22–30M foster village with 12 homes, 2 studio apartments, and a 7,000 sq ft community center so siblings in foster care can stay together."
(Reddit user u/Kronyzx)
Reports of Bale's charitable project also circulated on X (archived), Instagram (archived) and Facebook (archived) throughout August. Snopes readers also searched our site for more information about the rumor.
The claim was true. Bale and Together California, a charity founded by the actor; his wife, Sibi; and UCLA Dr. Eric Esrailian, broke ground on the project in 2024. According to Together California, the village, located near Palmdale, will feature 12 homes and a community center. The project was estimated to cost $22 million at the time of the groundbreaking, according to international media.
According to Together California's Facebook page (archived), construction remained ongoing in August 2025. Tim Cormick, the executive director of Together California, told SFGATE in July 2025 that the first four homes in the village "should open by December or January."
CBS reported that "trained foster parents" would take care of the children living in the village.
According to AC Martin, the architects on the project, Together California's "Village for Brothers and Sisters" will feature 12 town house units for children in foster care, two studio units for young adults transitioning out of the foster care system, a 7,000-square-foot community building and outdoor space.
Bale first got involved with the U.S. foster care system in 2008, according to CBS, after considering what would happen to his own daughter if she were left without her parents.