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Gordon Ramsay's Los Angeles home has been targeted by pranksters for the second time in five months, resulting in another visit from armed police.
The celebrity chef had previously fallen prey to a swatting scam in April, with LAPD officers responding to erroneous claims that a gunman had opened fire in the grounds of his sprawling Bel Air home.
A 911 call was placed at 8.00am on Monday morning from an individual claiming Ramsay had shot his brother and nephew and was armed with a Revolver.
The unnamed caller also claimed the 58-year-old - whose younger brother Ronnie has battled drug addiction - was under the influence of heroin and refusing to leave the property.
Officers were dispatched to the scene and soon discovered it was another swatting scam after speaking with the celebrity chef's personal assistant, TMZ report.
It's understood that Ramsay is currently overseas and was unaware of the fiasco unfolding outside his residence on Monday morning.
An increasingly popular prank in the US, swatting typically involves making false reports of serious crimes to the police, with the aim of triggering a major law enforcement response to the victim's home, specifically a heavily armed Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
In April, police officers - responding to claims of gunfire outside the address - said all was normal and confirmed nothing serious had taken place, according to TMZ at the time.
Law enforcement told the outlet that a probe was launched in connection with the incident.
The celebrity chef was not home at the time of the incident, did not appear to address the swatting prank on his social media platforms.
Police said the details lined up with it being a swatting incident, which has past impacted a number of prominent Hollywood personalities.
Among them include Cardi B, Rihanna, Jennifer Aniston, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Paris Hilton and Chris Brown, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and even the Playboy Mansion.
Prior to 2020, stars such as Pharrell Williams, Lil Wayne, Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise, Ashton Kutcher and Sean 'Diddy' Combs were targeted in the dangerous prank.
A representative declined to comment when approached by the Daily Mail.
Ramsay recently confirmed he has undergone treatment to remove skin cancer, and thanked 'incredible' health workers for their efforts.
The celebrity chef said he had basal cell carcinoma, a non-melanoma form of skin cancer, removed, in a post on Instagram.
He told fans: 'Grateful and so appreciative for the incredible team at The Skin Associates and their fast reactive work on removing this Basal Cell Carcinoma, thank you.
'Please don’t forget your sunscreen this weekend, I promise you it’s not a face lift. I’d need a refund.'
The NHS says basal cell carcinoma is a non-melanoma form of skin cancer, which starts in the top layer of skin and is mainly caused by ultraviolet light which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds.
It says the main symptom of the condition is a growth or unusual patch on the skin, which can vary in size and appearance, most common in areas including the head, neck and shoulders, back, hands and lower legs.
Ramsay is also known for presenting Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and appearing in ITV’s Gordon, Gino And Fred road trip series, in which he travels with fellow chef Gino D’Acampo and First Dates maitre d’hotel Fred Sirieix.
The chef also runs Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, whose venues have received 17 Michelin stars overall, and currently boast eight.
Ramsay has six children with his wife Tana, including Tilly, who has built her own career as a TV presenter and appeared on the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.