Marilyn Monroe’s beloved Los Angeles home, where she tragically died more than 60 years ago, could become a tear-down, as its new owner reportedly seeks to demolish the iconic, one-story structure.
The new owner has filed for permits with the city’s Department of Building and Safety to demolish the Hacienda-style home in the city’s upscale Brentwood neighborhood, the New York Post reported Wednesday. The resident didn’t say why they wanted to demolish the four-bedroom structure, which was built in 1929, but property owners usually take such steps in order to build a house that’s larger and that has more modern amenities.
The building department gave the green light for a “plan check” on Tuesday, signaling the initial stages of the demolition process, the Post said. However, a final demolition permit has yet to be granted.
An aerial view of the house where actress Marilyn Monroe died is seen on July 26, 2002 in Brentwood, California. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Monroe’s death. The actress, famous for such films as “The Seven Year Itch” and “Some Like It Hot,” was found dead on August 5, 1962 in her Brentwood, California home of a drug overdose. (Photo by Mel Bouzad/Getty Images)
Monroe, one of Hollywood’s most famous stars, purchased the 2,900-square-foot home in February 1962 for $77,500 — equivalent to around $790,000 today, when figures are adjusted for inflation. The grounds of the estate featured a pool and lush lawn, while the home itself boasted charming architectural details, including beamed ceilings, casement windows and terra cotta tile floors.
Related Articles
‘Seinfeld’ star Jason Alexander is not who you think he is
Sophie Turner felt ‘trapped’ by early ‘Game of Thrones’ stardom, marriage to Joe Jonas and motherhood
Bay Area gospel star, who worked with Chaka Khan and Ray Charles, dies from cancer
Gary Wright, singer-songwriter known for ‘Dream Weaver,’ dies at 80
Timothée Chalamet enters ‘Kardashian vortex’ with Kylie Jenner PDA at Beyonce concert
Sadly, Monroe didn’t get to enjoy the house for long. The troubled beauty was found dead in her bedroom on Aug. 4, 1962. At the time, the Los Angeles Times said the 36-year-old “Gentleman Prefer Blondes” actor was found nude, lying face down on her bed and clutching a telephone receiver in her hand when a psychiatrist broke into her room at 3:30 a.m. She had been dead an estimated six to eight hours.
Monroe’s death, officially blamed on an apparent overdose of sleeping pills, touched off a national outpouring of grief and decades of novels, investigative reports, feature films and serious think pieces about Hollywood fame, American ideals of womanhood and so much else. Known as the “blonde bombshell,” Monroe became the tragic, exploited figure in various national conspiracy theories, with suspects in her demise including John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, the CIA, Teamsters union leader Jimmy Hoffa and the Mafia.
The fascination around Monroe’s life and death has meant that her beloved house, at the end of a cul de sac in the Hollywood Hills, has become a macabre attraction for bus and van tours of stars’ homes and scenes of Hollywood tragedies.
The home was last publicly on the market in 2017 and sold for $7.25 million, the New York Post said. At some point in the last six years, the home once again changed ownership for an undisclosed amount — though its value is said to be around $8.35 million.
