Marilyn Monroe's Los Angeles home has been saved from demolition. Here's what it looks like today.
Gabbi Shaw
- Marilyn Monroe's home in Brentwood, California, was ruled a landmark by the LA City Council.
- The current owners sued the city for the right to demolish it to expand their home next door.
In 1962, Marilyn Monroe, one of the most iconic figures in American culture, was found dead inside her home in Brentwood, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. She was 36.
Sixty-two years later, the Los Angeles City Council ruled that her former home should be declared a historical cultural monument, as Variety reported.
The decision came after a May 2024 lawsuit from the current owners, Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank, who sued the City of Los Angeles to tear down the home, alleging "illegal and unconstitutional conduct and abuse of power by the city." The Los Angeles Times reported the couple bought the home in July 2023 for $8.35 million.
However, after this latest decision, Monroe's home will remain standing.
Here's everything you need to know about the home, its past, and what will happen now.
Marilyn Monroe purchased the Brentwood hacienda-style house in February 1962. It was the only house she ever owned.
The home, located at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, was built in 1929. According to Architectural Digest, the 2,900-square-foot home had two bedrooms, a small guesthouse, and a pool. Two more bedrooms have since been added.
She called it a "cute little Mexican-style house with eight rooms" and a "fortress where I can feel safe from the world," AD reported.
In a sad coincidence, the Latin phrase "Cursum Perficio," which means "The journey ends here," was written on the front porch's tiles. Its origins remain unknown.
Monroe lived there for just a few months — she died of an overdose in the home in August 1962.
At the time, she purchased it for $77,500. In 2023, it sold for $8.35 million.
The most recent sale was in July 2023, according to the Los Angeles Times. The property was purchased by heiress Brinah Milstein — her family was worth $3.1 billion in 2015 after making their fortune in real estate, according to Forbes — and her husband, Roy Bank, a reality TV producer.
Milstein and Bank sued the City of Los Angeles in May 2024 for the right to demolish the home.
The lawsuit came after a temporary halt on demolition that was issued in September 2023.
According to Milstein and Bank, the home has changed hands 14 times since Monroe's death and there have been "over a dozen" permits issued in relation to remodeling the home.
"There is not a single piece of the house that includes any physical evidence that Ms. Monroe ever spent a day at the house," the lawsuit alleged, The New York Times reported.
But the home has been likened to Graceland for fans of Monroe and has become a tourist attraction.
Much like Elvis Presley's home Graceland has become a place for fans of the King to come together and celebrate their idol, Monroe's super-fans are connected to this home.
That's according to Scott Fortner, a lifelong fan who runs The Marilyn Monroe Collection. He spoke to KCAL News in September 2023, after the demolition had been temporarily halted.
"This home is the equivalent of Graceland. It's that place where people go to remember Marilyn and just consider the fact that this was where she was happy and really wanted to start something new — a new chapter in her life," he said.
Now, the home will remain untouched after the LA City Council ruled it is a landmark.
According to The New York Times, on June 26, the council voted unanimously 12 to 0 to add the house to the list of local landmarks.
"There is no other person or place in the city of Los Angeles as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her Brentwood home," said a member of the City Council, Traci Park. "To lose this piece of history, the only home that Marilyn Monroe ever owned, would be a devastating blow for historic preservation," she continued.
After the decision, an attorney for the homeowners told City News Service, "Traci Park's actions today and throughout the process, disregarding the interests of her constituents and the facts and merits, demonstrate that no one's home or investment is safe."
The lawsuit is still pending, and a hearing is set for August 13.
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