Marilyn Monroe's villa - No demolition for the time being due to monument protection
The last word has not been spoken yet, but it is possible that Marilyn Monroe's former villa (1926-1962) in Los Angeles has been finally saved from demolition. The famous house in the Brentwood neighborhood has at least been officially designated as a "historical cultural landmark" by the local council. The responsible authority, the L.A. Conservancy, has confirmed media reports on the short messaging service X and spoke of a "success". The council reportedly made this decision unanimously.
"Many thanks to all who have shown their support and a huge thank you to Councilwoman Traci Park and her team," the post reads. Democratic politician Traci Park (48) has been vocal and media-savvy in the past few weeks and months about preventing the last residence of the acting legend from being replaced by a new building. She even posted the decisive city council meeting on her Instagram account, where many Monroe fans expressed their gratitude in the comments.
Marilyn Monroe lived in the impressive Spanish colonial-style villa for only a few months of her life, but the place is inseparably linked to the fate of the greatest sex symbol of the 20th century. The plot was also a pilgrimage site for her fans after her death in 1962 and remains so to this day. The reason: Marilyn Monroe was found dead in the early morning hours of August 5, 1962, at the age of only 36, on the property. She died, according to the autopsy report, from an overdose of sleeping pills. To this day, it is not definitively clear whether it was an accidental overdose of barbiturates or suicide.
Neighbors wanted to demolish the villa to expand their own estate
In the past year, the Monroe villa changed hands: A wealthy neighboring couple bought the house and plot for around 8.4 million US dollars (approximately 7.9 million Euros). Their plan: Demolish the villa and use the plot for the expansion of their own estate. A demolition permit that had already been granted was withdrawn in September 2023 due to massive protests in Los Angeles. The council had already initiated the heritage preservation procedure at that time, according to which a building is protected from demolition until the final decision.
However, there could still be a role reversal: The owners filed a lawsuit against the city regarding the heritage preservation procedure months ago. Their argument: The decision was allegedly influenced by "backroom deals". In addition, the house had been altered numerous times in the past decades and no longer had much in common with the original Monroe villa. A historical cultural monument could therefore no longer represent the property, as there were no longer any concrete indications of the time of the pop icon on the site. According to media reports, the case is scheduled to go before a judge on August 13.
The wealthy neighbors who bought Marilyn Monroe's villa in Brentwood aimed to demolish it to expand their estate, but their plans were halted due to massive protests. The City Council, led by Councilwoman Traci Park, designated the villa as a "historical cultural landmark," preventing its demolition. If the owners' lawsuit against the city's heritage preservation procedure is successful, they argue that the house, altered over the years, no longer represents Marilyn Monroe's time and should not be considered a monument.
