Comic Kathy Griffin looks to cash out in Bel-Air
LOS ANGELES — Kathy Griffin is staging a sale in Bel-Air, putting her gated Mediterranean mansion on the market for $15.995 million US. That’s about $5.5 million more than she paid for it four years ago.
The Emmy-winning comedian kept things mostly the same during her stay, as the 13,377-square-foot home features grand living spaces with dramatic beams, pocketing doors and a host of balconies. The largest of the balconies extends from the primary suite, adding 1,100 square feet of space overlooking the surrounding mountains.
A gated driveway approaches the property, leading to a twostorey entry with oval windows and wrought-iron accents. From there, arched doorways give way to common spaces such as a formal dining room, a dual-island kitchen and a family room with a wet bar.
Other amenities include a bonus room, wine cellar, movie theatre and an office with a fireplace. Eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms complete the floor plan, which includes an elevator.
A covered patio lines the back of the home, extending to a pavilion with a lounge, dining area, lawn and 25,000-gallon infinity-edge pool. The property sits on slightly more than half an acre.
Griffin won two Emmys for her Bravo reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, and her comedy albums have been nominated for several Grammys. The 59-year-old has released more than 20 standup specials dating to the 1990s, including 2019’s A Hell of a Story.
Her stay in the home wasn’t entirely drama-free. A year after she bought the place, a neighbour, builder KB Home chief executive Jeffrey Mezger, went on a profanity-laden rant against Griffin after her boyfriend called in a noise complaint against him to the Los Angeles Police Department. A security camera caught the audio, and after it surfaced online, Mezger apologized to the comedian.
Blue collar in Beverly Hills
Stand-up comedian Ron White is looking for the last laugh in the Beverly Hills Post Office area, where his Spanish-style home of a decade is for sale at $7 million.
White, known for his run on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, customized just about everything in the 4,800-square-foot house during his stay. The threestorey hillside house is outfitted with ornate chandeliers, one-ofa-kind built-ins and handrails infused with crystals.
The living room has a twoscreen drop-down projector system, and a separate office includes custom humidor drawers. Outside, a 2,000-square-foot deck is anchored by a fire pit and water statue.
Common spaces such as a kitchen and formal dining room fill out the main level. Two master suites are among the three bedrooms and five bathrooms. The lower level holds a wet bar, sound room, recording studio and barbershop. An elevator navigates the threestorey floor plan.
A covered patio with a grill hangs off the back of the home, descending to a turf lawn with a lap pool and putting green. The space takes in sweeping views of the city below.
A native of Texas, White toured for years with the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe consisting of White, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy. Nicknamed “Tater Salad,” White penned the New York Times best-seller
I Had the Right to Remain Silent … But I Didn’t Have the Ability in 2006 and released the Netflix stand-up special If You Quit Listening, I’ll Shut Up in 2018.
Cosy English manor is all that
Actor Rachael Leigh Cook appears ready to call it a wrap in Studio City, where her home of four years has hit the market for $4.295 million.
Built in 1923 and recently refreshed, the Tudor manorstyle home sits among tall oak, pine and eucalyptus trees on a gated lot of more than a third of an acre. Meandering pathways connect various outdoor spaces, including a swimming pool, a guesthouse, a custom playhouse and a sunken patio with a rock fireplace.
The arched front door lends a whimsical note before giving way to open-concept space that combines classic and contemporary elements. Light hardwood floors, eye-catching fixtures and picture windows that take in leafy views are among details of note. The common area includes living and dining rooms, a breakfast room and an updated chef’s kitchen. A kitchen office sits off the kitchen area.
Upstairs, the primary bedroom has a boutique closet and an updated bath. Including the guesthouse, there are five bedrooms and six bathrooms in more than 4,800 square feet of interior space.
Cook, 40, is known for her film roles in She’s All That (1999) and Josie and the Pussycats (2001). She voiced various characters on the stop-motion sketch comedy show Robot Chicken as well as in the Star Wars: The Old Republic and Kingdom Hearts II video games.
More recently, she appeared in and produced the romantic comedy Love, Guaranteed (2000) for Netflix.
A fresh new vacation spot
Airbnb has landed its most famous host yet: a kid from West Philadelphia, born and raised.
Actor Will Smith, in collaboration with the property owner, has listed the mansion from The Fresh Prince of BelAir on the rental website, and the rate seems pretty reasonable: $30. The home — which is actually in Brentwood, not Bel-Air — will be available to rent for five one-night stays in early October.
Touted as The Freshest Los Angeles Mansion Around, the listing offers guests access to the master wing full of amenities inspired by the show. They can also head to the dining room complete with a throne and the posh backyard with a swimming pool and outdoor lounge.
Jordan sneakers line the bedroom closet, as do some of Smith’s outfits from the show, ranging from “argyle prepster to all-star athlete,” according to the listing. There’s no kitchen access, but Smith wrote that “all meals will be provided and served on silver platters, of course.”
Guests will be greeted virtually by DJ Jazzy Jeff, as well as a socially distanced concierge to give renters the lay of the land. The promo arrives shortly after Smith teased a Fresh Prince reunion on HBO Max to celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary. The reunion special will reportedly air around Thanksgiving and feature the original cast, including Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv for three seasons before leaving the show in 1993.
For fans, the listing offers a rare opportunity to access the mansion. Records show it hasn’t publicly traded hands since it sold in 1978 for $732,000.
Ready to reel in an offer
It’s been a busy year for Derek Jeter. In 2020 alone, the baseball legend became a Hall of Famer and a landlord and now, hopefully, a seller. His mansion in Tampa, Florida, has come on the market for $29 million.
The mammoth listing arrives a few months after reports surfaced that Jeter was renting out the waterfront mansion to Tom Brady, who signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the offseason.
According to the listing, it’s the biggest home in south Tampa and the largest waterfront property assembled on Davis Islands. Set on more than an acre, the custom estate measures 22,000 square feet, including 9,000 square feet of scenic decks and balconies).