Marilyn Monroe’s villa: Monument protection prevents demolition for the time being

Marilyn Monroe’s Villa
Monument protection prevents demolition for the time being

Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home on August 5.

Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home on August 5.

© imago stock&people / imago/ZUMA/Keystone

The very last word has not yet been spoken, but the former villa of Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) in Los Angeles may now finally have been saved from demolition. The famous house in the Brentwood district has now been officially listed as a “historical cultural site” by the local city council. The responsible authority, the LA Conservancy, has now confirmed corresponding media reports. also on the short message service X and spoke of a “success”. According to him, the city council even made this decision unanimously.

“Thank you to everyone who has expressed their support and a huge thank you to City Councilor Traci Park and her team,” the post says. In recent weeks and months, Democratic politician Traci Park (48) has been campaigning loudly and in the press to ensure that the last residence of the acting legend does not have to make way for a new building. She posted the decisive City Council meeting even on her Instagram accountwhere numerous Monroe fans expressed their gratitude in the comments.

Marilyn Monroe only lived in the impressive Spanish colonial-style villa for around six months of her life, but the place is inextricably linked to the fate of the greatest sex symbol of the 20th century. After her death in 1962, the property became a place of pilgrimage for her fans and has remained so to this day. The reason: Marilyn Monroe was found dead there in the early hours of August 5, 1962, at the age of just 36. According to the autopsy report, she died of an overdose of sleeping pills. To this day, it has not been conclusively determined whether it was an accidental overdose of barbiturates or suicide.

Neighbours wanted to demolish the villa to expand their own property

Last year, the Monroe Villa changed hands: A wealthy neighboring couple bought the house and the land for around 8.4 million US dollars (the equivalent of around 7.9 million euros). Their plan: to demolish the villa and use the land to expand their own property. A demolition permit that had already been granted was withdrawn at short notice in September 2023 after massive protests in Los Angeles. At that time, the city council had already initiated the monument protection process, according to which a building is protected from demolition immediately until the final decision is made.

But there could still be a reversal: The owners filed a lawsuit against the city months ago regarding the monument protection process. Their argument: the decision was brought about by “backroom intrigues”. In addition, the house has already been rebuilt several times in the past decades and no longer has much in common with the original Monroe villa. The property can therefore no longer be considered a historical cultural monument, as there have been no concrete references to the pop icon’s time on site for a very long time. According to media reports, the case will go before a judge on August 13th.

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