Owners of Marilyn Monroe’s home sue Los Angeles for right to demolish historic property

City of LA has tried to designate home as historic landmark

The owners of Marilyn Monroe’s former Los Angeles home are suing for the right to demolish the property.

Heiress Brinah Milstein and reality TV producer Roy Bank, who have owned the home since last year, are suing the City of Los Angeles over its attempt to designate the home as a historic landmark.

Such a designation would protect the property, in the Brentwood neighbourhood, from demolition.

The homeowners are arguing that the property no longer meets the requirement for an “Historical Cultural Monument” because it has already been significantly altered by previous homeowners, according to documents filed on Monday.

An aerial view of Marilyn Monroe’s former home in Los Angeles, California. The current homeowners are suing the city for the right to demolish it (Getty Images)

Monroe lived at the home for less than six months before she died on the property in August 1962 at 36 years old. More than 14 people have owned the property since her death and the City of Los Angeles has issued a dozen permits to remodel the home, according to the lawsuit.

“There is not a single piece of the house that includes any physical evidence that Ms. Monroe ever spent a day at the house, not a piece of furniture, not a paint chip, not a carpet, nothing,” the suit reads.

Marilyn Monroe, pictured in 1950, lived in the Los Angeles home for less than six months before dying there in 1962 (Getty Images)

The fight to make the home a landmark began in 2023, when local residents learned the city issued Ms Milstein and Mr Bank a demolition permit.

In September, the LA City Council voted to begin the process of landmark consideration, meaning the demolition permits were nullified, the Los Angeles Timesreports.

The City Council will vote on the property’s landmark status this summer, according to the LA Times. The outcome will depend on this lawsuit, which is set to go to trial on August 13, according to court filings.

An aerial view of Marilyn Monroe’s former Los Angeles, California home. The Los Angeles City Council first began considering the home for landmark status in September (Getty Images)

The 2,900 square-foot home was built in 1929 and was independently owned by Monroe. The movie star reportedly paid $75,000 for the property in the 1960s. Ms Milstein’s trust, Glory of the Snow Trust, bought the home for $8.35m in July 2023.

Councilwoman Traci Park, who is leading the charge to declare the home a landmark, said Monroe left an “indelible mark” on the city.

“For people all over the world, Marilyn Monroe was more than just a movie icon,” Ms Park said last year. “Her story from her challenging childhood growing up in orphanages and foster homes to becoming a global sensation is a shining example of what it means to overcome adversity.”

Meanwhile, Milstein and Banks’ attorneys have accused the city of Los Angeles of “backroom machinations” to ensure the landmark designation goes through.

“The City’s conduct, including blatant deceit regarding its behind-the-scenes dealings with biased third-parties to rig the process (including involvement of profiteering tour operators), has caused irreparable harm to the plaintiffs and petitioners, depriving them of their vested rights,” their attorney Peter Sheridan said in a statement shared with The Independent.

The Independent has contacted the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office for comment.