Marilyn Monroe's former Brentwood residence has once again sidestepped demolition, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Los Angeles City Council first intervened last summer, granting the Spanish Colonial-style home historic cultural monument status and halting the owners' teardown plans. Last week, an LA Superior Court judge rejected a legal challenge from the homeowners, Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank, upholding the City Council's designation and preserving the property, at least for now.
Milstein and Bank, who own the neighboring home and purchased Monroe's former house for $8.35 million in 2023, had intended to demolish it as part of an estate expansion. Their lawsuit argued that the house has been so extensively remodeled—passing through 14 owners and more than a dozen renovation permits in 60 years—that it no longer resembles the place where Monroe lived and died in 1962. They assert that nothing from Monroe's time remains—not even a stray paint chip.
Despite their claims, the house at 5th Helena Drive has drawn consistent attention from historians, fans, and local politicians, many of whom see it as a key piece of Hollywood's past. Monroe purchased the home shortly before her death for $77,500—about $832,000 in today's dollars, per Westside Today. The tile inscription "Cursum Perficio" (Latin for "The journey ends here") on the porch has only added to its mystique. While the judge's decision keeps the house standing for now, Milstein and Bank could still appeal.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
